think create provoke Change the world around you. Undergraduate Prospectus 2010 admissions student profiles student student www.undergraduate.bham.ac.uk/profiles profiles profiles student profiles www.undergraduate.bham.ac.uk/profiles www.undergraduate.bham.ac.uk/profiles www.undergraduate.bham.ac.uk/profiles student student w w profiles s student profiles profiles s w w e le w il w i www.undergraduate.bham.ac.uk/profiles f f . Open days .u o u o n r n r d p d /p e k/ er k rg .u g .u 25ra and 26ac June 2009 rad .ac duate.bham. uate.bham 12 September 2009 Edinburgh See page 40 for details Belfast student profiles student profiles www.undergraduate.bham.ac.uk/profiles www.undergraduate.bham.ac.uk/profiles Dublin BIRMINGHAM Cardiff London student profiles student profiles www.undergraduate.bham.ac.uk/profiles www.undergraduate.bham.ac.uk/profiles Contact points BECOME A BIRMINGHAM VIP Main University Switchboard Tel: +44 (0)121 414 3344 JOIN US ONLINE By telephoning this number, you can be transferred to any School Birmingham VIP is a regularly updated, or department within the University personalised web page made available to all prospective undergraduate students featuring Admissions all the latest news about life at the University. Tel: +44 (0)121 415 8900 For full details see page 157. Email: [email protected] www.marketing.bham.ac.uk/ admissions_recruitment To join, visit www.vip.bham.ac.uk and complete the online registration form. Student Recruitment Team Tel: +44 (0)121 414 3374 We look forward to welcoming you Email: [email protected] to Birmingham VIP! www.marketing.bham.ac.uk/ recruitment International Office Tel: +44 (0)121 414 2894 Email: [email protected] www.international.bham.ac.uk Contents www.bham.ac.uk The UCAS code for Birmingham is B32 A warm welcome 4 The learning experience The Birmingham learning experience 8 The importance of research 10 A sustainable campus 11 Student experience The Guild of Students 13 Sporting life 16 The city of Birmingham 20 Campus life 24 Living in student accommodation 26 Types of accommodation 28 International experience College of Arts and Law 70 Next steps A global university 32 How to apply 156 A warm welcome to College of Engineering Entry requirements 158 international students 33 and Physical Sciences 88 Entry requirements for Terms and conditions international students 36 College of Life and Essential information The International Foundation Environmental Sciences 108 for all applicants 161 Programme 38 College of Medical and Maps and directions Visit the University 40 Dental Sciences 124 How to find us 165 The Edgbaston campus 168 Help and advice College of Social Sciences 140 The Selly Oak campus 170 How much will it cost? 44 The Vale 171 Making ends meet 46 Programmes in collaboration Scholarships and awards 48 with other organisations 153 Index 172 A supportive community 50 Advice for parents and guardians 52 Careers and alumni Shape your own future 56 Alumni profiles 60 Programmes explained What type of programme suits you? 62 Joint Honours explained 63 How to find your programme 66 List of programmes 68 4 Welcome A warm welcome The University of Birmingham is a great university in a great city. Founded as England’s first truly ‘civic’ university over a century ago, in a glorious campus close to the centre of England’s second city, the University of Birmingham is now not only one of Britain’s leading universities, but internationally acclaimed and globally recognised. Choosing the right university isn’t easy. I became Birmingham’s Vice-Chancellor only recently, but seeing and experiencing the University made the prospect of joining it irresistible. I hope you experience the same sense of Birmingham being not just a university but your university. If you do, you, like me, will benefit from Birmingham’s distinguished history, relish everything it has to offer to the modern student, and shape the future of this dynamic university. Under my predecessor, Professor Michael Sterling, At Birmingham your education will be informed by academic Birmingham’s academic reputation was enhanced researchers who are global experts and whose work tackles while establishing a financial strength that’s rare some of the contemporary challenges of the 21st Century. amongst British universities. Therefore, despite the I am delighted that the results of the national Research global economic downturn, we are building on what’s Assessment Exercise 2008 confirmed that Birmingham been achieved to ensure that Birmingham is protected is the West Midlands’ top university and 12th in the UK*, from the downturn and well placed to benefit from the leading the way across a broader range of disciplines economic recovery when it begins. than most UK universities. Birmingham’s attraction lies in the fact that its heritage I relish playing my part in positioning Birmingham amongst reaches back over 100 years, and it looks forward to the world’s leading universities and hope that this prospectus the next century: to the impact that its research and captures some of both our prestige and potential. I hope that teaching will have on lives, societies and industries in you will join me, and be part of Birmingham’s future. the future. To achieve this, the University has exciting plans to invest in the staff, the campus and the facilities that support our academic community, which includes our students and alumni. Professor David Eastwood Vice-Chancellor *Ranked using the Research Fortnight’s Power Index – see page 10 Welcome 5 Birmingham has always welcomed people who are driven by curiosity. For over 100 years we have nurtured new ideas, changed lives, society, industry and politics. What difference could you make? What ideas will you formulate that could change the future? Think. Create. Provoke. I became an academic, because I wanted to be the first to know. Andy Schofield, Professor of Theoretical Physics 8 The learning experience The Birmingham learning experience Welcome to the University of Birmingham. Making friends and enjoying your independence is a major part of your university life. But the most important reason for choosing Birmingham, is the unique learning experience. The Birmingham approach to learning We advocate an enquiry-based approach to learning, which means that we encourage you to become an independent and self-motivated learner. We’ll teach you to communicate well, understand and solve complex problems, take the initiative, and work effectively alone or as part of a team. These are the qualities that employers value in today’s university graduates and will set you apart in your future career. We provide you with a learning experience that deepens your knowledge of your subject and equips you with a range of skills that will prepare you for the world of work. The Birmingham approach to teaching We use a range of teaching methods across our different academic disciplines. Lectures provide food for thought and are an opportunity to listen to academic staff sharing their knowledge and discoveries with you. You are expected to build on this, carry out further reading around the subject and use your analytical skills to critically examine the information offered. Seminars offer the opportunity for you to discuss your ideas in smaller groups and debate other students’ opinions. Tutorials are carried out on a one-to-one basis so you can discuss your written work in person with your tutor. Our lecturers and tutors will ensure you have all the resources you need to make the transition from A levels to the more rigorous demands of a degree. Modules outside the main discipline (MOMD) Many of our degree programmes allow you to study one module from a discipline outside your area of specialism for at least one year of your programme. MOMDs are attractive to both students and employers; they can bring greater breadth to your academic CV and give you the opportunity to learn new skills. The learning experience 9 New ways of learning We are a world leader in our use of new technologies designed to help you personalise your learning experience. The University has a wireless network, giving you access to the campus IT system from lecture theatres, libraries, computer clusters and social spaces. We are committed to e-learning and have developed an institutional virtual learning environment (iVLE) to give you greater flexibility in the way you study. At the heart of the iVLE is WebCT, which gives you access to a wide range of programme materials including text, graphics, audio and video. There is also an online forum for you to exchange ideas and information with your fellow students. In addition, through WebCT, tutors can provide feedback for students and create assignments and self-tests for a particular programme. You can add your own notes to programme material and monitor your progress and grades. These new technologies are currently being rolled out across the University and are proving to be a valuable learning tool. Investment in your future The University currently spends around £1 million each week on developing the campus. We have an ongoing commitment to invest in projects that enhance your learning experience and quality of life at Birmingham. Recent major projects include a student facilities complex in our Medical School and a complete redevelopment of one of our halls of residence, Mason Hall. Our flagship project, however, is the substantial refurbishment of learning facilities at Muirhead Tower in the heart of the campus, which will provide students with access to state-of-the-art equipment and contemporary social and learning spaces. 10 The learning experience The importance of research Birmingham is a research-led university, which means that, in addition to our teaching commitment to our students, our academic staff are engaged in a wide range of research projects that could change lives and society in the future.