Undergraduate Prospectus 2015 admissions UNIVERSITY: THE BEST TIME OF YOUR LIFE. COME TO BIRMINGHAM AND YOU WILL ENJOY A DISTINCT SET OF OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP YOU SHAPE WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU WANT YOUR TIME TO GO, AND TO ACHIEVE YOUR POTENTIAL. Per Ardua Ad Alta . Per Ardua Ad Alta . Per Ardua Ad Alta . Per Ardua Ad Alta . Per r Pe Ar . dua Ad Al ta . Pe r Ardu ta . Per Ardua Ad Alta a Al Ad Alta dua Ad . Pe r Ar r Ar . Pe dua ta Al Ad Al Ad a ta du . MR B WRIGHT Ar Pe r r Pe Ardu . ta a Ad Al International Relations Ad Alta a . Ardu Pe r r Ar 1247620 dua Ad Al ta . Ardua Ad Alta . Pe P Pe . Alta Ad Ardua Per . Alta Ad dua Ar Per . Alta Ad Ardua Per . ta Al Ad a r Ardu er 04/02/1993 Library No. BU P6234115 5 01 With a personal tutor to work with you through your We are The Times and The Sunday Times studies, student mentors in your accommodation, University of the Year 2013–14. Consistently and a professional advice centre, to name but ranked in the top 15 universities in the UK, three, there is a range of support available as you there is no better time to make the University start this new chapter in your life. of Birmingham your first choice. From developing world-leading human robots in our Intelligent With internship opportunities from the British Consulate in Robotics lab or detecting new rocky planets; through to world-class Chicago to GlaxoSmithKline in Brazil, Dubai and Singapore, research into cancer and global infection, our academics create it comes as no surprise that Birmingham is 8th in the UK a positive impact across the globe. During your studies you’ll be for graduate employability. taught by academics at the very forefront of their fields. Not only does the city of Birmingham feature in The New York Times 45 Places to Go list, we are also the 6th cheapest university to live at in the Our 250-acre campus, listed UK. At Birmingham you have a vibrant, accessible city on your doorstep. in the top ten most beautiful universities in Britain by The Our Guild of Students offers over 230 Telegraph, encompasses the Our 3 million books, multi-user, multi- active student groups and societies, facilities you’ll need to succeed touch technologies and new online learning and matches 3,500 student volunteers in your degree, as well as the environment will revolutionise your learning. with a range of schemes each year, many amenities of a small town. This You will be able to use this creative environment of these in the local community, Selly Oak. is the place where you’ll build to push the boundaries of your knowledge. 93% of these students believe that this friendships to last a lifetime. has directly enhanced their employability. Contents www.birmingham.ac.uk The UCAS code for Birmingham is B32 YOUR STUDIES: THE BIRMINGHAM LEARNING EXPERIENCE Course finder 79 Maps and directions Learning at Birmingham 10 What type of programme How to find us 200 From libraries to learning technologies 13 suits you? 80 The Edgbaston campus 202 Student wellbeing 16 Joint Honours programmes 82 The Selly Oak campus 204 Student support 18 Providing opportunities for the best The Bachelor of Liberal Arts Terms and conditions minds from all backgrounds 20 and Sciences 84 The small print 205 Birmingham: solving tomorrow’s problems today 22 Birmingham Foundation Course index 209 Academy 86 General index 214 YOUR OPPORTUNITIES: EQUIPPING Visit the University 216 YOU FOR THE FUTURE Arts and Law 88 Get involved 26 Developing your career 28 Engineering and Working alongside your studies 34 Physical Sciences 120 A wealth of international opportunities 36 Alumni – a relationship for life 40 Life and Environmental Sciences 142 YOUR LIFE: MAKING THE BEST OF YOUR TIME Medical and Dental Sciences 162 Campus life 44 Culture on your doorstep 46 Social Sciences 180 Sport 50 City 54 Student living: accommodation 60 Essential information Costs and financial support 66 Entry requirements 72 Open days How to apply 76 Come and explore Birmingham for yourself on the following dates: p Friday 27 June and Saturday 28 June p Saturday 13 September p Saturday 18 October See page 216 for more details or visit www.birmingham.ac.uk/ opendays A warm welcome from the University of the Year WE KNOW THAT YOUR TIME AT UNIvERSITY IS PRECIOUS. Our mission is to help you to fulfil your potential BY MAKING THE MOST OF EvERY OPPORTUNITY. As well as developing your academic of their fields. We also understand that universities, we offer a wide range of skills, the wealth of additional opportunities everyone is an individual with their own international opportunities to our students. available to you will help you to build the life learning style and have invested in and leadership skills that are the hallmark of enhanced personal tutoring, the latest When it is time to leave university, you a high-quality graduate. And you will build learning facilities and new technologies can be confident in the knowledge that friendships that will last a lifetime. to ensure you can fulfil your potential. Birmingham graduates are highly sought by employers. We are eighth in the UK for There is no better time to make the The reputation of a great university depends graduate employability, with over 80% of University of Birmingham your first choice; not only upon the quality of education, but our alumni in graduate-level jobs within six in October 2013 we were delighted to be on the quality of research. In the past year months of completing their degree. named University of the Year 2013–14 alone our computer scientists and medical by The Times and The Sunday Times. experts have been pioneering the use of We provide extensive support to help you We were recognised in particular for our computer game technology to alleviate prepare for a successful career, including outstanding performance across all league patients’ pain and discomfort through access to specialised careers advice tables and are now consistently ranked distraction therapy; we are leading on based in your academic area, a range in the top 15 universities in the UK. the ATLAS Project at the Large Hadron of voluntary and paid work experiences, Our stunning campus has also been Collider; and we have even shed light on and internship and mentoring opportunities. recognised, with The Telegraph naming the ‘beginning of time’ by discovering the Founded over one hundred years ago, what Birmingham as one of the ten most world’s oldest known calendar! Meanwhile, makes Birmingham stand out today is our beautiful universities in Britain. While thanks to a transformational gift of commitment to and investment in even league tables alone do not give the whole £15 million by one of our alumni, we greater success in our second century, picture, we believe that what lies behind are establishing an Institute for Forest and the impact that our graduates and our success is indicative of the educational Research which will study the impact our research make around the world. experience you will receive here. of environmental change on woodlands. I look forward to welcoming you to the Our academic standards are high. We Birmingham offers the best of all worlds; a University of the Year. encourage independent thought and prize beautiful green campus, easy access to the applicants who can demonstrate academic diverse attractions of the UK’s second city, achievement and the potential to excel. and strong links across the globe. With offices in India, China, Brazil, the US, and At Birmingham you are taught by mainland Europe, partnerships on almost outstanding university teachers, many of every continent and membership of the Professor David Eastwood whom are also researchers at the forefront Universitas 21 global network of Vice-Chancellor Edinburgh 5–6 ho urs 3–4 ho Belfast urs Leeds 1– 2 ho urs Manchester Dublin BIRMINGHAM Cardiff London Fact p Birmingham is the youngest city in Europe, with under-25s accounting for nearly 40% of its population p We are the only university in mainland Britain with our own railway station on campus, aptly named ‘University’ p With over 8,000 acres of parks and open space, Birmingham is one of the greenest cities in the UK Please note: journey times are for guidance only and are based on the average time taken for off-peak trains travelling between mainland UK city centre stations. 7 Make your prospectus come to life WE HAvE USED AUGMENTED REALITY IN OUR PROSPECTUS TO MAKE IT COME TO LIFE. If you’ve got an IOS* or Android device: p Download our free Look Deeper app from the App store or Google Play p Scan over the image wherever you see the icon on the left p Hear our students talk about life at the University of Birmingham and how it shaped their journey p view the video below to see our campus for yourself If you don’t want to hold your device over the Tip photo, double-tap the video to play at full-screen. *not compatible with IOS 7 8 YOUR STUDIES: tHE BIRMINGHaM LEaRNING EXPERIENcE WEEKS A YEAr tEAcHING uNDErGrADuAtE FIELD YEAr trAINING 3 GEoLoGY IN ENGLAND, AS A tEAcHEr WALES AND ScotLAND 1 HourS A WEEK coNtrIButING MY TIME to tHE LAPWortH DAYS A YEAr IN JAMES WHEELEY, 5 MuSEuM oF GEoLoGY rEDEVELoPMENt ProJEct SoutH EASt SPAIN GEoLoGY LEcturEr 8 DoING FIELDWorK WItH FINALIStS 9 YEArS StuDYING GEoLoGY BSc, MSc 8 AND PHD DEGrEES DAYS A YEAr INVoLVED WItH GEoLoGY HourS A 8 outrEAcH ActIVItIES YEAr ADVISING 60 ProJEct BILLIoN YEArS: tHE AGE StuDENtS IN tHE FIELD MILLIoN YEArS: tHE oF EArtH – tHE ScIENcE AGE oF tHE FoSSILS I 4.6 oF WHIcH I tEAcH 465 rESEArcH For ANcIENt cLIMAtE INForMAtIoN 10 Your studies: the Birmingham learning experience Learning at Birmingham AT BIRMINGHAM LEARNING IS A CONvERSATION, NOT SIMPLY A LECTURE.