25.Birmingham, University of ｜伯明翰大学

Situated in the heart of England, the University of Birmingham was founded over 100 years ago and has a long tradition of discovery, invention and design across all the major disciplines. Whatever your chosen subject, you can be sure that you will benit tremendously from the experience of studying at Birmingham. Not only will you secure a well-respected degree which is recognised throughout the world, but you will also benit from the friendly, multicultural community that exists on our beautiful campus.

Key Facts

27,189 students studying at the University

Over 4,000 international students from 150 different countries

Consistently high score in government Quality Assurance Assessments, averaging 22 points out of a maximum of 24.

96% of our graduates are either employed, engaged in further study or travelling within six months of leaving the University.

Highest number of departments in the region to be awarded top research quality ratings in the national Research Assessment Exercise. 32 of the University s subject areas received the highest ratings of either 5, 5* or 6.

Four Nobel Prize winners

150,000 alumni around the world

Attractive, safe and convenient location occupying 243 acres of beautiful green leafy campus

Munrow Sports Centre offering an Active Lifestyles Programme with 150 different classes per week and 43 different sports clubs.

Barber Institute of Fine Arts on campus declared Art Gallery of the Year by the Good Britain Guide 2004.

Dedicated International Student Advisory Service

Complimentary Induction programme on arrival including airport collection, University registration, police registration, applying for a bank account and many social activities

University medical and dental practise and optometrist

Guild of Students with a full programme of entertainment including club nights, live band nights and over 200 societies organising various social activities and celebrating important festivals throughout the year.

Library and resource centres across campus providing access to over 2.6 million books, 3 million archives and manuscripts. Many collections have world-wide recognition

Courses

We offer Foundation courses in Chemistry, Engineering, Social Science, Arts Humanities and Physics along with 512 Undergraduate programmes, 324 Taught Masters programmes and an extensive variety of Postgraduate Research programmes in the following schools of study:

Arts, Languages, Literature History

Education

Business

Law

Social Sciences, Government Politics

Engineering

Science

Medicine, Dentistry Health Sciences

Scholarships

The International Relations office offers foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships each year to students from specified countries. The closing date for these scholarship applications is 31st May 2008. All students that are sent an offer are automatically sent a scholarship application form. Further information can be found at

The University also offers various departmental scholarships to international students. Further details of these can again be found on our website at

Academic strengths

The University of Birmingham offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in science, engineering, health sciences, business, and humanities. Our standards of research and teaching are consistently high. In the UK Government s 2001 Research Assessment Exercise, 32 of our subject areas received the highest ratings of 5, 5* or 6. The Government s Quality Assurance Agency regularly examines all university teaching and awards a number of points up to a maximum of 24 points. Our departments results average more than 22. Birmingham is also a founder member of Universitas 21, a group of leading international research universities. Internationally excellent research undertaken here influences the modern world and enriches the quality of our teaching, bringing knowledge from the frontiers of discovery directly to the lecture theatre.

Student life

The Guild of Students is one of the leading student unions in the country with over 200 clubs and societies. It is the centre of social life on the campus, offering a full programme of entertainment and helping students to relax and enjoy themselves after a day of study. It is important to meet new people and develop new interests during your time at university and the Guild provides excellent opportunities for both. You can find part-time work through the Job Zone, receive free skills-based training or get involved in helping the local community by volunteering with one of the local support agencies.

The University s Student Support and Counselling Service offers help and advice to our students. It is staffed by a team of professionally-trained counsellors who help students deal with any difficulties they may be experiencing be they educational or emotional. The International Students Advisory Service also provides trained and dedicated advisers for international students who have queries relating to immigration, working in the UK, healthcare, finance, personal and academic support. Both services are free of charge and all matters are handled in the strictest confidence.

We have introduced student mentors, who are usually second- or third-year students, in our halls of residence. They are on hand at the start of the year to help you settle in and, in most residences, are available 24 hours a day.

Birmingham itself is a major European city with first-class cultural, social and sporting facilities. It is a thriving city that embraces the broad ethnic mix of the region.

LOCATION

Birmingham, a major European city, is a lively, friendly and multicultural city. It is home to some spectacular Victorian and contemporary architecture and all the facilities you would expect of a modern and thriving metropolis - venues for art, music, theatre and sport, excellent nightlife, great shopping and eating, including the world famous Bullring Centre. The city also benits from being surrounded by beautiful countryside. Its position in the heart of England makes it the perfect base from which to explore the UK and Europe; the city is less than two hours away from London by road and rail, and has its own international airport. Warwick, Stratford, the Peak District and Wales are also all within easy travelling distance.

The main University campus at Edgbaston, where most of our teaching and other facilities are situated, is spacious and attractive with lawns, trees and a lake. It was the first campus university in England and one of the first red brick universities - Birmingham is said to be the origin of the term red brick university . Our Selly Oak campus is situated on a beautiful garden site a short bus-ride from the main campus.

ACCOMMODATION

As an international student you are guaranteed a place in university accommodation for at least your first year of study at Birmingham, as long as you accept us as your firm choice and return your application form by the given deadline. It may be possible for you to stay in university accommodation for the whole of their time in the UK if you wish.

In halls of residence, students have their own study-bedroom but share other facilities. Breakfast and evening meals are provided in the Hall. Self-catering flats consist of five or more individual study bedrooms with a shared bathroom and kitchen. Private bathrooms are also available in some flats.

If you prer, there is plenty of privately rented accommodation close to the University and the University s Housing Services Office will help you if you decide to explore this option.

Detailed information about accommodation at Birmingham can be found at the Housing Services website at

Facilities

We have some of the finest sports facilities of any university in the UK. These include a swimming pool, sports halls, an athletics track, gymnasium and squash courts, as well as state-of-the-art hockey pitches. Further afield, our outdoor pursuits centre in the Lake District provides opportunities for water sports and other outdoor activities.

Library facilities are excellent; our main library houses more than two million books and three million other items such as manuscripts, archives and periodicals. In addition, there are 12 specific subject libraries on campus.

Computing facilities are available in the main library, in departments and in campus accommodation. All students have free access to email and to the internet, and there is a 24-hour Computer Centre for late-night study sessions.

The University s Barber Institute of Fine Arts is classed as one of the best small art galleries in Europe and houses an important collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture and objets d art. The Institute is open to the public and has a concert hall with lunchtime and evening concerts.

FACILITIES

The University has excellent facilities for teaching, learning, sport, arts and leisure. Our ongoing programme of investment in resources and facilities is dedicated to bringing out the best, at work and at play, in all our students.

We believe that access to high quality information is essential for good teaching and fective learning. Our Main Library houses two and a half million books and three million other items, including manuscripts, archives and periodicals in printed, electronic and other forms. There are also twelve satellite libraries on campus, many of which are subject specific, including Law, Medicine, Dentistry, Education, Music and European Studies. Because Birmingham is a research-led university, you have the opportunity to develop your potential in independent study through access to a range of rare source materials that may not be available anywhere else.

Computing facilities are available in the Main Library, in departments and in campus accommodation. All students have free access to email and to the internet, and there is a 24-hour computer centre for those late-night study sessions. Our new Learning Centre has state of the art facilities and equipment, and labs and teaching space across the campus is being upgraded and rurbished to meet these high standards.

Our sports facilities are among the best of any UK university and include a swimming pool, sports halls, athletics track, gym and squash courts, as well as state-of-the-art water-based hockey pitches, playing fields and a golf driving range. Further afield, our outdoor pursuits centre in the Lake District provides opportunities for watersports, orienteering, mountain-biking and other outdoor activities. Whatever your sporting interests, you can continue them - or learn something new - at the University.

Our Guild of Students is housed in one of the UK s largest union buildings. Run by students for students, it is home to bars, restaurants, shops, banks and a huge range of societies and organisations dedicated to helping every Birmingham student get the very best out of their time here.

The arts are important here too. We have numerous orchestras, choirs and musical groups of all kinds. The University s Barber Institute of Fine Arts is a wonderful Art Deco building with a concert hall for lunchtime and evening performances. Open to the public, it houses an important collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture and objets d art.

STUDENT LIFE

Student social life at Birmingham is centred on the Guild of Students. Housed in one of the largest Students Union buildings in the country, the Guild offers something to suit everybody. There are several bars and food outlets as well as shops and support services for students. There are over 200 different clubs and societies, from sporting activities to clubs for specific national groups. The Guild has its own radio station BURN FM (which is hosted by students and which broadcasts across the local area ), television station and newspaper Redbrick again produced by students.

Many students take part in sporting activites and there are excellent facilities available both on and off campus. If you prer simply to watch sport, you have access to premiership football, international badminton, international athletics and many other such events whch are staged in the city s many sports venues. Of course, being so close to a major city means that there is also easy access to the shopping, nightlife and cultural facilities in the centre of Birmingham. It is also a great location from which to explore the rest of the UK and many students spend time at weekends or during holidays visiting other areas of the UK and Europe.

In addition, you can find part-time work through the Job Zone, receive free skills-based training, or get involved at a community level by volunteering with one of the local support agencies, such as the Prince s Trust or Age Concern.

You can also experience life with a British family by participating in the HOST scheme for international students. This scheme provides an opportunity for you to visit a family and stay with them in their home for a few days.

FEES ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

For undergraduate admissions, we accept many different types of qualifications from the UK and overseas. All candidates must offer good grades in either A levels, International Baccalaureate, a recognised Foundation Programme or an equivalent overseas qualifications. Specific requirements may vary depending on the subject you wish to study.

For entry to postgraduate programmes, candidates must offer the equivalent of a good honours degree. In general you must achieve a level equivalent to a first or upper second class honours degree, although specific requirements may vary from one course to another.

Further details about entry requirements for overseas students can be found on the International Office web site at

English Language

All candidates are required to have a good level of written and spoken English bore taking up a place at the University. English language requirements vary from course to course. As a guideline, most students will be expected to have achieved a MINIMUM score as follows :

for Engineering and Science courses - IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 550/213/80 (IBT)

for Business, Health Sciences, Education, Humanities and Social Science courses - IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 580/237/93

for Medicine, Dentistry and Law - IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL 600/250/100 (IBT)

Full details can be found at

Course Fees

The standard annual fees for international students commencing their studies in September 2005 are:

Non-laboratory based courses: ￡9,200

Laboratory based courses: ￡11,950

Clinical courses: ￡21,800

It is important to note that these tuition fees are reviewed annually and that some postgraduate courses are charged at a non-standard fee.

Cost of Living

You will also need to make provision for your living expenses. The cost of living can vary throughout Britain although students living in Birmingham enjoy lower costs than in some other cities in the UK. As a rough guide, we estimate that you should allow approximately ￡7,800 ￡10,800 per calendar year. This would cover costs for accommodation, local travel, books, food, clothing, entertainment and other incidental expenses. If you are planning to bring your partner or family with you, then you will need to bring more money. A brochure on bringing your family to the UK can be obtained from the International Office.

SCHOLARSHIPS

The International Relations office offers foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships each year to students from specified countries. The closing date for scholarship applications is 31st May 2008. All students that are sent an offer are automatically sent a scholarship application form. Further information can be found at

The University also offers various departmental scholarships to international students. Further details of these can again be found on our website at