University of Birmingham and Hong Kong

The University of Birmingham has a long tradition of welcoming students from Hong Kong. We have a vibrant student community supported by our Hong Kong student societies and an alumni mentoring scheme to ensure our Hong Kong students make the most of their time at the University.

We have dedicated international recruitment officers who will support you during all stages of your enquiry and application to the University. We offer a range of ways to speak to our staff and current students to get information and advice on living and studying in Birmingham.

The following information is for guidance only and should be used together with the University's general entrance requirements and any specific degree programme requirements.

English Language

You will need to demonstrate a certain level of English language, either through an English test such as IELTS, TOEFL or PTE, or we may be able to accept your previous or alternative qualifications as evidence. Please view the entry requirements for specific programme requirements, and details on our presessional English language courses.

Foundation Pathways

For entry into the Foundation Pathways, we require the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE), with 4 subjects at grades 3,3,3,3 (excluding Chinese and Liberal Studies) or 3,3,3,3,3 from any subject.  For our Engineering and Physical Sciences pathway subjects must include a minimum grade 3 in compulsory Mathematics.  Students who have completed Form 5 with a minimum overall score of 60% will also be considered.

Please visit the Foundation Pathways website for more information on our foundation programmes.

Undergraduate

We will consider holders of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) for entry to our undergraduate programmes with the grade equivalencies shown below (excluding Chinese and Liberal Studies).

A*AA = 5*55

AAA = 555

AAB = 554

ABB = 544

BBB = 444

Applicants for programmes with subject specific requirements will need to offer these as normal (please note that combined or integrated science will not normally be acceptable where a stated science is required i.e. Biology or Chemistry). Programmes requiring Mathematics as a specified subject will require both the Compulsory and either M1 or M2.

Higher level Diplomas and Associate Degrees can be considered for year one entry. A typical requirement would be an average grade of B (70-79%) or a GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 in a relevant subject.

Holders of Higher Diplomas with a good performance (at least B+ or GPA 3.2 above) will be considered for entry to year 2 of relevant undergraduate degree programmes within Engineering and Computer Science.

Holders of the HKU SPACE Associate Degree programme with a good performance (at least B+ or GPA 3.2 above) throughout their studies may be considered for entry to year 2 of relevant undergraduate degree programmes.

Please note:

  • For Medicine country specific requirements, please visit our Applying to Medicine website.
  • For Dentistry, please see the general entry requirements listed on the Dental Surgery course page.

Postgraduate Taught

The Hong Kong Bachelor degree is considered comparable to British Bachelor degree standard. Students with bachelor degrees awarded by universities in Hong Kong may be considered for entry to one of our postgraduate degree programmes.

Students with Masters degrees may be considered for PhD study.

Funding

Find out more about fees and funding for undergraduate, postgraduate taught or postgraduate research courses, or click here for information on international tuition fees.

Scholarships

To reward outstanding achievement and to help ensure that fears about finance do not constrain our students, we are pleased to offer a number of prestigious international scholarships.

The University of Birmingham offers a range of part-fee scholarships for international students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level including both central scholarships and subject specific awards. For the subject specific awards, it is recommended that you contact the Department that you intend to study in for information and applications.

 

Use the links below to search our funding and scholarship databases:

Search the undergraduate funding database
Search the postgraduate funding database

There are lots of ways to find out more about Birmingham. We run regular live chats where you can ask us any questions you might have about your application or the University. Visit our Live Chats page to find out when the next events are.

Birmingham Representatives

The International Officer for East Asia is Jhao-Yu Lin and can be contacted via email.
We also have Mark Au-Yeung based in Hong Kong.

Please find our official Hong Kong Whatsapp group QR code below:UoB HK WhatsApp QR Code
Our admissions and recruitment teams are available to provide you with support during all stages of your enquiry and application to the University. We regularly visit Hong Kong to enable you to meet our staff in your country, and we offer a range of ways to speak to our staff and current students to get information and advice on living and studying in Birmingham.

Local Representatives

Our representatives in Hong Kong can assist you with questions about studying in the UK and, more specifically, at the University of Birmingham. They will also be able to assist you with the application process. 

Aston Education
5th Floor, Office Plus @Wanchai 
303 Hennessy Road
Wan Chai, Hog Kong
Phone: (+852) 2866 9933
Website: www.aston.edu.hk
Email: info@aston.edu.hk 

IDP Education 
Room 2807, 28th Floor, Harbour Centre 
25 Harbour Road 
Wan Chai,  Hong Kong
Phone: (852) 2827 6362 
Website: www.hongkong.idp.com
Email: info.hongkong@idp.com 

SI-UK Hong Kong
Room 1309, Tai Yau Building
181Johnston Rd
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Phone: (852) 2967 8009
Website: www.studyin-uk.hk
Email: hongkong@studyin-uk.com

Birmingham Visits

Our beautiful campus is open to the public throughout the year, so if you are in the UK and would like to visit, you can book onto a campus tour. We run regular live chats as an opportunity to talk to our staff. Please visit our Live Chats page to find out when we will be available for online events, which include live chat and videos.

Student Experience

The University of Birmingham is a fantastic choice for your academic study. Our thriving campus with its beautiful grounds, friendly community and excellent facilities will quickly make you feel at home. We offer you a huge variety of exciting activities to get involved in outside of your studies, too.

Beautiful surroundings and fantastic facilities

When you step onto campus, you are immersed in our historic red-brick buildings and glorious green spaces. You'll find our Edgbaston campus both a peaceful and vibrant place to spend your time, whether it's studying on one of the lawns, or enjoying a hot drink in one our many cafes.

When you are on campus, you are in the heart of University life - it's the perfect place to meet friends, whether it's to have a bite to eat, discuss your seminar notes or meet up before heading off to a sports club or society.

You can also take advantage of our fantastic facilities on campus. Study in our state-of-the-art academic library with its stunning views over campus, or go for a swim after lectures at our brand new £55 million Sport and Fitness Club.

Student societies

Many nationality groups form student societies during their time at the University of Birmingham. There are two active student groups founded by Hong Kong students. Birmingham Public Affairs and Social Services Society (PASS) organises events in the UK and Hong Kong for current students. The University of Birmngham Oriental Society has members from a variety of different Far Eastern countries such as China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and many more. Both student societies organise events in Hong Kong over the summer for new students starting at the University in September.

The student societies are an excellent way to keep in contact with home and also provide an opportunity to highlight your culture and customs in the UK. Student societies are also a useful point of contact for prospective students to Birmingham who may want to contact current students for information.

Careers

We offer dedicated support for international students, including an international careers consultant and a team of international student ambassadors. We will support you in developing the skills you will need to fully prepare for the working world or further academic study, whether this is in your home country or elsewhere.

Our Careers Network researches jobs all over the world. We host fairs, workshops and presentations, which are attended by many large, global companies that offer opportunities worldwide. We also offer a huge database of information on employers, vacancies and industry trends in a range of countries.

Alumni

The University of Birmingham has many strong alumni groups all over the world. Alumni groups are an excellent way of keeping in contact with the University and with other graduates from Birmingham who live in your country. Some alumni groups meet on a regular basis for social and professional events.

If you would like to meet up with University staff when they are in your country or you would be willing to help promote the university at education exhibitions, we would also like to hear from you. You can find out if there is an alumni group in your country or join our alumni mailing list on the Alumni website.

Contact Details

For all general queries about becoming an international student at Birmingham, please complete and submit our enquiry form.

Address

International Recruitment
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston Campus
Edgbaston
B15 2TT

 

Email
eastasia@contacts.bham.ac.uk

The British Council has offices in many countries throughout the world which are able to provide you with advice about studying in the UK. Most offices also have an education library and Internet facilities where you can consult university material. The British Council can also provide advice about funding opportunities.