How to apply 

With all postgraduate applications, you're required to submit supporting documentation to accompany your application form. Here's some helpful tips on what you'll need:

Guidance on supporting documents

When you apply for a postgraduate course, you will need to send:

  • two academic references (or if appropriate to the programme applied for, one could be from your employer). Use the Reference request form for your references.
  • Degree transcript(s) – originals or certified photocopies: 

EU and international applicants – if you are currently studying outside the UK or have obtained your qualification(s) outside the UK 

UK applicants – if you are currently studying in the UK or have obtained your qualification(s) in the UK and your university provides transcripts. If you are not a recent graduate send certified copy(s) of relevant qualifications. Please note that University of Birmingham graduates do not need to provide transcripts or copies of degree certificates.

  • Certificate to show competency in the English language, if English is not your first language and you have already taken a test
  • Personal statement, approximately one side of A4 in length, explaining why you are interested in studying on your chosen programme

Online applications

If you submit an online application, please write your ID number on your supporting documents when you send them to us. You will receive an ID number by email on the day after you submit your application (apart from applications submitted on Friday, Saturday or Sunday when the email will arrive on Monday).

If you send in your supporting documents before completing the online application form, please make sure that you write your full name, email address, date of birth and the programme you are applying for on all the documents. 

Paper applications

If you apply using the paper application form, please include, where possible, your supporting documents with the application.

You should send supporting documents to:

Admissions
Aston Webb Building
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham B15 2TT

or email pgadmissions@contacts.bham.ac.uk

All documents must be in English or have a certified translation. Transcripts should be either original or a certified photocopy. If you send a photocopy it must have the original certification stamp and be certified by a notary, an organisation such as the British Council, your institution or a University of Birmingham overseas representative in your country.

If you send scanned and emailed documents and are made an offer, you will be required to send certified copies or original documents as a condition of the offer.

Guidance on a research proposal

If you are applying for any of our research courses - MPhil, MPhilB or PhD - you'll need to supply a research proposal with your application.

Your proposal should include information about your chosen area of research and your proposed research question(s) so that we can understand exactly what you’re hoping to study, and determine who might be an appropriate supervisor for you. Each discipline requires slightly different things in a research proposal, so you might find it useful to seek advice from the admissions tutor or your potential supervisor before you apply but the following guidelines give a sense of what is often included.

Your proposal should normally be around 2 pages (double spaced) and will often include:

  • an outline of your chosen topic or overview of your research
  • some background on the topic (what’s already been done) and an indication of why your research will be important and interesting (what questions will it answer?) 
  • your research question(s) or a clear description of your area of study
  • an indication of the literature you will be drawing on, for instance, primary works or thinkers.
  • in addition some disciplines will also require an indication of appropriate methodologies and of any specific resources (such as archives) you propose to use. 

 

 

Now that you have all of your supporting documentation ready, you're ready to apply for your postgraduate course using our course finder.

By clicking on the specific programme you wish to apply for you will be directed to an application specifically designed for your programme where you will create your account with the University and submit your application and supporting documents online.

If you run into any difficulty, please consult our application guidance notes.