All our programmes develop skills, competence and knowledge that will stand you in good stead in your future career. Our students learn to research, analyse and prioritise large amounts of complex information efficiently.

The college’s graduates become enquiry-based learners that develop self-management skills that employers look for. Our graduates progress into careers in human resources, publishing and business, amongst others. We can also count amongst our past students a novelist, journalist, and chairs of statutory commissions.

The European Heritage

In this module you will learn about the history of the classical and Christian traditions that underlie European civilisation, as well as some of the most significant artistic and literary works that these traditions have inspired. You will examine the development of European society, culture and its philosophical and religious underpinnings in the Classical, Renaissance and Modern eras, focusing on key ideas and artefacts as examples.

The Country and the City

In this module you will be learning about industrialisation, the rise of the modern city, and its subsequent interaction with a rural – or environmental – discourse. You will engage with such topics as industrialisation, with particular emphasis on the city of Birmingham, the representation of provincial and metropolitan life in French and English literature, the development of a pastoral movement in the late 19th century, and the practice of contemporary environmental law.

Colonial Encounters

Here you will be looking at the overseas expansion of European powers and the legacies of imperialism. Initial sessions will establish a chronological and thematic outline, exploring the roles of slavery and anti-slavery in the establishment of empire, governance and violence in the maintenance of empire, and the role of anti-colonial nationalism in ending imperial rule. Later, you will encounter key concepts in the study of colonial encounter and its cultural legacies. You will explore orientalism, postcolonialism and hybridity through sessions on the representation of colonised peoples in metropolitan cultures (exhibitions, literature, ethnography and film), postcolonial challenges to these ways of knowing ‘the other’, and the place of English as a global language.

Digital Humanities

In this module you study the use of computers and other modern technologies in the production and analysis of texts, music and historical and archaeological reconstructions, as well as the digital impact on wider concepts of ‘heritage’. You will learn about current research at Birmingham in this area in a weekly lecture, and discuss theoretical issues and concepts in the seminar; then in a practical workshop/lab session you will be part of a group working on projects such as producing a virtual gallery or edition. After completion of the module, you will know about the relevance of digital technology for the humanities, will have an idea of the state of cutting-edge research, and will be able to do practical work through an understanding of file formats for text, images, and sound, mark-up languages (XML) and basic web technology.

The Birmingham Foundation Academy Package

The cost of the Birmingham Foundation Academy Package for 2012–2013 is £20,300.

This includes:

• One years tuition fees: £12,500
• Fully catered, ensuite, single accommodation, for one year: £7,000
• Books and all classroom equipment: £800

Please note: this is an all-inclusive package.

International students:

Apply through the Birmingham Foundation Academy application process

Studying at degree-level is likely to be very different from your previous experience of learning and teaching.  You will be expected to think, discuss and engage critically with the subject and find things out for yourself.  We will enable you to make this transition to a new style of learning, and the way that you are assessed during your studies will help you develop the essential skills you need to make a success of your time at Birmingham.  

You’ll be assessed in a variety of ways, and these may be different with each module that you take.  You will be assessed through coursework which may take the form of essays, group and individual presentations,  laboratory-based work (depending on your chosen degree) and formal exams.

During your first year you will undergo a formal ‘transition’ review to see how you are getting on and if there are particular areas where you need support.  This is in addition to the personal tutor who is based in your school or department and can help with any academic issues you encounter.

At the beginning of each module, you’ll be given information on how and when you’ll be assessed for that particular programme of study.  You’ll receive feedback on each assessment within four weeks, so that you can learn from and build on what you have done.  You’ll be given feedback on any exams that you take; if you should fail an exam we will ensure that particularly detailed feedback is made available to enable you to learn for the future.