For UK/EU applicants, the last date for informing UCAS of your decisions once offers have been made to you is 5 May 2011.

If you have already selected a different university as your firm choice, you will have been accepted by that university. As your insurance choice, Birmingham, would have been informed; meaning that the place is no longer held for you, even if you have met the terms of the offer, so you will need to contact us to see if we can still offer you the place.  Visit the UCAS website for more detailed information.

Use the Track service at UCAS first. This may tell you whether or not we have confirmed your place. If you cannot use Track and you have only marginally missed the conditions of your offer, contact us to discuss it. 

If you are unsuccessful with us but meet the offer at your second choice university, you will be accepted there.   

Only if the offer is unconditional, which means that you have already met the University’s entry requirements. If the offer is conditional, you will need to meet the requirements set out in your conditional offer letter in order to be given a place.

This might be simply because you used an incorrect course code on your form or because you have since asked us to make the change. If not, it may be that your first-choice programme is over-subscribed, and we have been unable to admit you to that course. It may be that you are equally suited to another course, which may be similar to your original choice. There are also occasions where courses are changed or, due to unforeseen circumstances, withdrawn. The University, like any university, has the right to withdraw a programme, without giving notice. If you have any questions regarding this then please contact the University using the contact details on your offer letter from us.

If you are a native speaker of English and already have an English language qualification, it may be enough. Your offer letter will inform you as to whether you need to take a further test or not: if the offer is unconditional, you will have done enough; if it is conditional, you may have to do more.

If you are an international student and English is your second or third language, see our entry requirements for international students to find out what level of English is required and which tests we will accept.

If you can provide evidence that you have been taught in English we may remove the English language requirement. Please contact the University regarding this using the contact details sent to you in your offer letter from us.

Some courses (for example those where students work unsupervised with children or vulnerable adults) will require the satisfactory completion of a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check which is a UK wide legal requirement. The CRB check will make the University aware of any spent or unspent criminal convictions you hold, and the University will then consider whether any convictions are compatible with membership and a place on a particular course.

Some courses (for example clinical courses) will require the satisfactory completion of a Health Declaration. The Health Declaration will make the University aware of any health concerns, disabilities or special needs you may have to ensure the right support can be provided before you even begin your studies. Find out more about the support available.  

Some courses offered by the University are subject to Fitness to Practice regulations. These programmes usually lead to a professionally recognised qualification, for example Medicine, Initial Teacher Training and Dentistry. The University recognises that academic success in these courses does not necessarily mean a person meets the professional standards of conduct required by that award. For this reason, when registering for a programme of study subject to Fitness to Practise regulations, students will have to sign a programme-specific Code of Professional Conduct and Fitness to Practise.

A conditional offer becomes unconditional once you have provided evidence of all the requirements stated in your offer letter. You will have been sent an acceptance form with your offer letter. You should return the acceptance form within two months of the date of the offer letter in order to secure your place (if there is a different deadline for acceptance, your offer letter will state this). Please send the acceptance form to the Admissions Contact named at the top of your offer letter. An unconditional acceptance letter is issued once you have accepted a conditional offer and met the conditions, or when you have accepted an unconditional offer. If you have accepted your offer, met the conditions and received your unconditional acceptance letter you will be sent a registration pack during August or early September.

From 20th July all students will be sent a registration pack, designed to help you register online prior to arriving at the University and make the most of the first weeks of your programme of study. The registration pack contains:

• The Student Guide to Registration
• Your registration letter containing your username and password
• A pre-paid envelope to pay your fees
• Welcome guide and information

Find out more about online registration.

You should apply to change your course as early as you can in the academic year. If you apply after the first two weeks of term, there may be extra conditions you need to satisfy before you can transfer onto the new programme. You may also be asked to defer your entry to the new course to the following year. You should check with the Admissions Tutor in the appropriate school or department to find out if this is the case. Visit our Academic Services support website for more information about changing courses.

If you are thinking of taking a gap year and are offered a place at Birmingham, we’ll normally be happy to delay your entry for a year. If you have not stated on the UCAS application that you would like to defer, please let us know as soon as possible after you receive your offer, so that we can transfer your place for the current year to another candidate.

If you change your address before starting at the University you can update your details through the UCAS website Track service. It would also be appreciated if you could contact the University Admissions office.

See our full list of contacts for the Admissions Office to find the best person for you to contact. .

The 2010 autumn term begins on 4 October, and the 2011 autumn term begins on 26 September. You can check the exact start date for your specific course with the Admissions Tutor.

We recommend that you arrive in time for Welcome Week, which takes place from 27 September and offers a great opportunity to meet people, find your way around campus and find out more about the Guild, our student union.

There is usually an induction week, which is a very important part of most courses. It is much harder to settle in if you start any later. For these reasons you will only be given permission to delay your start date by the Course Director in exceptional circumstances.