Life at the University of Birmingham offers you the best of both worlds – a peaceful, safe and welcoming campus community on the doorstep of one of Europe’s most dynamic and culturally diverse cities.
Campus life
Studying in the shadow of striking architecture on a 250-acre green and leafy site, you will be inspired to get the most out of your time here.
Our Edgbaston campus offers a safe, friendly environment, with all the amenities of a small town, including shops, cafés, a fresh fruit and vegetable stall, banks, a post office, a travel agent, a regular farmers’ market, medical and dental surgeries, sports facilities and a train station.
There are few universities with such a wealth of culture on their campus. At Birmingham you can experience some of the finest art in Europe on campus every day of the week by visiting our award-winning Barber Institute of Fine Arts, with its impressive collection of works by some of the world’s greatest artists.
The campus combines traditional ‘red brick’ buildings and state-of-the-art facilities, which are continually being developed and improved. In September 2012 the new Bramall Music Auditorium will open as the latest addition to our campus. This multi-million pound development will provide a 450-seat auditorium for music, opera, drama and prestigious lectures, as well as state-of-the-art rehearsal rooms and recording facilities.
The city of Birmingham
Birmingham is a European centre for retail, commerce and culture, with a proud heritage and modern outlook. The city offers excellent entertainment for all tastes, with a range of leading theatres, museums, art galleries and music venues. It is also home to one of Europe’s largest city centre shopping malls, Bullring, which provides over 110,000 m2 (1.2m sq ft) of retail space, with over 160 shops including Selfridges, Abercrombie and Fitch, Apple and Top Shop.
The city is at the centre of England and at the hub of its transport network, making it a great base from which to explore the UK and mainland Europe. London is only one and a half hours away by train. Birmingham Airport, just 25 minutes by taxi from the Edgbaston campus, offers direct flights to the USA, North Africa, Dubai, and European destinations with connections worldwide via Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Istanbul.
Birmingham is a truly diverse city with a rich cultural mix in both its permanent residents and student population. This cosmopolitan character is reflected in its restaurants, shops and cultural activities. You will be able to find the food that suits your tastes in Birmingham’s many cafés and restaurants. If you feel like cooking for yourself and for friends, you can visit the large fruit, vegetable, fish and meat markets, Asian or European supermarkets, where halal meat for example, is readily available.
Birmingham is an exciting destination for young people. It is more than somewhere to study; it is somewhere to build a successful future.