University of Birmingham and China

We will consider students who have completed GAOKAO for entry to our Undergraduate Programmes. Please refer to our GAOKAO entry requirements for further information.

Holders of the Chinese High School Certificate/Senior Middle School Graduation and a suitable foundation programme, and holders of two/three year Diplomas, with a good performance (80% average or above) from a recognised institution, will be considered for entry to undergraduate programmes.

If you have taken A level or IB diploma, please refer to the course you are interested in on our course finder and you will find entry requirements.

If you have taken exams which are from another country's national education system (e.g. the Arbitur from Germany or SAT and AP exams from the USA) you should consult that specific country page on our website for entry requirements.

We are now accepting the Aptitude Scholastic Test (AST) as an entry qualification for undergraduate programmes at the University of Birmingham (excluding some clinical programmes).

The AST is a standardised university entrance exam designed in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, assessing subjects such as English, Mathematics, and the Sciences. It is widely used by students following the Chinese national curriculum and is already accepted by more than 40 UK universities, including many Russell Group institutions.

We accept the AST with the following grade equivalencies to UK A Levels:

Additional requirements:

• Students must also complete the Chinese High School Certificate with a minimum overall score of 70%.
• Standard English language proficiency requirements must also be met.

For more information about the AST and its structure, visit the official AST website.

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.
• Our BNurs and MNurs Nursing courses are only available to home/EU students.

If you have studied the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) in China, you can use your English language results from this qualification to meet our English language requirements for undergraduate admission. From 2026 entry:

• If you have completed a full 3- or 4-year OSSD programme in China and achieved a minimum of 70% in English in Grade 11 or Grade 12, this will meet our English language requirement.

• If you have not completed the full OSSD but have undertaken partial study in China, you must achieve a minimum of 70% in English in Grades 10 and 11 or Grades 11 and 12.

These changes make the requirements simpler and ensure we recognise the strong English language preparation provided through the OSSD curriculum.

Please note that English results are valid for up to 2 academic years following the award of the OSSD.

If you do not meet the above criteria, you will need to provide an acceptable English qualification (e.g., IELTS) to meet the English language requirement.

Important Information for Dubai Campus Applicants
Please note that the OSSD (studied outside Canada) and the AST are not currently recognised by the UAE Ministry of Education as equivalent to Grade 12 qualifications. Therefore, these updates apply only to applications for undergraduate programmes at our UK campus.

Students with a bachelor’s degree (4 years minimum) may be considered for entry to a postgraduate degree programme. However please note that we will only consider students who meet the entry guidance below.  
 
Please note for the subject areas below we use the list of various professional rankings. 

需要具备学士学位（4年制）的申请人可申请研究生课程。请根据所申请的课程查看相应的入学要求。 请注意，中国院校名单综合参考各类专业排名。

* Economics suite and Non-quantitive programmes include 商学院经济学类和非定量类课程包括： 

• MSc Economics 

• MSc Financial Economics

• MSc Money, Banking and Finance

• MSc International Business

• MSc Management

• MSc Supply Chain Management

• MSc Human Resource Management

• MSc Sustainable Innovation and Entrepreneurship

• MSc Marketing

• MSc Strategic Marketing and Consulting

• MSc Business Analytics

Applicants undertaking a 3+1 top-up degree must normally have studied at an approved university in China and graduate from their UK university with a 2:1. However, for courses taught in the Birmingham Business School, the School of Education, the School of Government, or the School of Social Policy and Society, applicants undertaking an SQA Advanced Diploma may have studied at any Chinese institution if they upload their SQA documents and achieve a 2:1 from their UK university.

Please contact the China Recruitment Team for any questions on the above entry requirements. 
如果您对录取要求有疑问，请联系伯明翰大学中国办公室  china@contacts.bham.ac.uk