University of Birmingham and Switzerland

The University of Birmingham has a long tradition of welcoming students from Switzerland. We have a growing number of Swiss students following a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the University.

The University of Birmingham is among the world’s top 100 universities, renowned for changing lives and transforming society. Birmingham is a founding member of the Russell Group with a glorious, green campus, outstanding teaching and facilities and a vibrant and welcoming community. Located in the heart of England, Birmingham is an exciting and vibrant city with a fascinating history. Committed to providing students with outstanding teaching and facilities, there’s never been a more exciting time to study at the University of Birmingham.

We have dedicated international recruitment officers across both campuses who will support you during all stages of your enquiry and application to the University.

University of Birmingham Dubai

As a truly global University we offer programmes in our Birmingham and Dubai campus. Whichever campus you choose, you can be assured that you will receive the same high-quality education taught by leading experts in their field, and you will play your part in our global Birmingham student community.

Our campus development in Dubai marks the latest phase in the University of Birmingham's global expansion and builds on our extensive international research collaborations, CPD programmes, distance learning courses, and well-established international teaching activities across the world.

Visit our Dubai page

The following information is for guidance only and should be used together with the University's general entrance requirements and any specific degree programme requirements.  

Please note: If you have taken exams which are from another country's national education system (eg SAT and AP exams from the USA) you should consult that country's page for qualification equivalence information. If you are unsure about the acceptability of your qualifications for entry to Birmingham please contact us for further details.

English Language

You will need to demonstrate a certain level of English language, either through an English test such as IELTS, TOEFL or PTE, or we may be able to accept your previous or alternative qualifications as evidence. Please view the entry requirements for specific programme requirements, and details on our presessional English language courses.

We may accept your English language grade from the Swiss Maturitätzeugnis / Certificat de Maturité / Attestato di Maturità (federal maturity certificate or federally-recognised cantonal maturity certificate) if you achieved 5 (gut / bien / bene) in English. Please note this is only valid for 2 academic years after qualification. 

Foundation Pathways

Our foundation pathways are suitable if you have completed a high school qualification that is below the equivalent standard of UK A levels, and therefore doesn't allow for direct entry to undergraduate courses at UK universities. We will also consider students who have completed qualifications that would normally lead to direct entry onto an undergraduate degree, whose grades are slightly below our undergraduate entry criteria. Please visit the Birmingham International Academy website for more information.

Undergraduate

Holders of the Federal Maturity Certificate/ Maturitatszeugnis can be considered for entry to year 1 of our undergraduate degrees.

Grade equivalences:
AAA* = 5.0 overall to include 5.5 in one subject and 5.0 in two further subjects
AAA = 4.8 overall to include 5.0 in 3 subjects
AAB-ABB = 4.8 overall to include 5.0 in 2 subjects
BBB = 4.8 overall to include 5.0 in 1 subject

Grade requirement for required subjects:
A* = 5.5
A/B = 5.0

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.

Postgraduate Taught

Holders of a good " Baccalauréat universitaire/ Diplom / Diplôme; Lizentiat / Licence; Staatsdiplom / Diplôme d'Etat" degree from a recognised Swiss higher education institution (with a minimum GPA of 5/6 or 8/10 or 2/5 (gut-bien-bene/good) for a 2.1 equivalence) will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Postgraduate Research

Holders of a good "PostGraduate Certificate" or "PostGraduate Diploma" or a Masters degree from a recognised Swiss higher education institution (with a minimum GPA of 5/6 or 8/10 or 2/5 (gut-bien-bene/good) for a 2.1 equivalence) may be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Funding

Find out more about fees and funding for undergraduate, postgraduate taught or postgraduate research courses, or click here for information on international tuition fees.

Scholarships

To reward outstanding achievement and to help ensure that fears about finance do not constrain our students, we are pleased to offer a number of prestigious international scholarships.

Use the links below to search our funding and scholarship databases:

Search the undergraduate funding database
Search the postgraduate funding database

Your country representative is Raluca Nechita (International Officer for Europe). Our admissions and recruitment teams are available to provide you with support during all stages of your enquiry and application to the University and we offer a range of ways to speak to our staff and current students to get information and advice on living and studying in Birmingham.

Birmingham Representatives

Our representatives in Switzerland can assist you with your questions and help you during the application process.

Dream Foundation 
Email: info@dreamfoundation.eu
Web: https://dreamfoundation.eu/

Edmundo
Email: edmundo@educativa.ro
Web: https://edmun.do/en/

Birmingham Visits

Our beautiful campus is open to the public throughout the year, so if you are in the UK and would like to visit, you can book onto a campus tour. We run regular live chats as an opportunity to talk to our staff. Please visit our Live Chats page to find out when we will be available for online events, which include live chat and videos.

Student Experience

The University of Birmingham is a fantastic choice for your academic study. Our thriving campus with its beautiful grounds, friendly community and excellent facilities will quickly make you feel at home. We offer you a huge variety of exciting activities to get involved in outside of your studies, too.

Beautiful surroundings and fantastic facilities

When you step onto campus, you are immersed in our historic red-brick buildings and glorious green spaces. You'll find our Edgbaston campus both a peaceful and vibrant place to spend your time, whether it's studying on one of the lawns, or enjoying a hot drink in one our many cafes.

When you are on campus, you are in the heart of University life - it's the perfect place to meet friends, whether it's to have a bite to eat, discuss your seminar notes or meet up before heading off to a sports club or society.

You can also take advantage of our fantastic facilities on campus. Study in our state-of-the-art academic library with its stunning views over campus, or wind down after lectures at our £55 million Sport and Fitness Club. Our student sports club memberships are affordable, and with numerous classes, a swimming pool, 55 student sports teams and ‘try a sport’ courses, there really is something for everyone.  

Student societies

Many nationality groups form student societies during their time at the University of Birmingham. The student societies are an excellent way to keep in contact with home and also provide an opportunity to highlight your culture and customs in the UK. Student societies are also a useful point of contact for prospective students to Birmingham who may want to contact current students for information.

Joining societies is a great way to meet other students at the university.

Careers

We offer dedicated support for international students, including an international careers consultant and a team of international student ambassadors. We will support you in developing the skills you will need to fully prepare for the working world or further academic study, whether this is in your home country or elsewhere.

Our Careers Network researches jobs all over the world. We host fairs, workshops and presentations, which are attended by many large, global companies that offer opportunities worldwide. We also offer a huge database of information on employers, vacancies and industry trends in a range of countries.

Alumni

The University of Birmingham has many strong alumni groups all over the world. Alumni groups are an excellent way of keeping in contact with the University and with other graduates from Birmingham who live in your country. Some alumni groups meet on a regular basis for social and professional events.

If you would like to meet up with University staff when they are in your country or you would be willing to help promote the university at education exhibitions, we would also like to hear from you. You can find out if there is an alumni group in your country or join our alumni mailing list on the Alumni website.

Upcoming Events

18Nov

Swiss+ Autumn Fair Circuits 2024 Part 2

Dates
Monday 18 November (09:30) - Wednesday 20 November 2024 (16:30)
Location
In person event, switzerland
Description
Upcoming recruitment event in Switzerland

Contact Details

For all general queries about becoming an international student at Birmingham, please complete and submit our enquiry form.

The British Council has offices in many countries throughout the world which are able to provide you with advice about studying in the UK. Most offices also have an education library and Internet facilities where you can consult university material. The British Council can also provide advice about funding opportunities.