Understanding your offer

If your offer is conditional upon obtaining a degree, the offer letter will state the level required. When your degree results are known, please send a certified photocopy confirming this. If you have already obtained your degree we may also ask for a certified photocopy of a transcript or certificate as confirmation.

A photocopy without original certification stamps will not be acceptable. There are a small number of programmes that require you to submit original documents and your offer letter will state this.

If your native language is not English, your offer will be conditional upon obtaining a recognised English language qualification at a specified level, as detailed in your offer letter.

If you wish to take one of our presessional English classes, on successful completion of the course you will have met the conditions of your offer. Information about our presessional and academic English courses for international students can be found on our website. 

Birmingham International Academy website

Some of our programmes charge a deposit. Your offer letter will clearly state if you are required to pay a deposit. 

International students issued an offer to study a taught postgraduate programme are required to pay a non-refundable tuition fee deposit of £2,000 to secure their place. The deposit payment will be deducted from the tuition fee at registration. Find out more about the terms and conditions.

Some programmes require a DBS check (formerly Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks), and your offer letter will clearly state if this is a condition of your offer. 

Some programmes require you to complete a health declaration. Your offer letter will clearly state if this is required and will provide additional information accordingly.

Some programmes require students to sign a code of conduct at the time of registration. Your offer letter will state if this is a requirement for your programme. 

If you are an international student (non-European Economic Area) you are required to upload a copy of your passport personal details page on your applicant portal. This should be from the passport with which you will be applying for your visa and travelling to the UK.

You will need an ATAS certificate to do certain types of study and research in the UK. If you need an ATAS certificate, you will usually get a statement with your offer letter confirming that you need ATAS and telling you what to do next. Without this certificate, your visa application will be refused.  

To apply for ATAS you need a statement from the University confirming the subject of your research or study. This is usually sent with your offer letter. If you don't have this statement, but need an ATAS certificate, please contact the Admissions Office.

Once you have your statement you can make your ATAS certificate application online to the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO). This should take no longer than 30 minutes to complete. 

Find out more about the ATAS certificate

You may be asked to fulfil other conditions and if you have any queries please get in touch with the Admissions contact named in your offer letter.

All applicants who accept an offer to study at the University of Birmingham are required to disclose to the University any relevant, unspent criminal conviction within 14 days of accepting their offer.  More information on what this means and how to disclose an unspent criminal conviction can be found on Admissions Office pages, below.

Information about criminal convictions