Your Postgraduate Open Day Guide
Make the most of your day and refocus your future.
We are thrilled to welcome you onto our campus as part of our Postgraduate Open Day. You will get to find out more about your subject, meet our academics and tour our beautiful 350-acre campus and some of the facilities we have on offer.
The below information complements your printed Postgraduate Open Day Guide that you will receive at check-in. Key things to remember for your visit include:
- Check in upon arrival at the Aston Webb Building or via your personal RSVP page on your mobile device
- Use our interactive campus map website or app for personalised directions between your events
- Look out for our ambassadors in their 'Ask Me' uniforms if you have any questions
- Remind yourself of your day's bookings by using your personal RSVP page that was emailed to you upon registration and will be sent to you in the lead up to the event
Plan your Postgraduate Open Day visit
How to book your Postgraduate Open Day
How to book your Postgraduate Open Day
Please book your open day in advance so we know to expect you. You can easily book your sessions using our Postgraduate Open Day booking form which you can filter by tag or by keyword search. You will be able to book subject talks, drop-ins, tours and using the form. Upon completing the booking form, you will receive a confirmation email that will contain a link to your personal RSVP page showing your Open Day schedule, including your booked sessions, times and locations.
On your personal RSVP page, you can book further sessions at any point by clicking the 'book more sessions' button or you can easily amend and cancel any bookings.
All further information about the open day will be sent via email to keep you updated about the event.
Tips to plan your day
Tips to plan your day
- Our Postgraduate Open Day is taking place between 10.00am-4.00pm.
- Our campus is one of the largest in the UK, and it can take 10-15 minutes to walk from one side of campus to the other. Please allow some time to walk between sessions so you can arrive on time for your booked session.
- Attend our central talks to find out about the student experience and support on offer to our students, including the Welcome Address, Postgraduate Funding and our introduction to the Careers Network.
- Visit the Study Fair between 10.00am-12noon, located in the Great Hall, Aston Webb Building. Here you will be able to chat to academic staff about your course/s of interest and get advice and guidance from our professional service teams.
- Attend a subject talk; tour or drop-in session between 12noon-4.00pm. These are located across campus, details of which are provided in your event guide and via your online RSVP portal.
Travel to campus
Travel and parking information
Travel and parking information
The easiest way to reach the University of Birmingham is by train, using our on-campus railway station, ‘University’. The journey takes approximately seven minutes from Birmingham New Street station, located in the city centre.
Parking on campus is very limited and regrettably, we cannot guarantee a parking space for open day visitors. We strongly recommend using public transport to reach the University.
Overnight accommodation
Overnight accommodation
If you're considering staying in Birmingham and exploring our beautiful city, why not stay on the University campus itself in the University’s very own hotel – the Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre.
To book the rooms, please contact reservations@edgbastonparkhotel.com or call 0121 414 8888 for best rates.
Alternatively please see the Visit Birmingham website to explore other accommodation options across the city.
What to expect on the day
Check-in upon arrival
Check-in upon arrival
All visitors are required to check in on the day. Check-in opens at 10.00am. You can check in at any time during the day. You do not have to arrive at 10.00am if the sessions that you want to attend do not start until later in the day. You can also check in part way through your day if you arrive and are in a hurry to attend your first session.
To quickly and simply check in, you can select 'self check-in' on your personal RSVP page that will be emailed to you in your booking confirmation and again on the day of the Postgraduate Open Day. You can also check in at one of the check-in marquees located at all of the main entrances onto our Edgbaston campus; you can use your mobile device to show your QR code or you can print this off in advance. See information below if you need to access our free guest wifi on the day.
At check-in, you will receive your welcome pack, which will include useful information about the day. In order for us to check you in as quickly as possible, please pre-register for the event so that we can email you your ticket.
Your personalised programme of events
Your personalised programme of events
You can find details of the sessions you’ve booked in advance on your personal RSVP page, included in your Postgraduate Open Day emails from us. This will include your sessions' locations and times.
Connect to our free guest wifi
Connect to our free guest wifi
UoBGuestWiFi is our free guest WiFi service on the Edgbaston campus and is available for visitors and guests to the University of Birmingham. Guests will need to register before using the service. Once registered, a guest account is valid for up to 30 days.
Finding your way with our campus maps
Finding your way with our campus maps
You can collect a campus map from a check-in or information point on the day to find your way around.
We also have an interactive online campus map or app. You can search for your building's name and simply press 'get directions' to know where to go from your current location on campus. You can also choose between the shortest path or a step-free route.
Attend our central talks
Attend our central talks
Attend our central talks to find out about the student experience and support on offer to our students, including the Welcome Address, Postgraduate Funding Talks and our introduction talks to the Careers Network. Some of these talks will be repeated throughout the day so that you can make the most of your Postgraduate Open Day and attend a range of central talks around your subject-specific activity.
Time |
Talk Title |
Location (campus map reference in brackets) |
10.00am-10.25am | Welcome Talk | Great Hall, Aston Webb (R6) |
10.30am - 10.55am | Postgraduate Funding Talk (combined Masters and PhD) | Great Hall, Aston Webb (R6) |
11.00am- 11.25am | Careers and Employability | Great Hall, Aston Webb (R6) |
11.30am - 11.55am |
Accommodation | Great Hall, Aston Webb (R6) |
1.30pm - 1.55pm |
Postgraduate Funding Talk (combined Masters and PhD) Repeat | WG5 Lecture Theatre, Aston Webb (R6) |
Attend subject-specific sessions
Attend subject-specific sessions
Hosted between 12.00pm - 4.00pm, our academic schools and departments are offering a variety of talks, tours, presentations, drop-in sessions and workshops about postgraduate study. This is a general guide to the session timings: some subject-specific sessions may be taking place throughout the day which you are welcome to attend.
You can search for events that you may be interested in on our booking form by filtering all sessions by either tag or keyword. For example, if you search for 'English' it will pull through all relevant sessions on the booking form. If you wish to book more sessions after your initial booking, you can select 'book more sessions' on your personal RSVP page that is included in your booking confirmation email.
Campus tours
Campus tours
Our campus walking tours will run throughout the day between 10.30am-2.30pm, allowing you to experience our tranquil, picturesque campus first-hand. Tours will depart every 60 minutes from the campus tour marquee located in the centre of campus, and will last approximately 30-40 minutes. Please wear appropriate footwear and clothing suitable for all weathers as the entirety of the tours will take place outside.
The campus tours will show you some key buildings across campus and areas of particular use for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. These tours are not subject-specific and will provide a general tour of the student experience. Please check on the schedule and booking form for any subject-specific tours.
Should you have any accessibility requirements for our campus tours, please get in touch with us by emailing our Postgraduate Recruitment Team at pg@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
Our student accommodation
Our student accommodation
As halls are currently occupied, we will not have any available for viewing during our open day, however, you can view all the different types of accommodation on offer via our 360 tours.
Our accommodation team will be on-hand to answer all of your questions during the Study Fair and the 'Postgraduate accommodation at Birmingham' talk.
Explore the city of Birmingham
Explore the city of Birmingham
Make the most of your open day visit and explore what the city of Birmingham has to offer. We're only seven minutes from the city centre by train, so there's plenty of time to visit.
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Food and drink
Food and drink
Whether you want to refuel with a hot drink, grab a snack to go or experience some street food, you’ll find a range of delicious options available at our open day. Our student ambassadors can direct you to the nearest catering outlet.
Opening Times
Costa, University Centre | 9:00am - 5:00pm |
Costa, Sports Centre | 9:00am - 6:00pm |
Bramall Café, Bramall Music Building | 9:00am - 4:00pm |
Library Café, Main Library | 9:00am - 4:00pm |
Explore food and drink on campus and beyond
No longer able to attend?
No longer able to attend?
You can amend or cancel your open day booking via your RSVP page. If you can’t make it to an open day, there are other opportunities to visit campus throughout the year.
Campus Accessibility
Campus access
Campus access
We have implemented a programme of accessibility adaptations on campus. All new buildings and major conversions are being designed with accessibility in mind. A mobility map giving an overview of the Edgbaston campus showing the main access routes for wheelchair users is available on the day from all check-in/information points and the Aston Webb Reception (building R6 on the campus map).
If you have any accessibility needs you would like to discuss, please contact pg@contacts.bham.ac.uk so we can give you personalised advice for visiting campus and our buildings.
Blue badge holders
Blue badge holders
We have dedicated parking bays on campus for Blue Badge holders and all new buildings and major campus developments are being designed with accessibility in mind.
FAQs
Should I have received anything after booking?
Should I have received anything after booking?
Yes, usually within five minutes of submitting your bookings on the form, you should receive an email confirming your booking. In rare cases, it may take up to 24 hours to receive your booking confirmation. Please check your junk or spam folders if you have not received your booking confirmation; if you still cannot find your booking confirmation email please contact pg@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
In the lead up to the event, you will receive emails with useful information to help you plan your visit to campus, such as travel advice and your Postgraduate Open Day e-ticket.
Can I bring an extra guest with me or do they need to sign up?
Can I bring an extra guest with me or do they need to sign up?
Yes, you are more than welcome to bring a guest(s) with you for your visit; your guest does not need to book for any of the sessions that you plan to attend. You only need to book yourself (the prospective student) onto the Postgraduate Open Day.
However, please note that some activities, including some popular talks, will have limited capacity, so we may have certain activities that are 'student only' or 'student plus one guest'.
Where is the main entrance to the University?
Where is the main entrance to the University?
As we are a campus-based university, you are able to enter campus from any direction whether you visit via train, foot, bike, bus or car. There are main entrances in the north, east, south and west of campus.
- If you are arriving from Pritchatts Road, where the North East multi-storey car park is located, you will enter via the North Gate.
- If you are arriving from Edgbaston Park Road, near to the Guild of Students and Barber Institute of Fine Arts, you will enter via the East Gate.
- If you are arriving on foot from Bristol Road or Selly Oak, you will enter via the Grange Road Gate footbridge.
- If you are arriving via train or from Vincent Drive, you will enter via the West Gate.
Please note that our campus roads are often restricted with barriers so driving around or through campus may not be permitted. Therefore, if you are intending to arrive via car, you should park in the North East multi-storey car park or at one of the alternate nearby car parks.
Is car parking available?
Is car parking available?
Parking is extremely limited on our campus, particularly during our Open Days. We therefore encourage you to visit campus using public transport due to our extensive transport links on campus: we have our on-campus railway station, 'University', as well as several bus stops on or next to campus.
For further travel information please visit our dedicated webpage for travel guidance.
What is available for International students or students who can't travel to campus?
What is available for International students or students who can't travel to campus?
International students, if in the UK, are more than welcome to attend our Postgraduate Open Day. However, if you are unable to visit our campus, there will be a handful of subject-specific sessions offered online which you can book onto via our booking form.
Otherwise, you can explore our upcoming online events or access our on-demand content at a time convenient to you.