Your education at Birmingham

Your path, your way

Our comprehensive portfolio of programmes caters to different interests and career goals, enabling you to develop your knowledge and expertise in an area you are passionate about. With flexible programmes, joint honours options, global experiences and professional placements, you will be supported to build a degree that’s truly your own. From environmental sustainability to leadership or language study, you can tailor your experience to match your ambitions.

Single and joint honours degrees

At undergraduate level, as well as traditional single honours programmes where you study one subject in depth, you can choose from a range of joint honours programmes, combining two subjects that you are passionate about.

Search our courses here to find out more.
Want to extend your degree with an additional year in Computer Science, Data Science, Environmental Sustainability or Civic Leadership? Find out more here.

Flexible degrees

We also offer programmes that give you the chance to build a personalised programme of study based on your interests across multiple disciplines, including Liberal Arts, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences, and a number of triple honours degrees, such as Policy, Economics and Politics; Philosophy, Politics and Law; and Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE).

Study abroad or year in industry

Many of our programmes also offer chances to study abroad or with a year in industry, sometimes called a professional placement year.

Find out more about our global study locations, and about studying for a term or year abroad.

Professional development with employers

At Birmingham, all students have the opportunity to engage with professional study or experience during the course of their study. Our Careers Network help you to find the right experience for you through a range of internships and work experience placements, and we offer programmes that include a dedicated year in industry too.

Our approach to education

Professor Deborah Longworth discusses education at the University of Birmingham and the importance of developing Graduate Attributes.

Building the foundations

Our Ad Alta pathway provides all students with the foundations and support to achieve at the University of Birmingham. Ad Alta is taken from the University’s motto, ‘Per Ardua Ad Alta’, meaning ‘through efforts to high things’ – a principle that has guided us since our founding in 1900.

Year one

Through this pathway, in year one you’ll have instant access to our ‘My Attributes’ platform, our online skills and portfolio tracker, so that you can monitor your ongoing personal development throughout your time at university. Your first year focuses on developing essential academic study skills to help you get the most out of your course, and on intellectual curiosity and the joy of learning.

Year two

In year two, Ad Alta modules focus on innovation, industry and community, and you’ll work together with other students to develop responses to challenges faced by organisations and industries locally and globally. This focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and being able to practically apply your subject knowledge, set you up for your final year.

Final year

In your final year, you’ll complete a dissertation, research essay or design project, and will continue to build on your skills through the Birmingham Award. Endorsed by graduate employers, this Award recognises and rewards your achievements beyond your programme and recognises the vast array of skills developed through extra-curricular activities which you can use as you move beyond your degree. The Birmingham Award includes over 200 activities on and off-campus such as part-time work, volunteering, fundraising, sports, caring commitments, running clubs and societies, and much more.

More than your degree

A Birmingham education goes beyond lectures and exams — it’s about discovering who you are and what you can do. Our co-curricular model helps you connect academic learning with real-world experience, with opportunities to build skills through placements, projects, and partnerships.

The Birmingham Award

Our Birmingham Award, endorsed by top graduate employers, brings together a broad range of skills and achievements beyond formal assessments and exams, enabling you to showcase your skills and gain recognition for them. It helps you to prepare for the real world jobs market through over 200 activities on and off campus, including part-time work, fundraising, volunteering, sports, music, marketing, or even through being a committe member for a society. There are many other ways that we enable you to continually develop outside of your course through workshops, competitions, mentoring, online short courses, and through a plethora of other engagements across campus.

The Birmingham Award gives you the toolkit you need to develop and articulate your transferable employability skills, that's aligned to your own interests, that's flexible, and that's recognised formally on your degree transcript.

Our summer term programme

Our unique summer term programme helps you to make the most of your time at university and prepare for the year ahead. It’s a great time to unwind at the end of the academic year through our social programme of sports, culture and community events. Whether it’s a film at our outdoor cinema, taking part in our campus 3k run, or attending one of our TED-style talks addressing life’s big questions, there’s something for everyone.

You’ll have chance to prepare for your next year of study and develop your academic skills, showcase your research, take part in fieldwork or study trips, and even take on consultancy projects. Continue to build on your professional skills through short courses, engage through our extensive network of employers with a mini-internship, or volunteer in an area that you’re passionate about.

The programme is yours to shape and is the perfect opportunity to connect with others on campus, have fun and learn new skills, and to head into your next year of study feeling fully prepared.

I was given some advice: your degree will only take up 10% of your CV, so make sure you leave university with enough to fill the other 90%! I couldn't agree more - if you complete The Birmingham Award, you'll be in a great position once you graduate.

Your learning environment

The quality of the environment in which you learn really matters and we’re committed to providing the best facilities for students.

Our Main Library is home to a range of facilities to suit your working style, with space for group study, silent study, and informal areas too. We also have specialist libraries and resources across campus to support your needs.
The Teaching and Learning building hosts teaching and social study spaces to support the modern university experience.
The Collaborative Teaching Laboratory brings together practical teaching activities across the sciences with wet and dry labs and a computer e-lab.
The School of Engineering building houses a number of engineering disciplines all under one roof.