Facilities at BCU | Birmingham City University

We've invested £260 million in our facilities. Whether it's our state-of-the-art Parkside Building which includes the largest concentration of TV studios between London and Salford or the simulated operating theatre and hospital wards at our City South Campus, we're making sure you have the best possible space to learn. Take a look at our facilities below.

Choose your subject area:

Business, Law and Social Sciences

Computing, Engineering, Built Environment

Health, Education and Life Sciences

Arts, Design and Media

Music and Theatre

Art

Jewellery

Curzon Building - Business, Law, Social Sciences and English

Curzon - facilities

The Curzon Building is a state-of-the-art addition to our City Centre Campus. IT features modern facilities including our psychology labs, mock court room and CITY trading room.

Social Sciences - Homepage - Facilities - Psychology Lab - Man in a cap

Psychology Labs

Our psychology labs feature all of the latest equipment, including an EEG scanner and eye tracking equipment, and state-of-the-art software such as E-Prime, SPSS, Pinnacle Studio and NVIVO

CITY Trading Room

Students on our Finance and Economics courses have the opportunity to work in our ‘CITY Trading Room’ using the same investment analysis software as traders, financial analysts and decision makers in the investment industry.

Marketing Link Agency

We have our own student-run, in-house marketing agency, The Link, where you can sharpen your skills with briefs and projects from leading businesses and organisations, such as Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Serco and Cure Leukaemia.

Crown Court

One of our two mock courtrooms, our Crown Court is used to simulate a real courtroom feel. It is used as much as possible to ensure you are comfortable talking in front of a jury and a judge when you graduate.

Magistrates Court

Our other mock courtroom, the magistrates court is also used in lessons, as well as playing host to our mooting and debating societies. Our mooting society is one of the most successful in the country.

Curzon B

We're expanding! Alongside our £60 million Curzon Building, work is now complete on our new six storey extension, Curzon B, which will be able to house over 3,000 students and staff, giving you more study and recreation spaces.

Business School - Homepage - Our Facilities Flip Card - Library

City Centre Library

Our City Centre Library houses over 65 million sources of information, from books to online resources. It has several banks of computers, independent study rooms, and its own coffee shop - Coffee Society.

The Hive

Curzon B boasts an innovative lecture theatre called The Hive that features raked, group activity seating, integrated technology and excellent sight lines.

Millennium Point - Computing, Engineering and Built Environment

Millennium Point is home to our computing, engineering and built environment courses, and has recently undergone a £6.5 million refurbishment and facilities upgrade. It's also home to Birmingham Thinktank, an award winning science museum.

Cisco Network Labs

The laboratories are well-equipped for all our computer networking courses, as well as specialist areas for practical work such as forensic and ethical hacking technologies, wireless and mobile technologies and radio frequency identification technologies.

Systems Laboratories

Our embedded systems laboratories are used to develop real-time systems, such as specialist hardware training and development resources, and industrial-standard software development and simulation tools.

Electronic Systems

To underpin the basic principles of electronic systems, we have a well-equipped laboratory of general and specialist test and measurement kits, including powered prototyping development boards, dual power supplies, frequency generators and counters and digital multi-meters to name but a few.

Software development and programming

Software Development and Programming

There are a number of open access, software development and computer programming
laboratories that can be used to develop systems and programmes, including database management systems such as MySQL, to name but a few.

Surveying Equipment

Part of your learning activity will be hands-on, including carrying out survey work using a range of equipment, such as levels, theodolites, measuring tapes.

CAD

Computer Assisted Design

You will be provided with the latest CAD software – free of charge – to enable you to acquire the skills you need in a modern design office.

Environmental Lab

The suite is divided into three main areas a wet lab/pilot facility a fully equipped analytical suite and a microbiological lab. This facility offers state of the art analysis and testing of environmental samples as well as scientific evaluation of lab scale and pilot scale technologies and processes.

Computer Forensics Lab

Our specialist Digital Forensics Lab boasts a plethora of industry standard digital forensics and data recovery resources to provide you with the best learning opportunities and industry-relevant hands on practical skills.

Engineering Labs

You’ll work in advanced automotive workshops and laboratories that include industry-standard equipment such as computer numerical control (CNC), three-dimensional scanning and rapid prototype facilities, engine test labs and reverse engineering.

City South Campus - Health, Education and Life Sciences

Seacole facilities - why choose us

City South Campus in Edgbaston, to the south of the City Centre, is home to our health and social care courses. Our new £41 million building is the home of specialist laboratories for our new courses in sport and life sciences, and our School of Education. Our students learn in the most realistic settings – from a mock operating theatre and hospital wards to a fully equipped birthing room and virtual radiotherapy suite.

Sports Therapy Clinic

You will get the chance to assess and treat university staff and students in the sports therapy clinic, which is replete with state-of-the-art technology.

Biomedical Sciences Labs

Our major expansion, includes newly built laboratories and equipment that will give you a leading edge when seeking employment.

Mock Operating Theatre

Our mock operating theatre lets our Operating Department Practice students practise their skills in a realistic environment.

SPACE

Skills Practice and Care Enhancement – SPACE – is a room resourced with equipment and a technician, and is dedicated to you practising your clinical skills in a supportive environment.

Radiography skills suite

Where better for our Diagnostic Radiography students to get to grips with the technology used in their profession before they go on placement than in our very own X-Ray room?

The 4D classroom

If you’re a Paramedic Science student you’re likely to encounter the 4D classroom with ‘cut out’ ambulance, which allows various scenes to be played out on screen and smells to be piped into the room give a very realistic feel to your practice scenarios!

SLT’s ‘mirror room’

How do you observe how someone communicates with others without them knowing they’re watching? Well you use the ‘mirror room’ dedicated to Speech and Language Therapy which allows observation of both students and service users to assess their communication.

VERT

Our Virtual Environment for Radiotherapy Training (VERT) and advanced computer planning facilities allow you to effectively use live simulations to bring the practical realities of the radiotherapy profession directly to your studies.

Biomedical Engineering Labs

Biomedical Engineering Laboratory

Access to our cutting-edge virtual technologies and one of the UK's largest specialist health education libraries.

Library facilities

Our Mary Seacole library is one of the UK's largest specialist health education libraries with an extensive of range of information and reference materials set out in a relaxing environment.

Home Environment Room

In addition to being used as a home birthing room, our Home Environment room can play host a range of scenarios and equipment for Learning Disability and Mental Health Nursing students.

Mock Wards

You could be forgiven for thinking you’re in a real hospital in our mock wards! They’ll enable you to get a feel of what a ward is really like before you head out for your first placement.

Simulation Mannequins

The SIM men and SIM baby mannequins are complete with software, which is used to replicate real symptoms. SIM Man can also “talk” to you, enhancing your ability to learn through practice in clinical skills and simulation sessions.

Birthing Room

Our birthing room is kitted out in the same way as a real maternity ward. There’s a bed and all of the essential equipment needed to ensure safe pre-natal and post-natal care.

Virtual Case Creator

The Virtual Case Creator (VCC) allows us to create of online, interactive and engaging case studies and scenarios for you to practice your skills before you get on a ward.

Parkside Building and the New Technology Institute - Arts, Design, Media and Digital Technology

parkside facilities - why choose us head

The 'Parkside Building' is part of the City Centre Campus expansion and provides a state-of-the art home for the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media (ADM), incorporating the Parkside Media House.

Green Screen/ Milo

Green Screen/Milo

Studio B is a green screen studio for recording material that will then have CGI (computer-generated imagery) added to form the final image. The studio has a motion control camera, ‘Milo’, which can reproduce the same programmed move repeatedly.

4 TV Studios

TV Studios

Three of the studios are able to do live multi-camera production and all studios (TV and radio) can be interconnected. It’s taken 22km of wire to make that happen! The Media Centre is fully digital.

6 Radio Studios

Radio studios

Our radio studios can work independently, or be linked together to form a radio station. It is possible to get audio from any part of our media building.

Dubbing Suites

The Media Centre has full industry-standard dubbing suites. Based on a multi-layered ProTools desk, the suites can dub both film and TV projects with up to 120 simultaneous sound sources.

Post Production Suites

he Media Centre has four fully industry-standard edit suites, based on the industry-standard Avid editing system, which is used in almost all films and the majority of UK television.

Studio A’s Gallery Suite

Where production, lighting, camera control, graphics and Autocue are controlled. Sony Broadcast have supported us in the development of the Media Centre, meaning we have broadcast-standard Sony monitors and three of their new full-HD digital vision mixing desks

Parkside Gallery

Parkside Gallery is a leading art and design exhibition space within Birmingham City University's Parkside Building, with an emphasis on, but not confined to, design-led practice.

Weave Room

In our dedicated Weave Room, you'll find 23 Harris Looms and 3 Jacquard Looms to create weave designs in as many colours as you wish.

Photography Studio

Our high spec and fully equipped photography studios can be used collaboratively across the Faculty.

Print Room

Our Textiles Print Room is always a hive of activity with 3 long print tables, steam cloths and Procion Dye printing.

3D CAD Lab

Our 3D CAD Lab includes 3D printers - perfect for scale models, prototyping and concept development.

Metal Workshop

Our metal fabrication workshop gives you access to a range of metal welding equipment and techniques including tig welding and plasma cutting.

Woodwork Studio

Our woodwork studio gives you hands-on access to the tools you need to produce furniture and products, to scale architectural models

Architecture Studio

Our Architecture studios are flexible spaces, perfect for individual and group work.

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire - Acting and Music

Copyright Hufton + Crow

The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire features 9,000 sq m of purpose designed teaching, rehearsal and state of the art performance space. The audio and video digital infrastructure is designed to enhance and support live performance and to allow students to experiment with new technologies.

Recital Hall

The intimate Recital Hall has a variable acoustic and is a flexible space with a floor-level stage area. A bleacher seating rake of 146 capacity can be extended for concert set-up, or fully retracted underneath a small technical balcony for other seating and event set-ups including cabaret and theatre style.

7 Recording Studios

7 Recording studios

We have worked with internationally renowned studio designers, acousticians, architects and leading manufacturers to build recording rooms of the highest commercial standard.

500 Seat Concert Hall

The Concert Hall has been acoustically modelled to optimise the experience of performers and to ensure the best auditory experience from every seat.

Eastside Jazz club

Birmingham’s only dedicated Jazz venue, Eastside Jazz Club. State-of-the-art facilities include a Meyer stereo PA system with Dante audio network for flexible location recording purposes, and SSL L300 sound desk with 24 mic channels (maximum I/O 568 in/out 600 with Dante) and more.

The Lab

The Lab is a cutting edge, completely flexible black-box studio with a technical walkway suspended around the perimeter. Perfect for art performances, workshops, theatre performances and rehearsals.

Organ Studio

Featuring a Eule Pipe organ and features overhead performance lighting and Dante audio network for flexible location recording purposes. With access to Steinway model D or model B grand pianos, there is also a wide range of other instruments and equipment available for students.

Margaret Street - School of Art

School of art facilities page

Studying at the School of Art places you firmly in the heart of city’s thriving cultural quarter, which includes the new Library of Birmingham, and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Our Grade 1 listed building is a superb combination of Venetian Gothic architecture and modern workshops, learning and social areas, a specialist arts library, and public exhibition space.

Art Studios

Our studio spaces make excellent use of height and light, and a special screening system allows each full-time student a dedicated area to work in throughout their course.

Etching Press

The intaglio process was made famous by Rembrandt. The etching presses uses polymer plates and you'll be encouraged to bring new ideas to rival the greats!

Albion Press

In our dedicated print room we have the Albion Press. A traditional relief printing method, many students are bringing new ideas and techniques to the process.

Screen Printing

Screen printing on anything from paper, acrylics, metal, MDF and fabrics.

Stone Lithography

Stone Lithography Press

It's not just plates you can get your hands on - we also offer a stone lithography press where the design is engraved into limestone.

Tool Workshops

Ranging from hand tools such as chisels and power hand tools, to electric fret saw and a mortice machine, you'll have everything you need in our wood workshop.

Artists Library

Our library contains a wealth of artists' biographies, catalogues, art and design magazines and DVD updated throughout the year.

Vittoria Street and Assay Office - School of Jewellery

Vittoria street full

The internationally renowned School of Jewellery at Birmingham City University is the largest in Europe, with unrivalled facilities and expertise to develop your career.

Basement Workshop

Our basement workshop is fitted out for light engineering, metal spinning and pressing, forging, welding, and much more. All to an industry-standard.

Jewellery Workshops

Our jewellery workshops are used for traditional hand-made forming and engraving. Includes GRS microscopes, delivering high resolution images throughout the zoom range

3D Printers

3D Printing

We offer state-of-the-art 3D printing and programmes.

Co2 Laser Cutter

The industry-standard Co2 laser cutter can cut and engrave a wide range of materials from plastics, to wood.

Rose Engine

The rose engine is a historic machine used to embellish a finished product.

Horology Labs

In our BA (Hons) Horology labs allows each student to have their own station. Here they make the elements needed for creating their own clocks.

Gemmology Department

The Gemmology Department, located in the Assay Office, provides students with a wide array of cutting-edge facilities, including diamond grading lights, microscopes, refactometers, polariscopes and more.