Studying with us in 2021/22
It is possible that the 2021/22 academic year may be affected by the ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Any arrangements put in place by the University for the 2021/22 academic year will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, pandemic-related/health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the student contract.
Looking for a versatile IT course in the UK? Study with us in the exciting city of Birmingham. Our multidisciplinary BSc Computing and Information Technology with a Foundation Year degree will equip you with the technical and managerial skills you'll need to embark on a successful IT career.
You'll use first-class, industry-standard equipment and labs, and have the chance to put your academic learning into practice on a placement year – all of which will prepare you for an information technology career with a range of companies. We’re also an academy for Microsoft and Cisco systems with strong industry links.
The Foundation Year course option enables you to study for our BSc (Hons) degree over an extended full-time duration of four years by including a Foundation Certificate (year one of four). The Foundation Certificate provides a broad study programme that underpins the follow-on degree. In order to progress to the next year of your degree, it is necessary to achieve a pass in all of the modules of the Foundation Certificate.
This course is for you if you want to combine a highly rigorous academic qualification with real-life practical work experiences, enabling you to put your learning into innovative practice.
You'll be based at our flagship City Centre Campus, where you'll use dedicated, industry-standard facilities to research and work on enterprise software and virtual environments to develop business solutions and real-time systems.
You will develop the strategic mind-set to address global challenges; the kind that that businesses and communities face on a day-to-day basis to maintain their digital infrastructure. You'll have access to virtual learning environments, as well as networking, electronic, enterprise systems and business intelligence laboratories.
We are preparing you for the workplace. You'll learn computing and information technology skills that are needed to design, develop, operate and maintain effective systems. You’ll use your computing knowledge to provide and apply IT solutions that will continually evolve. We ensure you are able to innovate in order to deliver business value and sustainable solutions.
It's not just about academic and technical knowledge – we'll also help to develop your personal skills so that you can work effectively as a team member and problem solve at the highest level. This will not only enhance your employability levels, it will make you stand out from the crowd.
Throughout your course you'll be supported by expert teaching staff, many of whom have worked in the field, are active in research and are continually innovating with industry.
Within the course there were excellent opportunities to develop myself both professionally and personally. You get a great deal of support outside of lectures – I really enjoyed the campus environment, which is a modern building and just a short walk from the city centre. It has a wide range of resources, which includes hundreds of computers and also a large networking area with both physical and virtualised networking environments.” Scott Brant, infrastructure and enablement consultant at Britvic
* Please note this course has changed name for 2020/21. The KIS data below relates to the previous course title.
Our students have gone on to work with companies such as:
We accept a range of qualifications, the most popular of which are detailed below.
BB or 80 UCAS tariff points from A/AS Level with a minimum of 2 A Levels |
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LEVEL 2 QUALIFICATIONS | ||
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GCSE |
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Irish Leaving Certificate (Ordinary Level) |
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Scottish Intermediate 2 |
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Scottish Credit Standard Grade |
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Scottish National 5 |
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LEVEL 3 (and above) QUALIFICATIONS | ||
A level and Advanced VCE |
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Access to HE Diploma |
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Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate - Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015) |
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Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma – Core (awarded until 2016) ESW/KS Combined component |
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International Baccalaureate Diploma |
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Other qualifications | ||
If you have a qualification that is not listed in the table please refer to our full entry requirements on UCAS. Further guidance on tariff points can be found on the UCAS website. |
Essential | ||
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Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In additional to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table. |
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EU/Non-EU (International) Qualifications | ||
IELTS |
6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information. |
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International Baccalaureate Diploma (or equivalent, including internationally accredited Foundation courses). |
1. For students who complete the full IB Diploma: a total of 14 points or above from three Higher Level Subjects. 2. Students who do not complete the IB Diploma will be considered on the basis of their IB Certificates. Students must have grade 5 in Maths (Standard Level) |
International students who cannot meet the direct entry requirements can begin their degree studies at Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC).
As part of the application process you will be invited to attend an applicant visit day where you will undertake a short one-to-one interview with an academic member of staff. This is your chance to show us how passionate you are about the subject and it will help us make a decision on your application.
This will provide you with more information about the School and your course. In addition, it will give you a chance to meet and our staff and students to gain a better understanding of what it is like to be a student here.
Award: BSc (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2021
Award: BSc (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2021
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead. The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
UK students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.
There are no compulsory additional costs or charges associated with studying on this course. While you may choose to purchase personal copies of text books, all our key text books are available from our library or online (subject to normal library loan and online access arrangements). If your course includes a residential study session, the accommodation costs for this are already included in your course fee.
Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £50 for each year of your studies for stationery and study materials. All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):
You'll be assessed in a number of different ways during your course. These will include continuous assessment, in-class tests, examinations, laboratory exercises, group and project work. This will enable us to appraise your all-round ability and it also gives you the best opportunity to excel.
Your final assessment is based on 24 per cent written exam, 68 per cent course work and 8 per cent practical exam.
There are 30 attendance weeks in each academic year.
A typical week on this course will include 20 hours of contact time over three or four days, plus self study time.
The ‘XploR’ mobility cane – developed by ICT students Steve Adigbo, Waheed Rafiq and Richard Howlett – uses smartphone technology to recognise familiar faces from up to 10 metres away. The cane also features GPS functionality to aid navigation.
The device will guide users towards friends and family members using an ear piece and audio guidance, with the information being relayed through Bluetooth technology. Medical and healthcare companies in France really liked the product. Hopefully it'll be making a real difference to people’s lives soon.
Sadia worked part-time for the University as a Laboratory Demonstrator during her final year. Currently she is working full-time as a Graduate Application Support Analyst and has big plans for the future.
In the future she intends to stay in full-time employment and would love to run her own company so she can, not only be her own boss, but share her passion for ICT with the rest of the world. Technology is rapidly developing and she hopes to be a part of this and give others the opportunity to do so too.
All new students have an industrial visit as part of their induction programme; last year students visited Bletchley Park, the home of Alan Turing, the famous wartime code breaker.
Where opportunities exist, students are encouraged to participate in projects that involve visits abroad as part of our Erasmus scheme. In the past, students have participated in European projects in Finland and the Netherlands.
We offer a range of Master's courses (MSc) or research (MPhil and PhD) postgraduate programmes that are suitable for graduates of this course.
There are no compulsory additional costs or charges associated with studying on this course. While you may choose to purchase personal copies of textbooks, all our key text books are available from our library or online (subject to normal library loan and online access arrangements). If your course includes a residential study session, the accommodation costs for this are already included in your course fee.
Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £50 for each year of your studies for stationery and study materials. All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
Our course is designed to equip you with in-depth, first-hand practical expertise as well as providing a rigorous academic understanding of your subject.
It is this combination that will help you to stand out when you look to enter the workplace and why our graduates are very highly sought-after.
We maintain very close links with business and industry to ensure that your studies are always relevant, up-to-date and meet the exact needs of the current marketplace.
You'll develop key academic and technical skills that will demonstrate your ability to understand concepts, principles and theories of complex network technologies, and that will show your understanding of how ICT infrastructure systems for business are designed and implemented.
Recent graduates have gone on to work with first-class organisations such as Hewlett Packard, Bell Microsystems, BT, Cisco, Deloitte, Ericsson, Philips, IBM, Intel, Siemens, Nokia and Capgemini.
You will have the opportunity for work-based learning, either in the form of a professional or innovation project. This is a negotiated competitive placement pathway in the second year where you will be able complete 60 credit modules whilst employed or starting-up a business.
We aim to have you employer-ready by the time you graduate, and as part of your course you have the option of undertaking an industrial placement after the second year of study.
If you decide to do this, it will extend the duration of your BSc (Hons)/MSci course to four/five years.
Thanks to our excellent partnerships and working relationships with some of the UK's leading companies, you have the chance of undertaking a high quality industrial placement with leading organisations such as the Bank of England, Cisco Systems, IBM, 3M, Airbus or CapGemini.
Placements will also provide you with an opportunity to develop your practical expertise, earn money and try out a potential career path.
OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.
It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.
Our graduates have gone on to roles such as:
Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
Our School is particularly popular with students from China. Students are attracted by our strong industry links and our relationships with Chinese universities where we regularly visit and provide induction and preparation activities.
International students who have a serious interest in studying with us but who perhaps cannot meet the direct entry requirements, academic or English, or who have been out of education for some time, can enter Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC) and begin their degree studies.
BCUIC is part of the global Navitas Group, an internationally recognised education provider, and the partnership allows students to access the University’s facilities and services and move seamlessly through to achieving a Bachelor’s degree from Birmingham City University.
Our students come from around the world but our information and communication technology course is most popular with international students from:
This course is located in the prestigious £114m Millennium Point building – part of our City Centre Campus – with technology and facilities that reflect advanced professional practice.
As a student you will get to use dedicated facilities for work such as systems analysis, artificial intelligence, e-commerce and business intelligence, and to support the application areas of mechatronics, games technology and computer forensics (with its own fully equipped laboratory).
The School is established as one of the leading academies for Apple, Microsoft and Cisco Systems, and is a member of Microsoft's Developer Network Academic Alliance.