- UCAS Code: N390
- Level: Undergraduate
- Starting: September 2021
- Study mode: Full Time (1 year)
- Location: City Centre
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.
This course has recently been updated. Please download the course specification for the up to date information.
Want to top up your finance degree in Birmingham? Our BA (Hons) International Finance (Top-Up) course allows you to learn from industry experienced lecturers. This course has been designed to appeal to home and overseas students who are interested in areas of international finance.
Global financial and business environments are becoming increasingly intertwined. We use our long-standing links with the world of international finance to develop your knowledge and real-world, practical skills in international finance.
With dedicated tutor support we will also help you to select course modules which reflect your own learning needs and career goals.
What's covered in the course?
Studying in our brand new state-of-the-art £63 million Curzon Building on our City Centre Campus, you will choose from a range of modules including international finance, corporate financial strategy, international business, financial technology and statistical modelling. Each module is designed to build upon existing knowledge and skills, as well as developing various key transferrable and interpersonal skills and effective study techniques. You are encouraged to choose areas of study best suited to your future career plans. This course is very intensive, it requires total commitment and a high level of motivation from you.
You will be taught by industry experienced academics who bring real world practical knowledge to the classroom. They’ve forged careers and worked with renowned companies such as KPMG and Vauxhall. This means you get great contacts and benefit from their industry insights. Our students come to their top-up year from a variety of backgrounds, providing the added opportunity to also gain valuable learning experiences from your peers. While you complete your degree, you’ll be right in the hub of the city and be surrounded by other likeminded students on a variety of accounting, finance and investment based degrees.
Why Choose Us?
- Birmingham City Business School is a leading practice-based and internationally focussed business school. We have current students from over 80 countries, giving us a truly global perspective.
- Your fellow students will arrive from different courses, countries and companies, giving your studies the benefit of many different outlooks, standpoints and cultural approaches. Alongside your personal tutor, you can set up your own programme of study in line with your future career plans. Our students get a high level of academic contact time throughout the course.
- You will study in our state-of-the-art City Centre Campus, ideally located for you to take advantage of our links to Birmingham’s business district, one of the largest in the UK. You’ll 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.
Find out more
Open Days
Our next Virtual Open Day is taking place on Saturday 20 March. It's the perfect opportunity to virtually tour our facilities, hear from some of our staff and get a feel of what it's like to study at BCU.
Book your place
This course is open to International students
Discover Birmingham City Business School
Visit our School site for more student work and extra information.
Entry Requirements
We accept a range of qualifications, the most popular of which are detailed below.
Essential Requirements
| Level 2 Qualifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| UK Qualification | Requirements 2021/22 | |
| GCSE |
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| Irish Leaving Certificate (Ordinary Level) |
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| Scottish National 5 |
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| Plus one of the following Level 3 (and above) Qualifications | ||
| UK Qualification | Requirements 2021/22 | |
| ABE Advanced Diploma |
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| Certificate in Higher Education (Cert HE) |
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| Diploma in Higher Education (Dip HE) |
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Foundation Degree (Level 5) |
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| Higher National Certificate (HNC) |
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Higher National Diploma (HND) |
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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. |
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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. |
Additional information for EU/International students
| Essential | ||
|---|---|---|
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Applications from international applicants with equivalent qualifications are welcome. 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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| English language requirements 2020/21 | ||
| 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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| Other accepted qualifications | Visit our English language page | |
Don’t meet our entry requirements?
You could apply for a foundation course or a course at our International College. These routes have lower entry requirements and act as the bridge to a full degree. To find out more, please select your status:
- UK students
- International students
Award: BA (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £9,250 per year
- Apply via UCAS
Award: BA (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £13,200 per year
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.
Guidance for UK/EU students
UK and EU 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.
Applying through UCAS
Register with UCAS
Login to UCAS
Complete your details
Select your course
Write a personal statement
Get a reference
Pay your application fee
Send UCAS your application
Applications can also be made direct to the faculty for those students without a UCAS account. Please contact our Business School Admissions Team on Email: Business.admissions@bcu.ac.uk or call +44 (0)121 331 6565.
International students
There are three ways to apply:
1) Direct to the University
You will need to complete our International Application Form and Equal Opportunities Form, and submit them together with scan copies of your original academic transcripts and certificates.
2) Through a country representative
Our in-country representatives can help you make your application and apply for a visa. They can also offer advice on travel, living in the UK and studying abroad.
3) Through UCAS
If you are applying for an undergraduate degree or a Higher National Diploma (HND), you can apply through the UK’s Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
You can request a printed form from your school or nearest British Council office. You will be charged for applying through UCAS. Birmingham City University’s UCAS code is B25 BCITY.
Personal statement
UK / EU students are required to submit a personal statement as part of their application for this course.*
The personal statement gives you a crucial opportunity to say why you’re applying and why the institution should accept you.
Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:
Course choice
Why does this course appeal? What areas are of particular interest?
Career plans
If you have a specific career in mind, say how your chosen course will help you pursue this goal.
Work experience
Mention any work that is relevant to your subject, highlighting the skills and experience gained.
School or college experience
Highlight skills gained at school/college, eg summer schools or mentoring activities.
Non-accredited skills or achievement
eg Duke of Edinburgh Award, Young Enterprise scheme.
You should also mention your future plans – if you’re planning to take a year out, don't forget to give your reasons. Talk about any subjects you’re studying that don’t have a formal assessment and any sponsorships or placements you’ve applied for. And don't be scared to add in details about your social, sports or leisure interests.
Get more information on writing personal statements.
*Non-EU students are not required to submit a personal statement when applying for this course.
Additional costs
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).
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 your personal stationery and study materials. All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
Accommodation and living costs
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.
Worried about personal statements?
If you've got no idea where to start or just want to check you're on the right track, we’ve got expert advice and real examples from our students to help you nail your personal statement. You can even download our ultimate personal statement guide for free.
Financial Support
We offer further information on possible undergraduate financial support. This includes the type of loans, grants and scholarships available both from the government and from Birmingham City University.
Year One
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 80 credits).
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 40 credits from the following list of OPTIONAL modules.
Further Study
Upon graduation, you may wish to continue your studies by joining one of our MA, MSc or MBA programmes.
What our students say
"The holistic nature of the course gives students a thorough understanding of both the Business and Financial sector; opening up numerous career paths students can pursue in the future. I look forward to applying the in-depth understanding I have gained from this course to pursue my career."
Sepideh Safaei Keshtgar, International Finance (Top-Up) student
Employment Opportunities
This course opens up a variety of career opportunities in finance, management or marketing, depending on your chosen area of specialism.
You will also have the opportunity to increase your employability skills and experiences with the Leadership Challenge (a series of events, projects and competitions mirroring real-life business) and take advantage of ASK@BCU, our online employer mentoring which teams students up with alumni and employer mentors to provide industry insight, employability skills and contacts.
OpportUNIty
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.
BCU Graduate+
Through our courses we give you the skills and experience needed to get a head start when applying for jobs. But we offer something extra too – Graduate+.
Our unique programme gives you the chance to develop valuable skills outside of the more formal classroom learning. We award points for Graduate+ activities (including firewalking!) and these can be put towards a final Graduate+ award.
More about Graduate+
What our graduates say
"For me, all the courses have made me gain a lot. At the same time, I also made a lot of friends on campus."
Tianyang Zhang, International Finance (Top-Up) graduate
Welcome to the Birmingham City Business School, home to students from over 70 countries all around the world!
Birmingham City Business School is one of the UK’s largest, most established and most respected business schools. Our programmes are practice based and many have an international focus, which means your course will be entirely relevant to today’s business world. Almost all of our courses, both at undergraduate and postgraduate level, are open to international students.
We also have links with universities across the world, including Europe, the USA, China, India and Malaysia.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here
- Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country
- Learn where to find financial support for your studies
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC)
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 Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £340 million on new learning facilities.
The Curzon Building
This course is based at our City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other Social Sciences, Law, Business and English students.
The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
The Business floors house an extensive number of IT facilities, breakout areas, and specialised rooms. The Marketing Link Agency is designed to replicate a modern marketing firm, allowing students to get real-life experience of working in the marketing sector. There is also the City Trading Room, which features state of the art stock market tracking equipment, keeping you up to date with all the financial comings and goings of the London Stock Exchange and Wall Street.
The Curzon building is also conveniently close to Birmingham’s business and financial centre, allowing for strong links between your studies and the real world.
The Curzon Building also features:
- An impressive new library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
- Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
- A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
- Brand new, accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
- Shared facilities with the wider campus including the recently opened Parkside Building and Millennium Point
"Our course does not only offer you good opportunities to learn and know well about up-to-date knowledge in the area of international finance but also equip you with employability skills such as communication skills, ICT skills and teamwork skills through various learning mechanisms."
Margaret Saunders, Course Leader
Becky Bate
Senior Lecturer in Management Accounting
Becky Bates has a lot of experience in industry as an ACCA qualified accountant. She taught a variety of qualifications, including CIMA, ACCA, AAT and ICAEW in the private sector before coming to Birmingham City University in 2013.