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.
If you have a passion for Biological Sciences, inspiring and educating young learners, and want the best possible career opportunities after graduating, then this is the course for you.
The School of Education and Social Work has a strong partnership across a diverse range of secondary schools within the West Midlands. Located in the heart of the West Midlands, you will gain practical experience in a range of schools with a rich variety of cultural and linguistic influences, religious beliefs and social diversity. The Department of Life Sciences, part of the School of Health Sciences, is committed to delivering high-quality, research-informed teaching in a range of biology and life science fields alongside a developing Life Sciences research portfolio. Staff have expertise in a range of disciplines which will support your scientific development and prepare you for professional practice as a science educator.
The course offers you the chance to gain the professional qualification of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) as well as a degree, helping you walk into your dream job as a secondary school teacher immediately after graduating from university.
You will also benefit from the unique and strong partnership between biology educators and subject specialists who are at the forefront of practice in their fields.
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.
We accept a range of qualifications, the most popular of which are detailed below.
112 UCAS tariff points from A/AS Level |
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Level 2 Qualifications | ||
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UK Qualification | Requirements 2021/22 | |
GCSE |
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BTEC Level 2 Diploma |
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BTEC Level 2 Extended Certificate |
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Intermediate GNVQ |
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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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IELTS |
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Plus one of the following Level 3 (and above) Qualifications | ||
UK Qualification | Requirements 2021/22 | |
A level and Advanced VCE |
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Access to HE Diploma |
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NCFE CACHE Level 3 Extended Diploma for Children’s Care, Learning and Development (Wales and Northern Ireland) |
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NCFE CACHE Level 3 Extended Diploma for the Children and Young People’s Workforce |
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Diploma in Higher Education (Dip HE) |
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International Baccalaureate Diploma |
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Irish Leaving Certificate (Highers) |
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OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma |
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OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma |
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Scottish Advanced Higher |
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Scottish Higher |
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T-Levels |
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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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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. |
International students who cannot meet the direct entry requirements can begin their degree studies at Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC).
In addition successful candidates will be required to successfully complete an Occupational Health and an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance via the Faculty.
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:
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.
Applying for a course and preparing for an interview can be a daunting process, so we have created a series of films to help you through the process, including what to put in your personal statement.
There are three ways to apply:
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.
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.
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.
Your personal statement is a highly important part of your application. It 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:
Why does this course appeal? What areas are of particular interest?
If you have a specific career in mind, say how your chosen course will help you pursue this goal.
Mention any work that is relevant to your subject, highlighting the skills and experience gained.
Highlight skills gained at school/college, eg summer schools or mentoring activities.
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.
We offer a wide range of professionally accredited and vocational courses that require the purchase of, among other things, uniforms, equipment, subscriptions, professional body memberships and DBS checks, and may require you to pay to attend conferences or participate in placements.
The link below provides our estimate of the possible costs associated with key activities on specific courses. Please bear in mind that these are only estimates of costs based on past student experience and feedback. The actual costs to you could vary considerably (either greater or lower than these estimates) depending on your choices as you progress through the course. We set out where we can, based on experience, where these indicative costs are for activities that are optional or compulsory.
All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
Find additional costs for your course
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.
It is not a requirement to obtain work experience in a school or education setting before applying for a teacher training course, so if you are unable to obtain work experience, this will not affect your application. If you would like to gain some experience to help prepare you for your course, there are other options available. The UCAS website details a range of alternative activities that you might want to consider.
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.
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):
The BSc (Hons) Secondary Science (Biology) with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) trains you to:
Within this course, you will be studying with our current undergraduate biomedical science students in completing your subject specialism following the same suite of modules. In addition, you will develop your skills in teaching your subject within secondary education by working within local and regional school science departments as part of the professional placement component of this course. As a result, you will not only have the subject knowledge required for a science undergraduate degree, but successful completion will result in the University recommending to the relevant professional body, for the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which is the recognised professional award required by all those who wish to teach in a secondary school in England and Wales.
We will support you in the transition to university through a careful induction process, confidence building activities, group work and a carefully planned programme with a range of formative and summative assessments.
Your programme will be interactive, practical, engaging, thought provoking and challenging and is designed to promote independence so that you become a confident, committed and creative teacher ready to join the teaching profession.
On the programme you will experience a variety of learning and teaching approaches that focus on modelling good practice and these will include: workshops, conferences, lectures, seminars, a range of guest speakers, visits to schools/settings and other sites as well as a range of practical teaching experiences.
The content of the programme is research led, innovative and responsive to the educational climate to enable you to develop your subject and pedagogical knowledge and apply it in the classroom.
We have developed a shared vision for educational excellence with the schools in our partnership. You will benefit from working with and learning from outstanding classroom teachers in schools and at University. Working in schools with teachers and pupils is key to you becoming a committed, creative and confident teacher.
School placements increase in length over the three years of your course to ensure you complete the minimum of 120 days required to build your teaching experience and gather evidence that you meet the requirements for QTS. The placement aspect of this course is non-credit bearing.
The National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) Professional Standards for Teachers which lead to recommendation for the award of QTS will be assessed through the school based training modules.
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.
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.
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:
The UK remains one of the world's leading study destinations for international students.
The first-class experience offered by universities are reflected in the world’s largest survey of international students. International students are more likely to recommend the UK than any other leading English-language study destination.
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.
We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £260 million on new learning facilities.
As part of these plans, the University's Education provision will join the rest of the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences at our City South Campus in Edgbaston during 2018.
This is the third phase of the University's project to move all teaching and learning to two campuses, City Centre and City South. By moving our Education provision, we are creating a hub for the provision of public service contracts and professional development at City South Campus and improving the student experience with a stronger sense of community and more consistent support services and facilities.
In addition to classrooms, a lecture theatre, social learning spaces, an open access IT suite and cafe facilities, the new £41 million extension to our City South Campus offers a range of specialist teaching and learning facilities for specific subjects including science, design and technology, drama and physical education.
All our departmental facilities replicate the school learning environment.
Not only are we investing £41 million in a new building to house the laboratories and teaching spaces needed, but we also plan to open up these facilities to benefit all students and the wider community. This will complement our existing sports facilities, which already provide a base for students to compete in activities ranging from rugby to.
The Seacole library, based at City South Campus, is one of the UK's largest specialist health education libraries. The facility offers an extensive range of range of information and reference materials set out in a relaxing environment, conducive to studying. There are comfortable seating areas, group study areas, a silent study area and private study rooms.
The Seacole building houses a large open access IT Suite which comprises of 96 PCs, printers, photocopiers and scanners. Our PCs utilise the latest Intel i5 core technology, all with:
Our PCs are also designed to support students who may have difficulties with reading and writing, featuring specialised software with zooming/magnification and screen reading capabilities, which may also be customised for individual student needs.
The IT Suite offers extended opening hours and is supported by a specialist Open Access Assistant during term time. In addition to the open access PCs within the IT Suite, there are 12 networked student PCs available within Seacole library.
Simon is currently the course lead for our undergraduate secondary education with QTS provision; he is also part of the science team and teaches across a range of both undergraduate and post-graduate teacher training routes at Birmingham City University.