Pakistan
Birmingham extends a warm welcome to students from Pakistan. Birmingham is Europe's youngest city and is recognised as one of the continent's most diverse urban areas. Approximately 17 per cent of Birmingham's population is of Pakistani origin. Many students from Pakistan choose Birmingham City University (BCU) because of its location. Popular courses include MBA International and Engineering. If you wish to speak to a current Pakistani student, please get in touch with our Recruitment Officer.
You can experience our city's rich history, vibrant culture, and high-quality cuisine. The unmissable Tipu Sultan and Shere Khan are excellent restaurants offering Asian dishes, fabrics, and fashion. You'll also find fantastic eateries, Asian jewellers, traditional dressmakers, and delicious sweet shops. Birmingham is a lively city that hosts many amazing festivals and events, including music, sports, and art. If you have any questions about studying at BCU, please get in touch with Irum Asif, BCU's International Recruitment Officer.
It's a particularly exciting time to become a student at Birmingham City University. We've invested over £500 million in our estate, including a major expansion of our City Centre Campus at Eastside, providing students with an enviable range of facilities. We've invested heavily in innovative technology to give our students the best possible preparation for their chosen careers. Facilities include a mock law court, a virtual radiography suite, broadcast studios, fashion workshops and a mock operating theatre.
Our research work continues to attract international attention, 93% of our research was recognised internationally for originality, significance and rigour, of which 19% was judged world-leading (REF 2021).
Important note for BEng Engineering applicants
Please note that the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) recognises the following programmes: a three-year Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) and a one-year Master of Science (MSc) in Engineering. Contact us or visit the Pakistan Engineering Council website for further information.
Undergraduate
We are happy to consider HSSC/Intermediate (minimum 60% overall including Maths at 60%) plus one-year (new scheme) or two-year (old scheme) BCom/BSc/BA with minimum 50% / Division II.
Postgraduate
We need a minimum of four years of higher education to be considered for a master’s programme. This could be a combination of:
- Two years Bachelor's Degree plus a two year Master's degree with an average of 55% or GPA of 2.3 or Grade C+,
- Four years Bachelor's degree with an average of 55% or GPA 2.3 or Grade C+, or,
- Three years Bachelor's degree plus one year's master's with an average of 55% or GPA 2.3 or Grade C+.
PLEASE NOTE: If you were graded using percentages throughout your transcript, we will use your final percentage for the assessment. If you were graded using GPA throughout your transcript, we will use your final CGPA for the assessment (not the Aggregate Weighted Percentage). If you were graded using a Letter Grade throughout your transcript, we will use your final Letter Grade for the assessment. Where you were graded using a combination of the above methods throughout your transcript, we will take into consideration all grades.
Please note that some courses may require a higher score and a subject-specific previous qualification to qualify for entry, for example, Law, Computing, Social Sciences, Engineering, etc. Please check the website for this information.
LLM: We are happy to consider a non-LLB background for select LLM programmes.
We offer two courses accepting lower CGPAs. They are:
- International MBA (18 months in duration)
- MSc Management and International Business (15 months in duration)
The minimum average CGPA for these two courses would be 2.3 minimum or 48%.
Special requirements
Art and Design
All undergraduate Art and Design courses require a good portfolio of artwork. Some postgraduate courses also require a portfolio, and others require a proposal of studies, while some programmes require both a portfolio and a proposal of studies. Please check the faculty website for specific requirements.
Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment (CEBE)
All undergraduate courses in the CEBE faculty require Mathematics at O Level. However, for the Engineering suite and BEng Telecommunication and Networks, Mathematics is required at AS Level minimum Grade C or the equivalent.
Business School
All Business School undergraduate 'Year One' courses require a Mathematics minimum of Grade C at O Level or the equivalent.
Undergraduate
BCU is offering a scholarship of £5,000 to self-funding international undergraduate students joining BCU on a full-time degree. The scholarship will be applied as a tuition fee discount of £3,000 in year one and £2,000 in year two.
Undergraduate scholarship terms and conditions
Postgraduate
BCU is offering a scholarship of £3,000 to self-funding international postgraduate students joining BCU on a full-time postgraduate taught Master’s degree. The scholarship will be applied as a tuition fee discount.
Student stories: Salman Abdullah
IET Undergraduate Grant Winner 2016
Salman was awarded a prestigious Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Undergraduate Grant in the final year of his BEng degree, in recognition of his outstanding performance on the course.
Salman, who is from Pakistan, was attracted to Birmingham City University as he knew that many graduates from the University go on to work for high quality companies such as Rolls-Royce. He also expected to feel at home in the city as he knew that Birmingham has a large Asian population.
Salman has taken a full part in university life. He became a course representative, and won first prize in the CISCO Hackathon in June 2016.
As part of his studies, Salman undertook a placement at the University, teaching Foundation and Year One students on the Electronic Engineering course, as well as working on several University projects. He said of the experience: “I would highly recommend doing a placement year. It gives you a really good edge and practical experience of work”.
The award has boosted Salman’s confidence and motivated him to go even further. He is on course to achieve a First Class degree, and his tutors are encouraging him to stay on and undertake an MEng qualification after completing his BEng.
There are no upcoming visits from BCU to your country planned at this moment.
Student views
What our students say...
“Studying at the University was a great experience for me. Coming to the UK from Pakistan was a challenge in itself but added challenges included understanding the Birmingham accent and supporting my studies. From day one, I was given lots of support - and I really polished my language skills. Meeting people from different cultures and studying international business gave me an understanding of other countries and the way they work, which has really helped my career.
"There were lots of opportunities to speak up, from debates to presentations, and that built up my confidence. The library was great; everything was available in a digital format which saved a lot of time and helped with my research. Now, I run my own banking consultancy, Sigma Business Consultancy (www.sigma-bc.com) in London. I currently work with international banks and the company is doing very well. I put my success down to my experiences at University and graduating with a First Class degree. It transformed me into a confident, energetic and optimistic person and I have never looked back.”
Aamar Ahmed, MSc Management and International Business
Country contact
Do you have a question?
Disha Gupta
Associate Regional Director Recruitment - South Asia and MENA
Email: Disha.Gupta@bcu.ac.uk
Irum Asif
Recruitment Officer - Pakistan
Email: irum.asif@bcu.ac.uk
Student views
What our students say...
"I had already planned my career in Data Networks and Security during my graduation. I had searched a dozen of universities and their MSc programmes in the UK but I found the MSc. The Data Networks and Security course at Birmingham City University was most relevant to my career objectives.
"I wanted to pursue my career in Cisco Technologies and Birmingham City University is the Cisco Study Partner with the Government College University Faisalabad in Pakistan, where I obtained my BSc in Computer Sciences. The course outline was excellent and well designed in order to meet the requirements of the industry. The course met my expectations and meets the market standard very well. Every module that we studied is highly demanded in the industry.”
Waseem Aslam Awan, MSc Data Networks and Security
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