Advanced Entry

We welcome applications from students who have previously studied at other institutions and wish to transfer into either Year 2 or 3 of a course at Birmingham City University. We’d love to consider you, so we have detailed the process below on how to apply.

A group of students walk across campus

We facilitate Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) which enables credit awarded from one institution to contribute to a BCU award, subject to an application process. Applicants who provide evidence of prior learning can be considered for exemption from certain years of study (Advanced Entry). Recognition of Prior Learning is also a requirement of the application process for some of our Top-up degrees.

View our Recognition of Prior Learning Policy

How to apply

Applications for advanced entry must be received before 30 June for September 2024 entry and should be made via UCAS.

After this deadline, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to complete the process for you in time for you to join your course in September, however we are still considering applications wherever possible.

If you would still like to be considered for September 2024, please complete and return the application form as soon as possible to enquiries@bcu.ac.uk.

Midland Credit Transfer

BCU is a member of the Midlands Enterprise Universities, as such if you're enquiring with regards to transferring to BCU from:

  • Coventry University
  • University of Derby
  • Nottingham Trent University
  • University of Wolverhampton
  • University of Lincoln

Please complete and return, by 30 June, our application form to MidlandsCreditCompass@bcu.ac.uk.

Documentation required for advanced entry

Please see below a list of documents we require you to upload before we can progress your application any further:

  • A current academic reference from the institution you are looking to transfer from. 
  • Official transcript of results/module marks received so far from your current or previous course – including module names and credit value. (Please note: if you are still waiting for your final module grades, we are still able to assess your application and where possible a conditional offer will be made. All we will need in place of your transcript are module outlines, which your current university should be able to provide.)
  • Module outlines/syllabus/learning outcomes from your current course e.g., in the form: Module title, Credits, Learning Outcomes, (there are usually three or four of these per module). These will enable our tutors to map the previous content you have studied against our course.
  • If you are applying to a course in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media, a digital portfolio of your work may also be required. Please see the Portfolio Guidance webpages for more information.

For all applicants who apply for direct entry into either the second or third year, we must ensure that the modules they have already completed (or still being worked towards) at Level 4 (year 1) and/or Level 5 (year 2) are compatible with our course and this is why we require this additional information of your previous or current studies.

What happens after you've applied?

For Arts, Design and MediaComputing, Engineering and Built Environment and Business, Law and Social Sciences

Our Admissions Tutor will complete a mapping process of your Record of Prior Learning, with the information provided on your transcripts and module guides, to determine the compatibility of the two courses. Before we are able to confirm the outcome of the mapping process it will need to be approved by the Deputy Dean, so please bear with us whilst the mapping process takes place. Please be advised that applications involving Recognition of Prior Learning can take slightly longer to assess than applications for entry to year one of our courses.

Depending on the course you have applied for, you may also be invited to an interview or an audition if applying to a course in the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire or one of the Popular Music courses.

In some cases, if your current course isn’t compatible with our course then we may not be able to offer you a place in your chosen year of study, however, a recommendation may be made to offer you a place in an earlier year of the course.

For Health, Education and Life Sciences

Your application will be considered by our Admissions Tutors, for some courses you may also be asked to attend an interview. If we are able to offer you a place on the course, as part of the conditions of the offer you will be asked to complete Record of Prior Learning Application Form. A copy of the form, along with instructions on how to complete the form, will be made available for you to download from your BCU portal.

Upon receipt of the completed Record of Prior Learning Application Form, our Admissions Tutors will complete a mapping process to determine the compatibility of the two courses and whether the credits can be transferred to the course you have applied for at BCU.

In some cases, if your current course isn’t compatible with our course then we may not be able to offer you a place in your chosen year of study, however, a recommendation may be made to offer you a place in an earlier year of the course.

Midlands Credit Compass

If you are considering leaving your studies, or wish to transfer to another university, we can help you consider your options. 

Find out more about Midlands Credit Compass

Transfers in and out

Find out more information about transferring to BCU, from BCU to another university and transferring to a different course within BCU.

Find out more about Student Transfer arrangements

Contact admissions

Have some questions about advanced entry and transfer arrangements? Get in touch with our admissions team and they'll be happy to help.

Get in touch