Welcome 2026 Students

Start Date

Teaching on your course begins from Monday 26 January 2026. Please check your timetable for details.

You will be able to see your timetable on iCity using your BCU login details as soon as they are released. You should have received your BCU login details when you were invited to enrol.

International Students

We expect all international students to engage with their studies in person from w/c 26 January 2026.

The final deadline to arrive in the UK to complete enrolment will be week 4 (w/c 20 February 2026).

Please check the guidelines on entering the UK from your country or territory before planning your journey. 

Timetables

Course Leader

Essa Shahra

Welcome Message

Welcome to your MSc Advanced Computer Science! We have planned a range of activities for you to enjoy and to have fun meeting new people and engaging with our talks, workshops and union activities. These activities will help you find your way around the campus and also to enable you to meet your peers and tutors. The Advanced Computer Science MSc course provides its graduates with practical experience with models, techniques and tools from the forefront of the discipline that drive innovation in the design of software-based systems within this domain.

On the course, academic members of staff will teach topics and supervise projects according to their personal research interests. This gives students a cutting-edge experience, one that opens up new opportunities for career advancement in industry. For students who show aptitude for research, there is also the possibility of continuing their studies on a PhD course.

The philosophy of the course is to promote lifelong self-learning by providing a curriculum that promotes a variety of approaches to study. The curriculum is designed to develop not only the academic knowledge, but also the engineering ethos and practical skills required by the modern Computer Science professional.

Course Location

Your course will mainly be taught in:

STEAMhouse, City Centre Campus (Room numbers start with CST)

Induction

Before you arrive on campus, please take a look at your course Moodle page where you will find lots of useful information to prepare you for your studies. 

First day on Campus

We look forward to welcoming you to Birmingham City University!

You must have your ID card visible at all times when on campus, so if you have received yours before your first day, ensure you bring this with you. If you enrolled late you will need to collect one on campus during your first few days. Please remember that your ID card is for your use only. You must never let anyone else use it.

To complete your enrolment, you will need the following:

• Passport (or other form of photo ID if you are a UK/EU student)
• Original qualification documents if applicable (you will be emailed a list of the documents we need to see once you have completed your online enrolment)
• Visa (international students only)

What else? The rest is up to you! You will find a shop, café, pub, computer access and water fountains on campus, but we do recommend you bring the following on the first day:

• Laptop, if you have one
• Notepad and pen
• Reusable water bottle
• Snack
• Money

And remember, the weather in Birmingham can be changeable!