Welcome 2025 Students

Start Date

Welcome Week will take place between Monday 15 September and Friday 19 September 2025. During Welcome Week your course team will schedule activities for you to find out important information about your course, meet your lecturers and other students, and find your way around.

Teaching on your course begins from Monday 22 September 2025. 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.

You can also download the University Assistant app and sign up with your course details for updates on Welcome Week.

• Download app on iOS
• Download app on Google Play

International Students

We expect all international students to engage with the University from Monday 15 September 2025.

The final deadline to arrive in the UK to complete enrolment will be week 4 (w/c 13 October 2025).

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

Timetables

Course Leader

Brian Bishop

Welcome Message

Greetings and on behalf of the entire course team I want to welcome you to the BA (Hons) Fine Art course at Birmingham School of Art. We hope you are excited to join us!

The focus of the first week is orientation and integration. Over this time, you will learn to navigate your way around the school, the city as well as meet and get to know your peers and tutors on the course.

During the first week there will be general presentations that outline the year ahead and detail all the BCU resources available to support you in your studies. The course team will also introduce the first two modules you will undertake: ‘Making Studio' and 'Making a Living 1: Developing Skills’.

Additionally, there will also be a range of engaging practical activities planned where we will start making work together and activating the studios. These activities are designed to engage, excite, and motivate you to experiment and explore all the possibilities this course has to offer.

Lastly, let me assure you that there will be ample opportunity to ask questions throughout the week to help address any concerns or issues you may have.

We look forward to meeting you in September and starting this exciting new journey with you and seeing your artwork develop over the coming years.

Best regards,

Brian Bishop

Course Location

Your course will mainly be taught in:

School of Art, Margaret Street (Room numbers start with MAR)

Preparing for Welcome Week

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 Welcome Week, including your required pre-arrival activity.

Supporting your transition

During Welcome Week, you’ll get to meet our Student Ambassadors as soon as you walk onto campus. They’ll be there to support you with finding your Student Support Centre, collecting your ID card and guiding you in the right direction, and for a friendly hello!

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!