Go magazine - Winter 2014

#BringonBCU

Winter 2014 15

Learning through doing

Graduate destinations

A chance to get creative

How our students gain practical experience

Meet some of our latest success stories

Exhibition and performance opportunities

#BringonBCU

WELCOME

Contents 02-03 04-05 06-07 08-11 12-13 14-17 18-19 20-21 22-23 24-27

Welcome Exhibitions and performances Staff success Practice-based learning Student success Graduate destinations Alumni of the Year Facilities Why Birmingham?

Advice and next steps

Check out our online prospectus at www.bcu.ac.uk/ prospectus or visit www.bcu.ac.uk/courses for the latest updates.

The Parkside Building

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WELCOME

Welcome Welcome to the latest edition of Go magazine. Whether you already know what you want to study, or are still deciding which course is best for you, we hope you will find plenty of interest in here.

At Birmingham City University, we are committed to providing a comprehensive portfolio of creative, professional and practice-based courses, with the right teaching and support to enable our students to progress to successful careers. You can read about some of their achievements throughout this magazine.

centre, from your first year. You can read more about this on page 20.

By 2015, our aim is for all students to participate in a work-related experience in each year of study and have 3,000 students, tripling current numbers, employed in real roles across the University through our ‘OpportUNIty – Student Jobs on Campus’ initiative.

I hope to welcome you as a student soon, and if you have any queries in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us – our friendly Course Enquiries team would be delighted to help you.

Our £260 million investment in new facilities is continuing, and if you join us on our business, social science, law or English courses in 2015, you will be in the first group of students using our new Curzon Building, in the heart of Birmingham city

We have also included some useful advice for you as you prepare to start your journey into higher education this autumn, including our guide to completing your Personal Statement on page 26.

PROFESSOR CLIFF ALLAN Vice-Chancellor Birmingham City University

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EXHIBITIONS AND PERFORMANCES

#BringonBCU

Student work on show at The Parkside Building

Exhibitions and performances We want to give all our students the chance to impress. Displaying in exhibitions, performing in front of an audience and pitching a business plan to industry experts are some of the opportunities we offer to help showcase your talents. We also encourage some friendly competition – our School of Law’s thriving mooting society regularly achieves national success, while our engineering students pitch their skills against students at other universities in the Formula Student challenge to build a race car each year. Some of our end of year awards ceremonies even feature prizes sponsored by high profile industry names.

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Getting inspired in the arts This summer saw the University’s first ever Inspired festival, which celebrated the wide range of graduate talent we provide to the creative and cultural industries.

It brought together the festivals, shows and awards ceremonies that traditionally take place at the end of the academic year and showcased to the city and the region the creative thinking, high-level skills and transformative experiences that shape and define our graduates.

Members of the public had the opportunity to see performances by our acting, music and English students in locations across the city and students studying fine art, architecture and jewellery exhibited their work to invited visitors. Visual communication and media students’ work included showreels, installations, pop-up shops and a photographic exhibition.

Some of our students exhibited further afield, with several of our final year fashion students attending the prestigious Graduate Fashion Week in London. It is an unrivalled platform for the promotion of new talent and Melissa Poulton took home the Fashion Media Award.

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EXHIBITIONS AND PERFORMANCES

Inspired also featured Birmingham City University TechFest 2014, an annual celebration of technology, engineering and science featuring a range of robotic competitions with UK Micromouse as its centrepiece.

We’re already making plans for Inspired 2015 and we are continuing to celebrate our students’ talent on our website. See www.bcu.ac.uk/inspired to learn more.

Kicking a career in jewellery Three graduates from our School of Jewellery have been named as ‘KickStarters’ under the KickStart bursary initiative run

by International Jewellery London (IJL).

Kristjan Ejyolfsson, Rosie May Hofman and Agnieszka Maksymiuk were recognised as emerging new talents and had the opportunity to exhibit on a start at the IJL’s showcase of British talent this summer, which is seen as a launchpad for new jewellery designers.

BA (Hons) Product Design student Sameera Pasha

Prestigious award win at Graduate Fashion Week Melissa Poulton’s project to create a magazine to cater for the UK’s growing number of 18- to 25-year-old men interested in fashion gained her an award at Graduate Fashion Week 2014 in London.

The final year BA (Hons) Fashion Retail Management student, who was nominated alongside fellow student Jodie Whittaker, beat students from across the country to be named the overall winner of the Fashion Media Award.

Graduate Fashion Week showcases the work of over 1,000 graduates from across the world and attracts over 20,000 visitors each year.

Melissa’s work identified a gap in the market for a male fashion magazine based on the current growth of the menswear market and judges Jessica Bumpus of Vogue.co.uk and Maurice Mullen of the

Evening Standard chose Melissa for her creativity and original thinking.

Jodie looked at ethical issues that have seen sustained growth over the last year and created a magazine to showcase new ideas, thinking and products.

Melissa Poulton

Kristjan was also awarded the KickStart People’s Choice award after people in the industry voted for their favourite ‘KickStarter’ via social media and a poll on the IJL website.

The award means he will have a free stand at IJL 2015.

Originally from Iceland, Kristjan takes inspiration from his home country’s natural beauty and his fascination with Gothic, Renaissance and Art Nouveau architecture.

He is passionate about the environment, so he aims to use only recycled materials and conflict-free stones, and chooses material and production methods with the least damaging impact.

Agnieszka’s pieces include details that are hand carved and paintings transferred onto the metal surface, while Rosie May used modern technologies alongside traditional and ancient crafts. On being selected for KickStart, she said: “I think I have been recognised for this opportunity as my brand has commercial potential, while remaining creative and unique.

“My education at Birmingham School of Jewellery informed my understanding of the industry, creativity and desire to push boundaries.”

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STAFF SUCCESS

Our experts in the news

Our academics are regularly asked to share their expertise with a wider audience. Their research and comments can be found in media ranging from the BBC and commercial radio stations to national newspapers and specialist websites.

of Adult Nursing, spoke to The Mirror where he called for greater investment in community nurses to help reduce hospital waiting times, while Michael Adams, Associate Head of the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work Professions, told The Nursing Times that new guidance on safe staffing was a ‘positive step’.

Professor Mike Jackson, Director of Academic Quality and Enhancement at Birmingham City Business School, had a busy summer, commenting to Sky News on the danger that Russia may retaliate against EU sanctions with cyber warfare, discussing new airport security measures in the Daily Telegraph and speaking to The Wall Street Journal about a new blood test for diagnosing Alzheimer’s.

Mel Wakeman Professor Chris Edger

Professor Chris Edger is a leading expert in the retail and leisure industry, having worked in the sector for many years. He recently commented for both Retail Week and The Huffington Post on falling profits at UK supermarket chain Tesco, arguing that it would have to sacrifice profit margins to invest in further price cuts in order to win back customers.

Michael Adams

Two of our health experts gave their views on staffing levels in the NHS recently – Kevin Crimmons, Head of the Department 06

Mel Wakeman, Senior Lecturer in Applied Physiology, is making a name for herself as a media expert. In an interview with ITV News she talked about how to ensure children get a balanced diet, and she also shared her expertise in the Nursing Standard when, following suggestions that healthcare staff should slim down to set an example to patients, she discussed food choices for nurses on the go.

Following a call by MPs to improve the teaching and learning of modern languages in the UK, Dr Steve McCabe of Birmingham City Business School commented to The London Economic, agreeing that more effort was needed in this area, with a greater emphasis on languages of emerging world economies such as Mandarin, Russian and Portuguese.

Kevin Crimmons

During this summer’s football World Cup in Brazil, Kevin Crimmons was on hand again to warn of increased pressures on A&E departments as pub opening hours were extended for England’s World Cup matches, in an interview with ITV Central.

Meanwhile, Professor David Wilson, Head of the Centre of Applied Criminology, was interviewed by ITV’s This Morning, Sky News and The Times, discussing Uruguay striker Luis Suarez’s infamous ‘bite’ on an opponent, warning that his actions may well be repeated if he didn’t face up to his behaviour.

Professor David Wilson

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STAFF SUCCESS

Chinese honour for media lecturer A senior lecturer at Birmingham School of Media has been called on to share his expertise with students thousands of miles away after he was made an Honorary Professor of the Culture and Media College at Shenyang University in China.

Bob Calver, Senior Lecturer in Broadcast Journalism, was presented with his letter of appointment by the Dean of the College, Professor Naili Jiang in front of an audience of more than 200 students, including the College’s Head of Journalism.

“I was at Shenyang to talk to students about the phone hacking scandal in the UK and to meet senior staff to explore the possibilities of closer co-operation between our institutions,” said Bob. “The presentation came as a surprise.

I was honoured and touched,” he added.

Professor Kathryn Moore

Major international role for University professor Many of our academic staff are leading lights in their fields, with expertise recognised at the highest level.

One such high achiever is Professor of Landscape Architecture Kathryn Moore, who has been elected as world president of the International Federation for Landscape Architects (IFLA).

In her new role, Kathryn hopes to help the organisation play an important international leadership and consultative role, provide a global network of advice and support for members to draw upon, promote the profession of landscape architecture, inspire its members and attain global recognition through its awards.

Professor Kathryn Moore said: “It is a great honour to have been elected world president of the International Federation of Landscape Architects. It is a tremendous opportunity for Birmingham City University – to be at the heart of a long established international organisation with connections to major partners across the world.”

Kathryn’s career as a lecturer in Landscape Architecture at Birmingham City University spans over 25 years, in which time she has published extensively on design quality, theory, education and practice.

Bob visited nine universities during his 16 days in China. As well as lecturing on the hacking scandal he also ran workshops on creativity and met fellow academics and senior university staff.

“It was a fascinating experience,” he said. “It was particularly good to meet students and to learn more about the Chinese universities’ approach to teaching media and journalism.

Today’s students – here, in China and elsewhere – will be working in a world where one of the main challenges will be responding to the globalisation of news and the wider media.”

Bob is now planning to develop online teaching resources for students at Shenyang in association with staff there.

The IFLA represents the landscape architectural profession globally, supporting the development of the profession and its role in creating attractive and sustainable environments.

Bob Calver with Professor Naili Jiang

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PRACTICE-BASED LEARNING

Practice-based learning Our vision is to be recognised as the leading university for creative and professional practice-based education in the UK. The principal argument for practicebased learning concerns the nature of the expertise you gain. Expertise does not arise simply by absorbing a body of knowledge or theory (although both may play a useful supporting role in its development). Just as you can’t learn to ride a bicycle by reading a book or attending to a lecture, you also need more than just theory to gain expertise as a manager, teacher or nurse. Here at Birmingham City University, we focus on practice so all our students have the capability to learn from experience and apply it to future practice.

All our courses include practical experience and learning through practice. We pride ourselves on our strong links with employers and professional bodies, with many of our courses being co-designed with employers.

We regularly review our course portfolio to ensure its relevance to professional practice, employer needs and expectations, and student demand.

Students Irune Lazkano, Jade Gao, Sara Bonakdar and Sarah Ghilardi in Cannes

Birmingham students get reel insight in Cannes A group of film students got the chance to work alongside top film professionals in Cannes as they learn more about buying, selling and acquiring films.

The Cannes International Film Festival is an annual film festival which previews new films from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is one of the most prestigious and publicised film festivals in the world.

The event gave students the opportunity to work with international companies including FilmNation Entertainment and Sony Pictures Classics.

Roger Shannon, Course Director of Film Distribution and Marketing at Birmingham

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City University, said: “This is real ‘hands on’ practical experience for the students at the heart of this major global celebration of film. Their knowledge of film distribution will increase exponentially through these placements.

“It’s a marvellous opportunity for the students to be immersed in the business of film in this way.”

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PRACTICE-BASED LEARNING

Mooters impress in contest final

verdict on the grounds that the victim used their free will in deciding to take the drugs.

Judged by barristers Mark Cooper from Cornwall Street Chambers and Matthew Maynard from St Ives Chambers, the students put their expert advocacy skills into action to fight their case. Ali was crowned runner-up, while Jack’s overall win has given him a place on the University’s mooting team that competes at a national level.

Ali Kazi (second left) and Jack Wilson (third left) with the judges

Here at Birmingham City University, our law students take advantage of our Mooting Society to practice crucial debating skills required by employers.

In the final of the annual internal mooting competition, second year student Jack Wilson triumphed over tough competition.

First year finalists Ali Kazi and Anna Hajilari, and second year finalists Jade Langford and Jack Wilson, debated a case regarding the supply of contaminated heroin which resulted in a death. The case followed the appeal of a manslaughter

All students in the School of Law are invited to join the Mooting Society, which provides an opportunity to develop legal practice skills by taking on the roles of barristers, arguing a fictitious legal appeal case in front of a ‘judge’ – usually a lecturer, practicing lawyer or judge from the Midland circuit.

Supporting local school children’s futures The University has proudly hosted another sitting of the Handsworth Young People’s Parliament, an initiative for children from 28 local schools which the University has been supporting for over five years.

The Parliament encourages young people to become active citizens within their local communities by enabling their opinions on important issues to be heard. Welcomed into the University community, the pupils received talks from academic staff such as Head of the School of Education, Kevin Mattinson, as well as MPs such as Shabana Mahmood.

Year 9 pupil Zahid said: “I like being part of the Young People’s Parliament because my opinion is valued and I work with other young people to improve society. It is made more special that we meet at the University as we are treated like adults and we get a feel for university life, having the opportunity to use their first class facilities.”

This gives our students exposure to the essential skills – communicating, consulting and negotiating – which they will need during the course of their career.

To find out more about mooting and to watch the team in action, visit www.bcu.ac.uk/mooting.

Shabana Mahmood MP (second from left) with Professor Bashir Makhoul, Professor Fiona Church and Kevin Mattinson from the University

Cleaning up with placement success A student on our BA (Hons) Marketing, Advertising and PR course cleaned up on her placement year at appliance manufacturer Vax, quickly taking on responsibility for key business decisions and receiving recognition from the company for her efforts.

Within six months of joining the Product Management team, Sophie Clarke took ownership for the launch of 13 product variants including nine for Argos. Under tight time scales, juggling multiple suppliers, retail demands and cost requirements Sophie showed that she could deliver results on time and to a high standard forming a significant part of the big volume driving ranges.

As a result, she received the company’s Spotlight Award for outstanding achievement in her work, and performing above and beyond her job role.

Sophie said: “My year at Vax was one of the most challenging the company has had, due to new eco laws being enforced on vacuums, but this provided me with a great opportunity to work hard and add value to the company.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my year at Vax and learned a lot about business. I was thrilled to receive my award, and gain recognition from Vax Managing Director and the business, as the company’s first placement student to ever receive the award.”

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PRACTICE-BASED LEARNING

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Law students gain stateside experience Have you ever wanted to work in the USA? As part of the Law with American Legal Studies degree at Birmingham City University, you can.

Second year student Chanae Humes was among those heading stateside, working in New York for their summer internships this year, and she also took time to blog about her experiences. As well as gaining invaluable experience of the workings of the legal system in the USA, she also had time to explore their host cities and learn more about the country.

Chanae said: “This opportunity has developed many of the skills I will need for my last year at university and has bettered my approach to solving issues and researching. I have been able to sit in on a big case, which has been such a great opportunity, and I am grateful that the firm has allowed me to visit the trial on several occasions.

“I feel as if it has guided me in deciding what I want to do in the future. As well as being a great help to my studies, this internship has encouraged me to continue working hard for what I want to become.

“There are so many things to see and do in the city, and I have managed to do a lot.

I have witnessed the amazing views from both Empire State Building and Top of the Rock, rode camels at the Bronx Zoo, travelled down to New Jersey at the Six Flags Adventure Park and danced the night away at Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s concert.

“What makes this course so special, is the fact that you have the opportunity to gain practical experience which is something you will always need.”

For more information see anastasiadiaries.wordpress.com.

Chanae Humes

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PRACTICE-BASED LEARNING

Speaker gives on-the-spot job offer!

Our great links with industry often lead to job opportunities for our students, including BSc (Hons) Computer Networks graduate Aaron Mosely who impressed a visiting speaker at the University so much that he was offered a job on the spot.

Earlier this year, he was among a group of students attending a talk by business and technology consultancy firm Sytel Reply on the recommendation of a course tutor. After putting forward some answers to questions that impressed the speaker, Aaron signed contracts after a brief conversation about his interests and aspirations. The speaker on the day offered sponsorship for Aaron’s final year, and he has now secured a full-time role on successful completion of his studies.

Aaron also spent his placement year with Sytel Reply, working as a Strategic Consultant and then a Technical Consultant. His role in strategic consulting involved looking at the business and determining strategies to save money, resources, improve operations or generate new streams of revenue. He also worked in the internal Project Management Office to track the progress of internal projects of the company and make it more transparent.

He said: “The teaching and staff support at Birmingham City University has been excellent.

I’ve enjoyed studying Security with Ron Austin.

He has suggested great resources for additional study and was always happy to talk. Without him, I wouldn’t have attended the Sytel talk and got this opportunity.”

Students on the Nepal trek

Students gain experience with Nepal trip At Birmingham City University, we focus on student employability and offer student experiences that will set you apart from your graduate cohort.

In 2013, after almost a year of rigorous training and preparation, six staff and seven health students ventured to Nepal to learn about international healthcare as part of an optional extra-curricular adventure.

The group began their trip by flying into Lukla Airport, one of the most remote and dangerous airports in the world. This was followed by a trek through the Khumbu valley, visiting Sherpa towns and villages, and visiting local health centres to learn about health care in Nepal and amongst the Sherpa communities. The final destination was Everest base camp.

Planning for the expedition involved training weekends to develop fitness, leadership and cultural awareness. The student team also organised fundraising activities and raised enough money to purchase an invaluable compact stretcher for a Nepali health centre and donated emergency funds to a Nepali orphanage.

Learning about healthcare in such a different environment was an unforgettable experience for the students and staff involved. Will Mercott, one of the accompanying lecturers said: “I found it one of the most challenging and exciting things that I have ever done.”

Find out more about what our health students do at www.facebook.com/bcuhealth.

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STUDENT SUCCESS

Film graduate mentored by ‘Luther’ star When BSc (Hons) Film Production Technology student Andrew Bond started his studies at Birmingham City University, little did he know that it would lead to him being mentored by one of the UK’s most respected actors.

He was chosen by Idris Elba, star of ‘Luther’ and ‘Mandela’, as his protégé for Samsung’s ‘Launching People’ project, which searched for the brightest young talent in the fields of food, film, music and photography.

Andrew’s pitch for his short film, ‘Howard’s Happy Place’, beat off competition from around 250 other entrants to win the film category. Andrew spent two weeks working with the actor, which was captured in the Sky One television series ‘The Ones to Watch’.

His film tells the story of an anxious man who finds solace by retreating into an imaginary happy place in his mind, where he is joined by his best friend Paul, a super-sized teddy bear. The drama takes a sinister turn when Howard finds himself trapped in his happy place and he and Paul come across various bizarre characters.

Andrew developed his interest in film at the University, where he met fellow film students Ollie Firrel and Chris

Stylianou and formed the comedy group Victorious Sponge – which has gained a cult following and regularly posts sketches on YouTube.

Andrew said: “It was an incredible experience and completely different to anything I’ve done before. I had to cut a lot from my original idea to get it to 10 minutes, but the essence of the story was still there and I was very happy with the end result.

“Idris was very helpful while I was making the film and afterwards – I’m still in contact with him and he helped me get my current job, where I’m working behind the scenes on a film, and I’m doing a bit of writing for his production company.

“I’m not sure what the future holds but I’m pursuing the writing route and seeing what opportunities come along.”

See the final film at www.sky.com/ tv/show/the-ones-to-watch/video/ final-film.

Alice Rigby (Jewellery Buying Manager for Argos), Ruth Hallows, Zoe Robertson, Course Director for BA (Hons) Jewellery Design and Related Products

Student becomes new jewel in crown for high street giant First-year jewellery design student Ruth Hallows has been chosen to produce an exclusive jewellery collection, to be sold in high street stores nationwide and online from January 2015.

Ruth, 32, from Darlington in County Durham, beat off competition from over 40 students at the internationally-renowned School of Jewellery, part of Birmingham City University, to design a collection for Argos, the UK’s largest jewellery retailer.

Earlier this year, Argos challenged the School’s first year students to design a four-piece capsule jewellery collection reflecting Argos’ forecasted trends for spring/summer 2015. The students were then given four weeks to create prototypes for their collection to present to the Argos jewellery buying team.

Ruth said: “I’m thrilled that Argos picked my collection. To be recognised by such a prominent retailer means a lot to me and I am really looking forward to seeing my designs in stores around the country.

“It has been a great experience learning how to design jewellery for a national audience and create a collection to go into production.

It really is going to get my jewellery designing career off to a flying start.”

Andrew Bond with Idris Elba

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STUDENT SUCCESS

Student wins prestigious photography award A student from the School of Visual Communication has been named International Student Fashion Photographer of the Year.

Dominika Wozniak

BA (Hons) Visual Communication student Dominika Wozniak received an invitation to Miami Fashion Week to receive her prizes, including an engraved crystal trophy from Tiffany & Co and a photoshoot alongside renowned fashion photographer Gio Alma.

Dominika also had the opportunity to show her work as part of the ‘New Stars in Fashion’ exhibition at the event, with hundreds of top fashion journalists getting to see her work first hand.

She said: “I was definitely shocked by my success. It was my first contest win and I decided to accept the award in person. Gio Alma, who was on the main jury, gave me a lot of life tips which changed my perspective on the world of photography and fashion.”

Dominika’s winning image was the result of a recent University project set up as part of her course work.

She was presented with her award at the Miami Moda and Music Awards ceremony.

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GRADUATE DESTINATIONS

Placement confirms career choice

After working in a number of HR roles since graduation, and being headhunted by Thomas Cook, she is now a Human Resources Advisor with ISG Retail and Hospitality, which is part of a large international construction services firm.

For many students at Birmingham City University, the chance of a work placement during their studies confirms the career path they wish to take.

She said: “I have been with ISG for two years and it really does feel like home. There are over 400 staff within the section I cover so it is a very busy and challenging role but I really enjoy it.

Tracey Cheung studied BA (Hons) Business Administration with Human Resource Management, graduating in 2008. She successfully secured a placement with Lloyds TSB, which enabled her to experience the workplace and put the theory she had learned into practice.

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“I want to continue to progress in my career but my current role is very fulfilling. I feel that my professional opinion is highly valued and I have the autonomy to make decisions.”

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GRADUATE DESTINATIONS

From Formula Student to Jaguar Land Rover For final year student Adam Rowlandson, leading a team of engineers working on the international Formula Student competition helped him land a job at Jaguar Land Rover – even before he had gained his BSc (Hons) Motorsports Technology degree.

Building a property business in Birmingham Even before starting his degree, Jevanpal Singh Choudhary had always planned to start his own property business.

By the time he had finished his BSc (Hons) Real Estate in 2011, he had launched Richmonds Estates as an online letting agency, opening a high street office in Birmingham’s Kings Heath the following year.

Commercial property consultancy Richmonds Commercial later launched and the company already has over £5 million worth of property in its portfolio for sale.

A second branch is located in the Harborne area of the city and a third branch recently opened in the city centre, six months ahead of schedule.

Jevanpal said: “With persistent networking and leafleting we soon attracted our first clients. Profits were put back into the business and we opened our first office (a box room with one desk) and in our second year we opened a ‘proper’ office on a very busy high street in Kings Heath.

2014 Formula Student team car and fellow students

Formula Student is an annual engineering competition that involves students from around the world designing, building and testing a formula-style racing car, with the UK event held at Silverstone Circuit in July.

Thanks to the contacts Adam made through the project, he found out about a job opportunity at Jaguar Land Rover and since June he has been working in the firm’s powertrain department designing bracketry and dealing with suppliers.

He said: “One of the biggest things that guided me towards it was what I’ve done in Formula Student. I have experience of a real-world project.”

Formula Student not only tests the car that is designed and built from scratch by students, but also includes static events, such as business case, cost and design – something in which not all engineers get involved. As the team manager, Adam managed the students’ tasks and oversaw the day-to-day running of the project.

“I plan to build a leading estate agent in Birmingham and the West Midlands, expanding into the commercial sector and attracting blue-chip clients.”

Jevanpal went on to complete an MSc Property Development at the University in 2014.

He explained: “Our students themselves are being introduced to this project a lot earlier. We have second year students building a car and competing against Master’s students from other universities.

“Obviously there are people like me who guide but the work is done purely by them and it brings them up to speed a lot more quickly.”

Jevanpal Singh Choudhary

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GRADUATE DESTINATIONS

Graduate has a wild time with tourism role Our graduates go on to work in varied and exciting roles around the world but few have ended up in such an exotic setting as Kim Bailey. After graduating, she caught the travel bug and her extensive experience has led to an exciting but demanding role managing a luxury safari lodge in Zambia.

Having studied BA (Hons) Marketing at the University, graduating in 2000, Kim worked in the hospitality industry for a while before getting itchy feet and becoming a holiday rep for MyTravel, which in turn led to a role as an air hostess for the same company. This gave her the experience she needed to secure a cabin crew position at Virgin Atlantic – getting paid to travel the world!

When the time came to hang up her wings, Kim briefly left the industry but

soon longed for a return – she joined the prestigious travel company Audley Travel as a USA specialist. The opportunity then came up to run a luxury lodge in Zambia with her partner Scott, and they jumped at the chance. She has worked as manager at Chongwe River House, in the lower Zambezi, since March.

Kim said: “My typical day starts at 5.30am, making sure the guests have breakfast and are ready for their morning activity.

The days are long and sometimes things

Kim Bailey

don’t go exactly to plan, but that’s living in the bush!

“If there are no guests in the lodge, we might have time to go on a game drive or a sunset boat cruise on the Zambezi, so even if I have had a stressful few days working long hours that certainly makes up for it. I don’t really know where the next chapter of life will take me, but I will certainly stay in the travel industry.

You can’t beat the feeling of making someone’s dream holiday a reality.”

Deaf graduate launches successful business career Inspirational entrepreneur Shezad Nawab is a successful businessman with six companies based around luxury global property, business consultancy, event pitching and more. He has won several awards including the Business Institute Award 2011, Young Entrepreneur Award 2011 and Innovation Winner 2010.

He was born profoundly deaf but has not let this be an obstacle to success, and was given all the extra support he needed when studying a degree in Business and Marketing at Birmingham City University.

This course helped him to gain knowledge in such areas as creating a business plan and becoming more entrepreneurial.

Shazed Nawab

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Shezad said: “I always wanted to be an entrepreneur and was inspired by

my father who told me to build great foundations and take small steps to achieve big things. He was worried about me as a deaf person going into business, so I initially worked in his retail and property development businesses.

“I decided to study with Birmingham City University to focus on developing my business skills and increase my confidence and knowledge. I had full access to a British Sign Language interpreter and they gave me extra support. It was challenging at times but enjoyable.

“The University can help you to be very successful – there is a huge amount of help available. The staff are incredibly professional and you learn from their experience and expertise.”

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GRADUATE DESTINATIONS

Left to right: Matt Warren, Holly Rose Doran and Matt Vaughan

Award-winning architecture graduates bring education and practice together Three graduates from Birmingham School of Architecture are setting up their own business with £10,000 start-up capital, a business

mentor and training after winning the Deutsche Bank 2013 Award for Creative and Cultural Practice.

Winners Matt Warren, Holly Rose Doron and Matt Vaughan have established SWOT[Studio] in parallel to their full-time day jobs at successful Birmingham-based architectural practices Glenn Howells Architects and APEC Architects.

SWOT[Studio] is now embarking on its first commissioned project: S[q]WOT, an academic

and practice space which will ‘squat’ inside our Parkside Building at the City Centre Campus.

This space is being designed and built in collaboration with current architecture students and will be a space for entrepreneurialism, resourcefulness and collaborative working.

The project includes contributions by students from seven different disciplines: architecture, fashion design, interior design, interior product design, product design, illustration and jewellery, with the goal of finding the hybrid studio of the future.

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ALUMNI OF THE YEAR

University recognises its outstanding alumni

The University was delighted to announce this year’s Alumni of the Year in July. This annual award is given in three categories – Enterprise and Innovation, Community Engagement and Leadership, and Excellence in Sport or the Arts – to recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of our graduates. The recipients were presented with their certificates and sterling silver Alumni of the Year pins during the University’s graduation ceremonies.

VICTORIA EGGS BA (Hons) Fine Art 2005 Enterprise and Innovation The ethos of the Victoria Eggs brand is to support British industry and celebrate the country’s rich heritage, and this passion for all things British comes through in Victoria’s homeware and gift designs – many of which feature iconic London landmarks and cockney-rhyming slang.

The company has gone from strength to strength and its products are now stocked by over 200 retailers globally – including Selfridges, West Elm, Tate Modern, and The National Gallery.

The company is currently growing into an international brand, with stockists in France, Russia, Switzerland, Australia and the USA. She said: “This year has been great – developing the company and getting more shelf space in places like the Selfridges, London Transport Museum and St Paul’s Cathedral, and repeat orders are coming in which is great, because it’s hard to get in somewhere but even harder to stay!”

Victoria Eggs

JIMMY OGUNSHAKIN LLB Law (Hons) 1992, PgDip Legal Practice Course 2002 Community Engagement and Leadership Jimmy is a solicitor advocate, appearing for clients in the High Court, and recently represented a client in the Court of Appeal (Civil Division). In July 2008, he founded

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Mayflower Solicitors, a specialist employment and commercial law practice in Birmingham.

He is actively engaged in supporting the School of Law at Birmingham City University, encouraging and enthusing the next generation of students by providing input to the Faculty Advisory Board and the LPC Course Practitioner Liaison Committee, and by offering placements

to current Legal Practice Course students.

Jimmy said: “I am truly humbled to have been nominated as one of Birmingham City University’s Alumni of the Year; it is completely unexpected. I have been blessed with the education that I have received to date and it is only right that I share this and provide opportunities for others to access.”

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ALUMNI OF THE YEAR

DAN GRIFFITHS AND LEON OSTLE (L-R) BA (Hons) Visual Communication 2000 Enterprise and Innovation Dan and Leon have been two of the top advertising designers in London over the last ten years. They met while studying together on the BA (Hons) Visual Communication course and were already active in the industry by the time they qualified in 2000.

CHARLOTTE BRAY BMus (Hons) 2006 Excellence in Sport or the Arts

They began their careers as part of the founding team at Glue, leading on accounts for companies including Sky, RBS, Toyota, Stella Artois, Adidas, Google, Guinness, Coke Zero, Mini,

3mobile, Unilever and Virgin. In July 2013, they made the decision to strike out on their own, setting up Crew Studio Ltd. a digital design and creative studio.

Dan said: “The course really opened our eyes to looking at things differently and the concept side of communication. Many of our lecturers had experience of industry and gave us a lot of guidance at the right time. I know from speaking to other people that a lot of other courses didn’t offer anywhere near the studio time ours did – we were much more hands-on, in from 9-5 every day.”

Having started her studies at Birmingham Conservatoire as a cellist, Charlotte decided she would prefer to be writing her own music and switched to composition. Since graduating with First Class Honours in 2006, she has enjoyed enormous success and in November 2012 was named by the Evening Standard as one of London’s 1,000 most influential people.

Charlotte has had many pieces commissioned and performed including Invisible Cities, premiered at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland in July 2012; At the Speed of Stillness, a BBC Proms commission premiered at the Royal Albert Hall 2012; and Caught in Treetops, premiered by renowned violinist Alexandra Wood and the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.

She said: “I had an absolutely brilliant time at Birmingham Conservatoire. We all had the chance to develop as composers without feeling we were being forced to fit in with a particular style. Working with groups like Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra was really invaluable, helping each composer to find their own voice.”

ANDY WEEKES PGCE Secondary (Music) 2006 Enterprise and Innovation After training as a music teacher, Andy has turned his interest in developing ‘Apps’ for mobile phones and tablet computers into a successful full-time career.

The success of his business, iCandi Apps, has largely been the result of his incredible invention ‘The Night Sky’, which enables users to identify stars, planets and even satellites just

by pointing their device at the sky. It proved to be an immediate hit, selling over four million copies to date, and becoming the top-selling paid reference app of 2012 worldwide.

He said: “Due to my teaching career, I was already an Apple Mac enthusiast as they were used heavily in Music Technology. If the University had not been so well equipped with the latest technology at the time of me taking the course, I may not have been inspired to get my own Mac. Teaching gave me a lot of confidence as a person and I draw on this every day.”

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FACILITIES

Investing in fantastic facilities Join us at Birmingham City University and you will benefit from an astonishing ÂŁ260 million investment programme, including a major relocation of our main base into the heart of Birmingham city centre.

The green screen studio at The Parkside Building

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FACILITIES

The first phase of this development is now complete. It saw our design and media students moving into the new £62 million Parkside Building, on our City Centre Campus, in September 2013.

social science and English courses from 2015, as well as fantastic new library, IT and student support facilities. You’ll hopefully able to see some of this new building at our forthcoming open days!

They now have state-of-the-art facilities including four industry-standard TV studios, plus our green screen MILO studio, radio and editing suites. There are also dedicated workshops for print, textiles, woodwork, ceramics and glass, photo studios and darkrooms, and digital print and pattern making facilities.

There’s much more to come – a third phase of development will provide further teaching space at both our City Centre and City South campuses from 2017 and a new £40 million home for Birmingham Conservatoire will be constructed at our City Centre Campus site, also due to open in 2017.

Construction is now well under way on The Curzon Building, which will open in autumn 2015, to house our business, law,

Of course this is only the tip of the facilities iceberg. To find out what your course has to offer, check it out at www.bcu.ac.uk/courses.

New home announced for Birmingham Conservatoire Our ongoing investment in our facilities received a further boost recently when plans for a new £40 million home for Birmingham Conservatoire were announced.

Textile student at work

The purpose-built Conservatoire will be adjacent to Millennium Point, as part of our expanding City Centre Campus; just a short distance from New Street and Moor Street train stations, in the heart of the City’s learning quarter.

The new facility is due to open by summer 2017, and will provide world-class music education facilities for current and future students.

It will incorporate two major performance spaces, including a new concert hall for orchestral training and public performance, private rehearsal and practice rooms, and the latest recording technology in addition to providing teaching spaces for musicians from a variety of disciplines.

The University has now initiated the process of designing new concert, practice, teaching and study facilities which will be the envy of conservatoires across Europe.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Cliff Allan said: “I am delighted that an agreement has been reached which will enable Birmingham Conservatoire to relocate to this new, state-of-the-art building by summer 2017.

“During its long history Birmingham Conservatoire has earned an international reputation for the excellence of its music teaching, research and performances. We are confident that the future changes will provide us with a glorious opportunity to build on our proud history and develop world-class facilities for future generations.”

Students from Birmingham Conservatoire

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WHY BIRMINGHAM?

We are proud of our city Come to Birmingham City University and you won’t just benefit from studying at a student-focused and forwardthinking university – you’ll also be based in the heart of one of the UK’s most exciting and vibrant cities.

Nightlife in Birmingham

Investing for the future

Birmingham has been transformed over the last 30 years, with recent investment bringing a new £188 million library, the £600 million transformation of Birmingham New Street Station and the £128 million expansion of the city’s tram network. This builds on previous successful developments such as the National Exhibition Centre, the International Convention Centre, Brindleyplace and the Bullring shopping centre.

Sporting life

Birmingham is a great city for the sports fan with Premier League football, international cricket and athletics venues, not to mention one of the country’s top golf courses. If taking part is more your thing, the city’s renowned Alexander Stadium is open for athletics and gym training, and our own £8.5 million Doug Ellis Sports Centre opened in 2010.

Renowned nightlife

From the mainstream bustle of Broad Street to the underground scene in Digbeth and the laid-back bars in student-friendly Selly Oak or bohemian Moseley, you’re bound to find a night out in Birmingham to suit your tastes.

Become a culture vulture

Birmingham is the only English city outside the capital to have a world class symphony orchestra, a royal ballet company, opera company and producing theatre (a theatre that produces its own shows in-house). The city has some of the finest art galleries in the country, including the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the Ikon Gallery with its stunning contemporary work and leading black-led arts and

Shop ‘til you drop

With big-name chains in the Bullring, upmarket boutiques in the Mailbox, road after road of Asian fashion, bargains at the city’s 850-year-old Bullring markets and regular farmers markets, Birmingham is one of the top three most popular places to shop in the UK (source: CACI).

A green city

Birmingham may be the UK’s second biggest city, but space to relax and chill out is never far away, with parks covering some 8,000 acres – more than any other European city (source: Birmingham City Council). Our expanding City Centre Campus is right next door to Eastside City Park – the city’s first new public urban park for 130 years.

Library of Birmingham

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WHY BIRMINGHAM?

Doing our bit for the city Birmingham City University staff and students are proud of our city, always aiming to give something back.

Edgbaston cricket ground

cultural centre The Drum. It also has a vibrant independent arts sector with internationally-renowned companies such as Sonia Sabri, Punch and Stan’s Cafe, and festivals such as Fierce, Flatpack, Supersonic and the International Dance Festival.

Europe’s youngest city

Birmingham is the UK’s second largest city with a population of around one million people. It is also the youngest city in Europe, with under-25s accounting for 40 per cent of its population (Marketing Birmingham).

Cannon Hill Park

A place to build your career There’s a real demand for graduate skills in our city, and many former students have launched their careers here – often as a result of the experience they gained through placements. Birmingham is home to around 42,000 companies, including 900 international firms (source: Business Birmingham). www.bcu.ac.uk/birmingham

A global city

We also do our best to support the local community. Self-funded local disabled football club, The Aston Villa Rockets, recently saw a surge in interest and outgrew their former home. The University’s Doug Ellis Sports Centre stepped in to become the new base.

Our students embrace our message of giving back and often provide a hand to the local community. A group of our Fashion Design students recently volunteered at St. Mary’s Hospice charity shop, helping customers with their shopping, and offering fashion and styling tips, while another group of students volunteered with art organisation Eastside Projects, taking on various roles including front of house, curating and exhibition assistance.

The School of Education has proudly sponsored the Birmingham Primary Schools Athletics championship, in recognition of its support towards children participating in sports. The ‘Overall Winners’ shield is now engraved as the ‘Birmingham City University Trophy’ and will be presented to one primary school team each year. By supporting the local community, our students are not only giving back to important causes, but also developing invaluable employability skills.

Birmingham is an exciting, diverse city, where immigrants from around the world have made their home.

Its communities from the Indian subcontinent, Africa and the Caribbean contribute to its exciting food and cultural scenes, and it is the second most visited English city for European tourists (source: Marketing Birmingham).

A connected city

Birmingham’s air, road and rail connections provide access to 400 million people across Europe. It is located at the centre of the national motorway network (M5, M6, M40 and M42), and is at the heart of the UK’s rail and coach networks. Birmingham Airport has direct connections to over 120 cities and handled over nine million passengers in 2013.

We have recently been awarded a ‘Big Tick’ as part of the Responsible Business Awards 2014.

The awards scheme recognises businesses that are making a positive difference to society and the environment. Since 2009, we have been reducing our environmental footprint and have seen a reduction of energy use, water consumption and wastage contract costs.

Our students union offer many opportunities for volunteering www.bcusu.com/volunteering.

Dragon Boat racing at Brindleyplace Benson School, Hockley

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ADVICE AND NEXT STEPS

Your Students’ Union Birmingham City Students’ Union (BCUSU) is here to help you make the most of your time with us. As soon as you enrol at the University, you automatically become a member of BCUSU, meaning you are entitled to use all of our amazing services for free: • Get the help and support you need from our advice centre.

• Join one of the many sports teams and societies.

• Give something back through volunteering projects.

• Stand to represent your fellow students as a student officer.

• Or enjoy a great night out!

Union President inspired to play his part Niall Magennis loved his time at Birmingham City University and is now the President of the Students’ Union, helping to shape the organisation for the future.

Niall had always been involved in the Students’ Union, from presenting a show on ‘Scratch Radio’ – the University’s own radio station – to working in the union bar, so after speaking to previous presidents, he decided he wanted to run for the top role himself.

“Birmingham City University is great. The focus on employability and getting you ready for the job market is essential for today’s graduates. The links that the University has developed with local companies and industries puts its students ahead of the rest. Also,

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Birmingham’s such a fantastic place to come to university!”

He urged other students to follow his lead and make the most of everything the Union has to offer.

“The Students’ Union provides lots of different opportunities for students to get involved and meet new people, whether it’s joining a sports team and competing for the University, joining a society, becoming a course or school rep, or even just having your say at Student Council.

“With the Students’ Union shortly moving to the brand new campus, now is the chance to join a university that is only going to get better.” www.bcusu.com

The first time you are likely to encounter us is through the Welcome Week events offered to new arrivals just before the start of term. This fantastic entertainment programme is designed to ease you into university life the fun way.

Our Welcome Fair gets bigger and better every year, attended by hundreds of representatives from the University, local and national companies, your Students’ Union and our sports teams and societies.

You can also have fun and make new friends during a range of social events and try out new activities with our Give It A Go programme.

For more information see www.bcusu.com.

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ADVICE AND NEXT STEPS

Making the most of Open Days To really get a feel for life at the University, there is nothing better than visiting us in person – and our Open Days allow you to do just that. Here, Dan Hughes, our Open Day Co-ordinator, gives his top 10 things to do at a Birmingham City University Open Day: 1. Register When you arrive, don’t forget to register your attendance. We’ll use the details you provide to send you information about the University and your course of interest.

2. Meet our staff Talk to our academics and admissions tutors about course content, entry requirements or anything else you want to know about. This is a great opportunity to get valuable in-depth course information from the people who will teach you.

3. Get to know our students No one’s better placed to tell you about university life than our student ambassadors, so feel free to chat to them about whatever you want to know! They’re on hand all day – just look out for the bright yellow t-shirts!

4. Attend a finance talk University is a big investment in your future. Our detailed and informative finance talks will help you understand fees and funding. From bursaries and scholarships to grants and loans, we cover it all.

Our 2014-15 Open Days will take place on Saturday 4 October 2014, 15 November 2014 and 21 June 2015. To register your place visit www.bcu.ac.uk/opendays.

5. See our accommodation See where you could be living next year.

View our welcoming student rooms or head to the accommodation stand for an informal chat with one of our advisers.

6. Learn about student support There will be knowledgeable representatives from our different student services here on the day to answer any questions you may have about such matters as childcare, disability support, student finance, health and wellbeing, job prospects, and visas and immigration.

7. Tour our facilities Take a campus tour and browse some of our impressive facilities. We’re investing £260 million in our facilities at the moment, so make sure you check out where that money was spent. You won’t be disappointed.

8. Get to know the Students’ Union University isn’t just about studying for a qualification. Find out what else our students get up to by speaking to representatives from our Students’ Union.

9. Talk to other prospective students Everyone who attends an Open Day is in exactly the same boat, so get chatting. You may even make some new friends before you get here.

10. Explore our bustling city Got time to spare at the end of the day?

Why not see what the city has to offer?

Visit the popular Bullring shopping centre or head to one of the impressive art galleries and museums.

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ADVICE AND NEXT STEPS

Making the most of your Personal Statement Personal statements are your key opportunity to ‘sell’ yourself to your chosen universities, explaining why you are applying for that particular course and why the university should want you to join them! Many courses have no formal interview requirements, so most decisions on whether to offer you a place are based entirely on the strength of your UCAS application form – particularly your Personal Statement. Here, Alex Blower, Education Liaison Officer, gives you his expert advice on how to make the most of this key opportunity.

Your future plans Think about what you want to do in the future – whether you have a specific job in mind or just a general idea of the type of field you want to work in. It may be that the course is directly relevant to your intended career, or perhaps you have already studied the subject and found it particularly enjoyable.

School and college life Include details of what you studied at school or college, as well as any sporting or extra-curricular activities, or positions of responsibility (eg prefect, librarian) that you held. This is a chance to show you are ready for the academic rigours of the course and university life in general.

Alex Blower

Your course choice Discuss why you have chosen to apply for the course(s) concerned. Admissions tutors want to see that you are enthusiastic about your chosen subject, and that you have the right skills and experience to make the step up to higher education.

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Work experience This could include the skills you gained through work experience, showing your dedication and commitment to your future career, or part time work which proves you are disciplined and organised enough to balance the time spent working with your school or college commitments.

Interests and activities Highlight the skills you have gained

UCAS application timeline 1 September

Opening date for UCAS applications

15 January

Main closing date for UCAS applications including any references written by school and college staff

April

Deadline for applicants to accept one firm and one insurance offer. UCAS extra opens for those without an offer to make an additional application

July

Start of clearing process for those who have not yet secured a place

Mid-August

Exam results published

through activities you are involved in outside of school, such as voluntary work, music, team sports, and any other hobbies or leisure interests. If you are taking, or have taken, a year out, it is useful to state your reasons why and what you achieved or hope to achieve.

Things to remember • Good spelling and grammar is very important; it may be a good idea to ask a teacher, careers adviser or friend to take a look over it.

• Give evidence for your claims – it’s important to show you’ve used the skills in a practical context so try to provide an example.

• Don’t be tempted to copy parts of someone else’s statement or lift ideas from the web – UCAS operates a Plagiarism Detection Service, which checks forms against a statement library and web sources to ensure all statements are personally written.

• Make sure you keep a copy of what you’ve written as it may be referred to at interview (if you have one) – or the information may be useful when applying for jobs in the future.

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ADVICE AND NEXT STEPS

Get connected Social Media We know that you may like to keep in touch with your friends via Facebook and Twitter – and the good news is you can communicate with us that way as well. Just visit our pages to find out the latest University news and information or contact us with any queries you have. www.facebook.com/birminghamcityuniversity www.twitter.com/MyBCU

BCYou

A place of your own If you’re leaving home for the first time, what could be more exciting than the independence and freedom of your own place?

Living in halls is a great way to meet new friends, and rooms are available at a range of prices to suit everyone. Accommodation is available at our three University-owned halls of residence as well as at a number of private halls within the city.

For full-time undergraduate students from outside Birmingham, if you make Birmingham City University your first choice and apply by the deadline, you will be guaranteed a place in University accommodation for your first year of study. For international students, there’s a guaranteed place for the duration of your studies.

There’s something safe, secure and affordable for everyone, including adapted accommodation if you have any special requirements. All of our halls of residence have CCTV coverage and security staff patrol the campuses 24 hours a day. Public transport between our sites is excellent, with cost-effective student travel cards available.

For more information see www.bcu.ac.uk/accommodation.

Birmingham City Student Homes A number of rooms are available for returning students, but many students choose to live with friends in shared houses from their second year onwards.

If you’re looking for shared accommodation, we can support you through Birmingham City Student Homes, a student-focused letting agency owned and operated by our Students’ Union.

The not-for-profit organisation only deals with reputable and accredited landlords and offers decent, reliable and safe accommodation. See www.bcusu.com/homes.

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BCYou is our personalised news and information service, giving you everything you need to know about studying at Birmingham City University.

By registering, you’ll receive regular email updates straight to your inbox, including a tailored BCYou newsletter and crucial information about Open Days, application deadlines and Clearing – ensuring you never miss a thing. www.bcu.ac.uk/bcyou

Visit Us To really get a feel for life at the University, there is nothing better than visiting us in person. At our Open Days you can chat with staff and students, view our fantastic facilities, learn more about the Students’ Union or take a tour of our accommodation. www.bcu.ac.uk/opendays If you have already applied to study with us, you will be invited to an Applicant Visit Day, which will give you the perfect opportunity to find out more about your chosen course. Even if you have already attended an Open Day, attending a Visit Day will give you a more in-depth picture of the subject and how to make the most of it. www.bcu.ac.uk/visitdays You can also see our students’ work at concerts, plays and art exhibitions, while our new City Talks series of public lectures allows people from the city and the wider region to gain insights from high-profile speakers on a range of topics. www.bcu.ac.uk/events

Talk to Us Our friendly advisers on the course enquiries hotline can help you to find the best course for your aspirations and interests. Call us on +44 (0)121 331 5595 or visit our website. www.bcu.ac.uk/courseenquiry

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How to contact us Birmingham City University University House 15 Bartholomew Road Birmingham B5 5JU T: +44 (0)121 331 5000 E: mainreception@bcu.ac.uk F: +44 (0)121 331 7994 W: www.bcu.ac.uk For UK/EU Course Enquiries T: +44 (0)121 331 5595 W: www.bcu.ac.uk/enquiries For International Course Enquiries T: +44 (0)121 331 6714 E: bcuinternational@enquiries.uk.com F: +44 (0)121 331 6314 W: www.bcu.ac.uk/international For UK/EU Applicant Enquiries T: +44 (0)121 331 6295 E: admissions@bcu.ac.uk For International Applicant Enquiries T: +44 (0)121 331 5389 E: international.admissions@bcu.ac.uk

www.bcu.ac.uk