University of Birmingham and Germany

English Language

You will need to demonstrate a certain level of English language, either through an English test such as IELTS, TOEFL or PTE, or we may be able to accept your previous or alternative qualifications as evidence. Please view the entry requirements for specific programme requirements, and details on our presessional English language courses.

We may also accept your English language grade from the German Abitur if you achieved 10 (gut) in English (taken as an achievement/main/ intensive course. Please note this is only valid for 2 academic years after qualification. 

Foundation Pathways

Our foundation pathways are suitable if you have completed a high school qualification that is below the equivalent standard of UK A levels, and therefore doesn't allow for direct entry to undergraduate courses at UK universities. We will also consider students who have completed qualifications that would normally lead to direct entry onto an undergraduate degree, whose grades are slightly below our undergraduate entry criteria. Please visit the Birmingham International Academy website for more information.

Undergraduate

Entry requirements for applicants with qualifications from Germany

Holders of the Abitur/Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, Zeugnis der Fachgebundenen Hochschulreife or Zeugnis der Fachhochschulreife will be considered with the following grade equivalencies: 
A*AA: 1.4 overall in the Abitur 
AAA: 1.5 overall in the Abitur 
AAB: 1.6 overall in the Abitur 
ABB: 1.7 overall in the Abitur 
BBB: 1.8 overall in the Abitur 

Specific subject requirements: 
A* = 14/15 
A = 13/15 
B = 11/15 

Please note: For applicants taking the Fachhochschulreife, we wouldn’t normally accept this qualification for entry to undergraduate programmes. 

We will consider holders of the European Baccalaureate (EB) with the following grade equivalencies: 

A*AA - 88 
AAA - 85 
AAB - 80 
ABB - 77 
BBB - 75 

Subject specific requirement: 
A* - 9 
A - 8 
B - 7 

Please note:

• For Medicine country specific requirements, please visit our Applying to Medicine website.
• For Dentistry, please see the general entry requirements listed on the Dental Surgery course page.

Postgraduate Taught

Entry requirements for applicants with qualifications from Germany

Holders of a good three-year Bachelor degree, a Magister Artium, a Diplom or an Erstes Staatsexamen from a recognised university, or a good Fachhochschuldiplom from a Fachhochschule (university of applied sciences), with a minimum overall grade of 2.5 for 2:1 equivalency, or 3.0 for 2:2 equivalency, will be considered for entry to taught postgraduate programmes.

Students from Germany who have completed three years of the Erstes Staatsexamen qualification with a grade point average (GPA) of 10 from the first six semesters of study within the Juristische Universitätsprüfung programme would be considered for entry onto LLM programmes.  Students from Germany who have completed the five year Erstes Staatsexamen qualification with a grade point average (GPA) of 6.5 would be considered for entry onto LLM programmes. 

Postgraduate Research

Entry requirements for applicants with qualifications from Germany

Holders of a Magister Artium, a Diplom or an Erstes Staatsexamen from a recognised university with a minimum overall grade of 2.5, or a good two-year Lizentiat / Aufbaustudium / Zweites Staatsexamen or a Masters degree from a recognised university, will be considered for entry to postgraduate research programmes.

Funding

Find out more about fees and funding for undergraduate, postgraduate taught or postgraduate research courses, or click here for information on international tuition fees.

Scholarships

To reward outstanding achievement and to help ensure that fears about finance do not constrain our students, we are pleased to offer a number of prestigious international scholarships.

Additional sources of funding may be available from your home government or organisations based in your country. In Germany, financial support may be available through DAAD, Bildungsfonds and Deutsche Bildung.

Use the links below to search our funding and scholarship databases:

Search the undergraduate funding database
Search the postgraduate funding database

Your country representative is Raluca McEvoy (International Officer for Europe). Our admissions and recruitment teams are available to provide you with support during all stages of your enquiry and application to the University and we offer a range of ways to speak to our staff and current students to get information and advice on living and studying in Birmingham.

Upcoming events:

British Council Study UK Day
Date: 27th Nov, Munich, Germany
Time: 10:00am – 14:00pm
Address: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität

For more information, please visit our dedicated events webpages: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/international/student-experience/events

Birmingham Representatives

Our representative in Germany can assist you with your questions and help you during the application process.

Birmingham Visits

Our beautiful campus is open to the public throughout the year, so if you are in the UK and would like to visit, you can book onto a campus tour. We run regular live chats as an opportunity to talk to our staff. Please visit our Live Chats page to find out when we will be available for online events, which include live chat and videos.

Student Experience

The University of Birmingham is a fantastic choice for your academic study. Our thriving campus with its beautiful grounds, friendly community and excellent facilities will quickly make you feel at home. We offer you a huge variety of exciting activities to get involved in outside of your studies, too.

Beautiful surroundings and fantastic facilities

When you step onto campus, you are immersed in our historic red-brick buildings and glorious green spaces. You'll find our Edgbaston campus both a peaceful and vibrant place to spend your time, whether it's studying on one of the lawns, or enjoying a hot drink in one our many cafes.

When you are on campus, you are in the heart of University life - it's the perfect place to meet friends, whether it's to have a bite to eat, discuss your seminar notes or meet up before heading off to a sports club or society.

You can also take advantage of our fantastic facilities on campus. Study in our state-of-the-art academic library with its stunning views over campus, or go for a swim after lectures at our brand new £55 million Sport and Fitness Club.

Student societies

Many nationality groups form student societies during their time at the University of Birmingham. The student societies are an excellent way to keep in contact with home and also provide an opportunity to highlight your culture and customs in the UK. Student societies are also a useful point of contact for prospective students to Birmingham who may want to contact current students for information.

Careers

We offer dedicated support for international students, including an international careers consultant and a team of international student ambassadors. We will support you in developing the skills you will need to fully prepare for the working world or further academic study, whether this is in your home country or elsewhere.

Our Careers Network researches jobs all over the world. We host fairs, workshops and presentations, which are attended by many large, global companies that offer opportunities worldwide. We also offer a huge database of information on employers, vacancies and industry trends in a range of countries.

Alumni

The University of Birmingham has many strong alumni groups all over the world. Alumni groups are an excellent way of keeping in contact with the University and with other graduates from Birmingham who live in your country. Some alumni groups meet on a regular basis for social and professional events.

If you would like to meet up with University staff when they are in your country or you would be willing to help promote the university at education exhibitions, we would also like to hear from you. You can find out if there is an alumni group in your country or join our alumni mailing list on the Alumni website.