University of Birmingham and Syria

The University of Birmingham welcomes applications from students from Syria. A growing number of Syrian students are studying undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at Birmingham in a range of disciplines.

The University of Birmingham is among among the world’s top 100 universities, renowned for changing lives and transforming society. Birmingham is a founding member of the Russell Group with a glorious, green campus, outstanding teaching and facilities and a vibrant and welcoming community. Located in the heart of England, Birmingham is an exciting and vibrant city with a fascinating history. There has never been a more exciting time to study with us.

Birmingham is one of the most diverse cities in the UK, and is home to a large Muslim population. In and around the city, there are nearly 200 mosques, including Birmingham Central Mosque, one of the most recognized and magnificent religious buildings in the city of Birmingham. There is an abundance of Halal shops, butchers and restaurants. A growing number of national chain restaurants also now use halal ingredients. When it comes to our accommodation, as well as being a safe and comfortable 'home away from home', students can opt to live in a same-gender residency, as well as an alcohol-free environment.

The following information is for guidance only and should be used together with the University's general entrance requirements and any specific degree programme requirements.

Please note: If you have taken exams which are from another country's national education system (eg SAT and AP exams from the USA) you should consult that country's page for qualification equivalence information. If you are unsure about the acceptability of your qualifications for entry to Birmingham please contact us for further details.

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.

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.

Holders of the Thanewiyah with an overall average of 85% or above will be considered for entry. This should include at least 85% in Mathematics for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Pathway.

Undergraduate

We will consider students who have taken GCE A Level examinations or the International Baccalaureate (IB) for entrance to onto our undergraduate programmes. Holders of the Thanewiyah are not normally eligible for direct entry onto our undergraduate courses without completion of a suitable foundation programme, such as one of our foundation pathways.

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.
Our BNurs and MNurs Nursing courses are only available to home/EU students.

Postgraduate Taught

Holders of a Bachelors degree from a recognised university in Syria will be considered for postgraduate study. Holders of Bachelors degree will normally be expected to have achieved score of 70%, or ‘very good’ for 2:1 equivalency or 60%, or ‘good’ for 2:2 equivalency.

Postgraduate Research

Applicants for postgraduate research programmes should hold a Bachelors degree and a Masters degree, with a GPA of 3.0/4.0, 3.5/5 or 75% from a recognised institution to be considered. Applicants with lower grades than this may be considered on an individual basis.

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.

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

Search the undergraduate funding database
Search the postgraduate funding database

There are lots of ways to find out more about Birmingham. We run regular live chats where you can ask us any questions you might have about your application or the University. Visit our Live Chats page to find out when the next events are.

Birmingham Representatives

Your country representative is Amy Mitchell-Bell. Our admissions and recruitment teams are available to provide you with support during all stages of your enquiry and application to the University. 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.

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 wind down after lectures at our £55 million Sport and Fitness Club. Our student sports club memberships are affordable, and with numerous classes, a swimming pool, 55 student sports teams and ‘try a sport’ courses, there really is something for everyone.

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.

Among many others, the Guild of Students currently has an Arab Society and an Islamic Society. Joining societies is great way to meet other Syrian students at the university.

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.

Contact Details

For all general queries about becoming an international student at Birmingham, please complete and submit our enquiry form.

The British Council has offices in many countries throughout the world which are able to provide you with advice about studying in the UK. Most offices also have an education library and Internet facilities where you can consult university material. The British Council can also provide advice about funding opportunities.