Your Undergraduate Open Day Guide

Please book your open day in advance so we know to expect you. We’ll send you a confirmation email within 24 hours of receiving your booking. Please check your junk/spam folder. If you don't receive an email within 24 hours, please get in touch with our team. 

To create your own open day experience, you can book subject talks, campus tours and accommodation viewings at times to suit you and your schedule. Bookings will open one month before each open day and you will receive an email with a link to your personal itinerary where you can register for your sessions.

Using your personal itinerary link, you can browse and book your sessions. Once you have found the activity you'd like to attend, you can select your chosen timeslot. Here, you will also find more information about the session and the location (which is linked to Google maps). When you're happy with it, confirm your selection and then return to the search section. You can continue to add further events and activities to your itinerary. 

You will have access to your personal itinerary on the lead up to and on the open day. This is where all of your booked sessions will be stored along with times and locations of the activities. 

Having trouble finding your emails or the link? Request your personal itinerary link here. Please note, you will need to use the email address from your original booking.

• Our open days run from 9am-4pm.
• Our campus is one of the largest in the UK so it can take 10-15 minutes to walk from one side of campus to the other. We would encourage you to allow enough time to walk between sessions so you can arrive on time.
• As session places are limited, please avoid booking clashing sessions. We can then allocate sessions to all visitors at our open day.
• If subject-specific sessions are fully booked, you may still be able to speak to student ambassadors and academic staff at drop-in sessions so don't worry! 
• When you arrive on campus, head to a check-in booth to check in and pick up a campus map. This will have details of key buildings and directions to our accommodation villages. 
• When it's time to refuel, head to our street food hub in University Square. From pizzas to katsu curries, there's something for everyone to enjoy! Grab something to eat and drink and soak up the buzzing open day atmosphere.

You're welcome to bring other people with you to share your open day experience. Some activities, including popular talks, will have limited capacity, so we may have certain activities that are 'student only' or 'student plus one guest'.

You only need to make one booking to cover yourself and any guests accompanying you. Please use the name and email address of the prospective student when making your booking.

We welcome dogs on campus and they are permitted in all outside spaces.

We’ll send you an email and text on the day so you can self check-in when you arrive.

Alternatively, you can visit any of our check-in booths. Here, our friendly students and staff will check you in, offer you a campus map and give you any directions or support you may need.

A selection of accommodation options will be available for you to view. To help you make the most of your visit, we would encourage you to book your slot to view our villages on your personal itinerary.

If you'd like to plan what accommodation you'd like to see, you can view all the different types of accommodation via our 360 tours.

Our accommodation team will be on-hand to answer all of your questions too.

The Vale Village

Set in a beautiful lakeside parkland, just a 20 minute walk from campus, the Vale is our largest accommodation village. Home to 3,500 students, the Vale has a variety of accommodation, including en-suite and shared, self-catered and catered options, so there's something for everyone. Accommodation viewings here will be open from 10:00 until 16:00. 

Top tip: Give yourself time to grab some lunch and stroll around the lake! 

Read Harvey's blog on the Vale Village

Pritchatts Park Village

Nestled in leafy, landscaped grounds, you'll find our first low-carbon student homes. Just moments away from campus and Birmingham Medical School, Pritchatts Park gives you the best in contemporary and sustainable student living.

Top tip: Are you parking at Brailsford Drive car park? Pop to Pritchatts Park Village before or after you've visited main campus.

Read Carter's blog on Pritchatt's Park Village

Selly Oak Village

Soak up everything Selly Oak has to offer! With shops, pubs, cafes, bars (and with main campus only a short walk away), you have everything you need on your doorstep. Here, you will find student homes managed by our trusted accommodation partners. Selly Oak accommodation combines bustling student life with state-of-the-art facilities and contemporary, sustainable designs.

Top tip: Selly Oak has it's own train station so you can get to the city centre in just ten minutes!

Read Beth's blog on Selly Oak Village

Make the most of your open day visit by also exploring what the city of Birmingham has to offer. Our campus is only seven minutes from the city centre by train, so there's plenty of time to visit after your open day visit is over. There's lots of lovely places to grab a bite to eat before you head home.

Alternatively, there's plenty of fun activities and places to explore:

15 of the best things to do in Birmingham

Brutalism, brilliant brews and the balti triangle: 20 reasons to love Birmingham

Explore the city of Birmingham

The easiest way to reach the University is by train. Birmingham is the only university campus in mainland UK to have its own railway station - ‘University’ station. The journey takes approximately 7 minutes from Birmingham New Street and up to six trains an hour depart for the University on the Cross-City Line (final destination Longbridge or Redditch).

Please note: the new University railway station opened in January 2024; the former station building is now exit-only and cannot be used to gain access onto the platforms. Passengers wishing to enter the station should do so via the entrances in the new station building. This is to help control the flow of passengers through the station and avoid queues. If you are visiting the new station building for the first time, please allow additional time to familiarise yourself with the new entrance/exit arrangements.

For up-to-date information on train times and prices, please contact National Rail.

There are frequent express coach services to Birmingham from London, Heathrow and Gatwick airports and many other UK cities. The long-distance coach station is in Digbeth, in the city centre. This is just a 12-minute walk from Birmingham New Street station or a 15-minute taxi ride to our Edgbaston campus.

If you are travelling from within the West Midlands, then the following bus services stop at different parts of the University’s main Edgbaston campus, as well as the Vale Village accommodation site and the Selly Oak campus.

Bus service numbers: 1, 1A, 48, 61, 63, 76, X20, X21, X22

Further information is available on the National Express West Midlands website.

Save on travel to your open day

• A single ticket on National Express West Midlands is £1.40 for those 18 and under (or £2.30 for a day saver), and is £2 (£4.50 for day saver) for those over 18.

Save money on your travel to our open day with these bus, train and hotel offers.

Coach and bus travel

• A single ticket on National Express West Midlands is £1.40 for those 18 and under (or £2.30 for a day saver), and is £2 (£4.50 for day saver) for those over 18.
• Use our booking link for a 30% discount on National Express coach travel for students.

Hotels and accommodation

If you're considering staying in Birmingham and exploring our beautiful city, why not stay on the University campus itself? We have our very own hotel – the Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre.

The Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre is offering a discounted rate for Bed and Breakfast for open day visitors. Book directly with us and enjoy 10% off your stay. Simply use the promotional code BOOK10 at the time of booking. Limited time offer and subject to availability.

To book, please contact the hotel via email or call 0121 414 8888 for best rates.

Train travel

A railcard from National Rail can save you up to 1/3 on rail fares. There are 9 different national Railcards on offer. To find out more about Railcards, including prices, eligibility and more, check the National Rail website.

Parking on campus is very limited and, regrettably, we cannot guarantee a parking space for open day visitors. We strongly recommend using public transport to reach the University.

If you are driving, look out for our staff when you arrive. They will guide you to the most appropriate place to park.

Anyone with a Blue Badge parking permit can park in the allocated parking bays on the main campus, arriving via the East Gate entrance on Edgbaston Park Road. Postcode: B15 2TS.

Main car parks for open day visitors

• North East Car Park (access via Pritchatts Road). Postcode: B15 2SA.
• Brailsford Drive Car Park (access via Vincent Drive). Postcode: B15 2QU.

Parking is free of charge on campus during open days. However, these car parks are also used by staff and students and will fill up very quickly.

There is further information on our website detailing how to get to the University.

Selly Oak train station

• Selly Oak train station is a short walk from the University, or you can catch the train from Selly Oak to University train station if you'd prefer. Selly Oak station has a large car park with nearly 400 spaces, and parking is free.

City centre parking

• Alternative parking can also be found in and around the city.
• There are a number of NCP car parks across the city centre along with large shopping centre car parks.
• From the city centre, there is a direct train from Birmingham New Street to the University train station that takes approximately 7 minutes.

Clean Air Zones have been introduced to cities across the UK, including Birmingham. Unlike a congestion charge, such as the one in London which charges every vehicle to enter a designated area, the Clean Air Zone will only charge the most polluting vehicles. If you are travelling through the centre of Birmingham, you will need to bear this in mind.

For more information and to see if your car is exempt from the Clean Air Zone charge, visit the Brum Breathes website.

If you're considering staying in Birmingham and exploring our beautiful city, why not stay on the University campus itself? We have our very own hotel – the Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre.

The Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre offers a discounted rate for Bed and Breakfast for open day visitors. Book directly with us and enjoy 10% off your stay. Simply use the promotional code BOOK10 at the time of booking. Limited time offer and subject to availability.

To book, please contact the hotel via email or call 0121 414 8888 for best rates.

Alternatively, please do explore other accommodation options across the city.

We have implemented a programme of accessibility adaptations on campus. All new buildings are being designed with accessibility in mind. Our team of staff and student ambassadors will be able to help direct you to our accessible routes across campus. 

Please fill out this form if you have any additional requirements you would like to request prior to the open day. 

View our Edgbaston campus mobility map

We have dedicated parking bays on campus for Blue Badge holders and all new buildings and major campus developments are being designed with accessibility in mind.