University of Birmingham (UK)
- Sara Cavalieri
- Apr 21
- 3 min read
The University of Birmingham was the first and now one of the largest civic universities in the UK.
Dating back to 1825 with origins as a medical school, it gained its university status in 1900 with an aim to educate all, not just certain sectors of society.
In fact, its early courses included brewing and mining science!
Nowadays, it has 38,000 students and 8,000 staff -- one of the region's largest employers -- and is ranked in the top 100 in the world.
Here are more of the highlights from my visit!
City of Birmingham
One of the first things people should know about Birmingham is that the debate is on as to whether or not Birmingham or Manchester is the UK's 'second city.'
Nevertheless, those here will tell you that -- with just over a million residents in the city proper -- Birmingham is the UK's second largest city.
A hugely important industrial centre, Birmingham was unfortunately the second most bombed city after London during World War II.
Its canals served a great purpose in industrial times, helping coal get to where it needed to be.
Nowadays, the canal area is home to shopping, pubs and eateries, and it is even said that Birmingham has more canals than Venice!
The city is also a huge transport hub for the Midlands region.
Nevertheless, University of Birmingham students tend to stay in their little campus bubble near Edgbaston, where one of the leading venues in the cricket world can also be found.
Campus
One of the first things you'll notice as you step onto campus is that there is a train station right on it.
In fact, it's the only university in the UK with its own dedicated train station.
From the Birmingham New Street station in the city centre, it's about seven minutes in total to arrive at University Station.
Because it has a lot of land, the university has been able to renovate its facilities regularly, investing about a half billion dollars in the last 10 years alone.
It even moved the library to create more green space in the centre.
Birmingham also has the tallest free-standing clock tower (Old Joe, named after the university founder).
Legend has it that if you walk under it while it chimes, you'll fail all your exams!
The Students' Union is the oldest in the UK and features a bar, nightclub and is home to more than 500 student societies (including 38 choirs!).
On your way to the newly built sports centre, you'll also walk past a building that doesn't look like much to an outsider, but it's actually an artificial mine.
Rumor has it that's where some of the nuclear experiments for Oppenheimer took place.
Other sites have historical connections as well, such as the Great Hall in the Aston Webb Building, which was was requisitioned by the War Office during World War I to be used as a hospital.
Nowadays, graduation ceremonies take place here.
Also nearby is the concert hall, which offers free classical concerts on Fridays.
Academics
As a large, Russell Group university, Birmingham has quite a comprehensive array of degrees, the largest being business, computer science and law.
However, a super unique offering is Birmingham's broader degrees in Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts and Liberal Arts & Sciences.
These interdisciplinary courses give students the chance to taste-test subjects from outside their main focus.
Summary: University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a great option for those looking for a research-focused degree at a large, campus-based institution.
Students tend to live on-campus their first year and just a few streets over during the rest, not really traveling into the centre of Birmingham much.
This makes the community feel even stronger.
And only 90 minutes on the train from London, Birmingham is super convenient for getting around, and it even has its own airport, too, connecting to major European cities.
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