Birkbeck, University of London

Courses are designed to help students balance work or other commitments outside university with study.

Most programmes are taught in the evenings between 6 and 9pm. Interactive online learning materials can be accessed on campus, at home, work, or on the move 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Daytime teaching will be available from September 2024: students will have the choice to study in the daytime or evening on a selection of our UG and PG degrees, including biomedicine, business, law, management, psychology, computer science and data science.

Students opting for daytime teaching on a full-time course will be on campus two to three days a week, with classes scheduled between 2pm – 5pm. Students will benefit from strong online learning resources, in addition to their contact time on campus.

Birkbeck is committed to being at the forefront of research, as well as offering a unique focus on interactive learning and group work with peers.

Students benefit from research-led teaching, with 83 percent of all research rated ‘world-leading' (4*) or ‘internationally excellent' (3*) in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). REF also rated ten units of assessment (subject areas) in the top 25 of UK universities.

Undergraduates learn at weekly on-campus in-person classes which are supported by online teaching and learning resources. Postgraduate students can choose how they want to study with most being able to choose between attending either on-campus in-person or online classes. International Students under a Student Visa are required to study on-campus.

Courses are taught by world-class academics and students graduates, and prestigious degrees are awarded by the University of London.

Birkbeck is made up of a wide variety of departments, each of which falls into a number of schools governed by three main faculties.

Faculty of Business and Law

The faculty consists of two schools across business and law. The Birkbeck Law School was recognised by REF 2021 thanks to its strong critical approach to legal and criminological issues, with the majority of its research publications considered of international standing.

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

The faculty has three schools: Creative Arts, Culture and Communication, Historical Studies and Social Sciences.

The School of Historical Studies is an internationally respected centre for teaching and research. It's located near world-class galleries and museums, and has its own exhibition space, the Peltz Gallery.

In REF 2021, art and design research at Birkbeck was ranked 4th nationally.

The faculty is also home to the Centre for Counselling which offers a range of courses across counselling and psychotherapy studies.

Faculty of Science

The Computing and Mathematical Sciences Centre, the School of Natural Sciences and the School of Psychological Sciences fall under the Faculty of Science.

Every year, The Andrew and Kathleen Booth Memorial Lecture is delivered annually by world-renowned scholars and practitioners of computer science, to commemorate the pioneering work of Professor Andrew Booth and Kathleen Booth (nee Britten) at Birkbeck.

Birkbeck was rated in the top 25 universities in the UK for its earth systems and environmental science research (REF 2021).

Birkbeck welcomes applications for undergraduate courses from students with no previous qualifications or those with no recent experience of higher education. The full entry requirements for all undergraduate courses can be found on the individual course pages.

For master's degrees, students must have the equivalent of a UK bachelor's (undergraduate) degree (class 2:1 or 2:2, with honours). For most MPhil/PhD degrees, students must have the equivalent of a good UK master's degree.

The university accepts a wide range of overseas qualifications. Applicants can check the equivalencies of their qualifications on the university website, or an approved agent in their country may be able to advise them.

Birkbeck values its multi-lingual student body and encourages applications from speakers of all languages.

If an applicant's first language is not English, they will be required to demonstrate their English ability is sufficient to undertake degree-level study.

More information on the ways in which applicants can demonstrate their English language ability can be found on the university website, in addition to information on how to apply for a course.

Birkbeck's campus is situated in Bloomsbury, central London, which is a is a lively student area that's home to a number of other universities and colleges of the University of London.

Birkbeck's library is spread across five floors of the main Birkbeck building and is located among one of the world's greatest concentrations of libraries. Students benefit from access to world-renown libraries such including the British Library and Senate House Library.

Students also have access to Studiosity, the university's online academic support service, which provides feedback on the grammar, structure, referencing and readability of work before submitting.

Birkbeck uses Moodle, a comprehensive virtual learning environment that is simple to use and designed with inclusivity and accessibility in mind.

Birkbeck has a range of cafes, coffee shops and a bar, as do the other nearby University of London colleges. It also boasts its own award-winning cinema at 43 Gordon Square, which hosts regular free film screenings, as well as the Peltz Gallery which hosts curated displays, exhibitions and events.

While most students live in private accommodation, Birkbeck does have some student accommodation available. More information can be found on the university website.

Each year, Birkbeck supports undergraduate and postgraduate students through a range of different scholarships opportunities.

The university offers a number of scholarships specifically for international students. Some are awarded directly by Birkbeck, others are offered in partnership with other organisations.

For example, the new Vice-Chancellor's International Scholarship is available to eligible international students domiciled in India starting a full-time degree in October 2024.

A GBP 1,000 scholarship is available to international students living in Nigeria starting on a School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication master's course (including History of Art master's courses) in September 2024 and studying full time.

The full range of scholarships available can be found on the university's website, including all eligibility criteria needed to apply.