Birmingham City University: A History of Innovation and Diverse Courses

Birmingham City University (BCU), formerly known as the University of Central England in Birmingham (UCE Birmingham), stands as a testament to Birmingham's rich tradition of individualism, experimentation, and innovative culture. This public university has evolved from its roots in the 19th century to become a significant institution offering a wide array of courses across various disciplines.

Birmingham's Culture of Innovation

Birmingham's culture is characterized by a deep-seated tradition of individualism and experimentation. Commentators have widely remarked upon the fragmented but innovative culture that results. In 1969, urbanist Jane Jacobs described Birmingham as a "great, confused laboratory of ideas," noting its chaotic structure and constant diversification. Historian G. M. Young contrasted Birmingham's culture with that of Manchester, noting the "experimental, adventurous, diverse" nature of Birmingham. This distinctive cultural trait is rooted in Birmingham's unique social and economic history, having developed a reputation as a haven for non-conformists and free-thinkers.

The Origins of Birmingham City University

The university's origins can be traced back to the 19th century when Birmingham emerged as a hub for arts and design education. The Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD), a faculty of Birmingham City University, reached its full maturity in the 1890s as the Birmingham Municipal School of Art at Margaret Street. The Birmingham School of Art was originally a municipal art school but was absorbed by Birmingham Polytechnic in 1971 and then became a part of the BIAD in 1988. Its Grade I listed building located on Margaret Street remains the home of the university's Department of Fine Art and is still commonly referred to by its original title.

In 1967, the City of Birmingham Education Committee was invited to submit a scheme for the establishment of a polytechnic. In 1971, the City of Birmingham Polytechnic was designated by the Education Secretary Margaret Thatcher. It was formed initially out of five colleges. The new Perry Barr campus became the centre of the new Polytechnic, although the institution continued to have a number of different campuses spread across the city.

Transformation into a University

The Further and Higher Education Act of 1992 allowed all polytechnics to adopt the title of "university." Consequently, the name University of Central England in Birmingham was approved on June 16, 1992. In 2005, the University of Central England rebranded itself as UCE Birmingham for marketing and promotional purposes, though the original name remained for official use. In June 2007, it was announced that the university would be renamed from 'UCE Birmingham'. The university's current logo is based on the tiger in the crest originally used when it was awarded university status. The crest itself originated from the Birmingham College of Commerce, one of the institutions that formed the polytechnic in 1971.

Campus Development and Expansion

Throughout its history, Birmingham City University has been spread across a number of different sites in Birmingham. Since 2011, the university has moved more of its operations to the centre of Birmingham, with teaching at the longstanding Perry Barr site gradually wound down. At the City Centre Campus, the Parkside Building for Design and Media students opened in 2013; the Curzon Building, which houses Business, Law and Social Science courses as well as library, IT and student support facilities opened in 2015; and a new music building for the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire opened in 2017. The university also announced plans to revive the former Belmont Works site nearby as STEAMhouse - a place for small and medium-sized businesses to collaborate with students and academics. Education courses moved to the City South Campus, where health programmes were already based, leaving the university with two main sites in the city, together with a small number of satellite buildings. As of September 2017, Birmingham City University invested approximately £220 million into campus infrastructure while moving its campus into the city centre.

Key Campuses

City Centre Campus: Home to the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment inside Millennium Point. The Parkside Building, adjacent to Millennium Point, houses Birmingham School of Media and design courses from the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media. The Curzon Building houses the Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences and the School of English, as well as the library, Students' Union and other support services. Royal Birmingham Conservatoire moved to the City Centre Campus in 2017.
City South Campus: Based in Edgbaston.
Moor Lane: A venue for sports, business training and conferences near to City North Campus.

Academic Faculties and Courses

Birmingham City University is a large university and has departments covering a wide range of subjects. The university has two main campuses serving four faculties, and offers courses in art and design, business, the built environment, computing, education, engineering, English, healthcare, law, the performing arts, social sciences, and technology.

Faculty of Arts, Design and Media

The faculty was created in 2014 by the merger of the Faculty of Performance, Media and English with the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design. It is also home to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, an international conservatoire and junior school and a major concert venue for many of Birmingham's principal concert promoters and organisations, hosting over 300 events annually. Birmingham School of Acting founded in 1936, merged with the university in 2005, and in September 2017 it merged to become part of the Conservatoire. The Birmingham School of Media, was one of the first media schools in the country to teach media as part of the Skillset Academy Network. New courses planned in fashion accessories, jewellery design for industry, interior products, motorsports technology and media for mobile devices give a flavour of the accent on applied learning.

Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences

This faculty includes Birmingham City Business School, a major centre for business and management education. It incorporates three academic departments and two specialist centres: the Department of Accountancy, Finance and Economics (AFE), the Department of Business and Marketing, the Department of Management and Human Resources, the Centre for Leadership and Management Practice, and the Centre for Internal Audit, Governance and Risk Management.

Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences

The Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences (HELS) began in 1995 by a merger of Birmingham and Solihull College of Nursing and Midwifery, West Midlands School of Radiography and the University of Central England.

Read also: Academic Achievement in Birmingham

Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment

The Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment (CEBE) is a national centre of excellence for learning, innovation and technology transfer. The faculty was temporarily known as the Faculty of Technology, Innovation and Development (TID) from 2008 until 2009, when the university relaunched the faculty through the merger of three of the more successful departments-the Technology Innovation Centre (TIC), School of Computing, and the School of Property Construction.

Research and Recognition

The university has five Centres of Research Excellence, which are the main focus of its research activity. Following the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, more than 70 per cent of research work submitted by Birmingham City University was "officially recognised as of an international standard", and 15 per cent of that work was "rated as world leading".

Student Demographics and Satisfaction

Roughly half of the university's full-time students are from the West Midlands, and a large percentage of these are from ethnic minorities. The university runs access and foundation programmes through an international network of associated universities and further education colleges, and it has the highest intake of international students in the Birmingham area.

Student Satisfaction Ratings

Teacher Training: 76.9%
English-based studies: 76.7%
Performing Arts: 73.5%
Politics: 73.1%
Law: 72.2%
Social Work: 70.5%
Other Creative Arts: 67.9%
Sociology, Social Policy and Anthropology: 67.7%
Computer Science: 65.8%
Media studies: 64.7%
Art and Design: 64.0%

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