Birkbeck, University of London

Overview

Birkbeck, University of London is a university which continues to change lives. In 2023 the institution marks its 200^th anniversary. Established in 1823, Birkbeck is a world-class research and teaching institution, well known for being London’s premier evening university. Most classes take place in the evening, and this makes Birkbeck stand out from the crowd. Students have the freedom to use their daytimes however they like – a benefit that has become the university’s trademark.

The university offers a uniquely flexible learning experience, where its students can work or focus on other commitments during the day. Birkbeck’s wide range of courses can be studied full-time or part-time, and some can be studied through distance learning.

Birkbeck has cultivated a reputation for delivering a superb programme of postgraduate education, providing an inclusive and dynamic university experience and a rich learning environment. The university receives glowing reviews from its professional alumni, who remain connected to their parent institution throughout their successful careers.

Birkbeck is well known for the quality of its research output and supports a community of around 1,000 postgraduate students with a dynamic and academically enriching research environment.

Birkbeck is proud of its numerous accolades, and it is no surprise that it ranks among the world’s top 400 universities. The majority of Birkbeck’s research (83%) has been confirmed as world-leading and internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), the UK’s official assessment of the quality and impact of research in universities.

Birkbeck’s students benefit from a wide range of facilities including a newly-refurbished five-story library, a cinema and art gallery, various sports facilities and a range of cafés.

Postgraduate

Birkbeck supports a postgraduate learning community of over 1,000 full-time students, and research degrees can be completed full-time over two to four years, or part-time over four to seven years. The university offers a variety of integrated PhD degrees, which include a compulsory year of taught modules and students benefit from face-to-face contact with the faculty team of highly qualified and widely experienced teaching staff, many of whom have worked and taught overseas and are able to communicate their experience and research methodologies to students from all backgrounds.

Birkbeck has a unique academic timetable, and its impressive range of evening classes and part-time study options make it a highly adaptable choice for anyone who wishes to study without taking time off work or compromising personal commitments. Crucially, students can more easily continue to work alongside their studies, which for many makes the different between being able to afford to study at postgraduate level. Additionally, career-minded students do not need to take an absence of leave from their professional work in order to add skills and upgrade their qualifications, which means greater overall career prospects.

Birkbeck offers a huge variety of courses across MA, MSc and LLM qualification types. Many of these are taught postgraduate courses, and some of them combine blended learning and remote study, made possible through the university's highly developed virtual learning environment (VLE). There are options to study research degrees such as MPhil, MRes and PhD qualifications in more than 40 subject areas.

All postgraduate students build their research projects with close support from an academic supervisor, who helps to plan work schedules, establish targets and timetables and importantly, guidance for their final thesis submission.

Admission requirements for postgraduate courses vary on a course-by-course basis. There are several different levels of study, each requiring a particular set of entry criteria although generally a second-class honours undergraduate degree in a relevant subject area is expected. However, there are a number of alternative pathways to entry and the university’s admissions team considers each application on its individual merit. Prospective students with significant work experience or alternative qualifications approved by the University of London are encouraged to submit an application, and are advised to contact the university for any queries regarding the application process.

Additionally, students who marginally fall short of the expected entry requirements may be invited to complete a Certificate of Higher Education, which provides extra academic support in order to facilitate a pathway to postgraduate degree study. The admissions team are available to contact all year-round and can offer more specific advice and guidance.

Accommodation

Thanks to the university’s unique evening timetable, many of its postgraduate students are already living in London, working by day and studying in the evening. Many choose to live at home or in private accommodation, but some full-time students choose to live in the University of London intercollegiate halls, including its Garden Halls, right on Birkbeck's doorstep.

For those that prefer to live in private accommodation, the UK capital offers a huge range of living options. With excellent transport networks across the city and a variety of unique, vibrant neighbourhoods and communities to join, there’s no shortage of choice whether students are looking for individual, shared or family accommodation.

Birkbeck also offers free professional housing advice for students looking into the private housing sector, making sure that students can get support on key steps from looking for a place to signing contracts and the moving process. Students are encouraged to visit the University of London Housing Services to find out more.

Facilities

On its Bloomsbury campus, Birkbeck offers access to state-of-the-art advanced research laboratories and facilities across its academic departments. To support students’ learning, a recently-refurbished five-floor library hosts a selection of peaceful study spaces and essential IT facilities as well as thousands of course-relevant books, journals and digital resources. Students can also take advantage of access to the University of London’s network of shared study spaces and libraries.

The university’s landmark Gordon Square Building is the heart of life at Birkbeck, with a cinema, a theatre and performance space, and a range of other start-of-the-art facilities contained within its historic architecture. The Peltz Gallery is also found here, showcasing a range of artistic works from around the world, as well as pioneering academic research.

In addition to Birkbeck’s lively students’ union, the university has plenty of places for socialising, such as cafes, a bar, cinema and art gallery. In addition, Birkbeck students have full access to Student Central, the University of London Students’ Union, with its affordable sports facilities, bars and cafes.

For many Birkbeck students, balancing degree studies with work, family, social life and travel can sometimes be challenging. The university provides a dedicated network of student support services to recognise this and ensure that all students have the resources and guidance needed to succeed.

There are many services available for free, including confidential counselling at the Birkbeck’s Wellbeing Centre, and a Mental Health Advisory Service which delivers effective support and advice, as well as specialist services for students with disabilities or dyslexia. There is also comprehensive access to healthcare services, and students can easily find links to local practices and out-of-hours services whatever their needs. The University of London chaplaincy is also available to all Birkbeck students, acting as a source of individualised pastoral care and a place of reflection.

Birkbeck also offers high-quality academic support through its student services department, where one-to-one guidance can be arranged alongside online support, study skills training, IT workshops and academic writing courses. Birkbeck is proud of its student support team, who are praised for their approachability and effective assistance.

Birkbeck has built a world-class reputation for excellence in research output and teaching quality, with a large and active research community.

Birkbeck is proud of the numerous accolades achieved throughout its nearly 200 year history, and it is no surprise that it ranks among the world’s top 400 universities. The university fosters a global reputation for the quality of its research and teaching. The majority of Birkbeck’s research (83%) has been confirmed as world-leading and internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF2021), the UK’s official assessment of the quality and impact of research in universities.

The university hosts more than 40 specialist research centres, working across its schools and departments, encouraging multi-disciplinary collaboration and peer-reviewed publication.

Birkbeck has been highly commended in the latest Research Excellence Framework in 2021, the results show that:

• 41% of research was rated at the highest 4* rating compared to 27% in the 2014 assessment
• 83% of all research at Birkbeck is rated ‘world-leading’ (4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*)
• The quality and impact of Birkbeck research has improved overall since the last assessment in 2014 when 73% of research was rated ‘world-leading’ (4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*)

Students' Union

The Birkbeck Students’ Union is an independent student organisation which acts as the representational voice of its membership, and serves as a community hub, co-ordinating a lively programme of social events and activities throughout the year. The students’ union looks after the rights of its students, ensures fair treatment, and deals with any incidents or issues which may occur within the community. It also establishes a dialogue with Birkbeck’s organisational staff, ensuring that student feedback is heard, and promoting campaigns and incentives in collaboration with the university.

Extra-curricular enrichment is a key factor in the student experience, and the social aspect of living and studying in London is one of its most exciting and memorable elements. The students’ union works hard to encourage this, co-ordinating a selection of clubs and special interest societies to extend the student experience beyond the classroom.

There are three union-run cafés and a student bar at the Malet Street campus, with reasonably priced food and drinks along with spaces for catching up with friends or taking a break from work. Birkbeck students also benefit from access to Energybase Gym, which is a fully-equipped fitness centre adjacent to the Birkbeck building, which features the largest swimming pool in central London. Birkbeck also runs regular film screenings, quiz nights and much more.

Clubs and Societies

Studying a degree presents many opportunities to try new things, meet new people and expand horizons in an inclusive and dynamic community of learners. The Birkbeck Students’ Union organises an exciting range of student-organised clubs and special-interest societies. Many are free to join, and bring a fantastic opportunity to extend the student experience beyond the classroom, with like-minded individuals.

There is a good variety of sports teams, available to join at a number of levels of ability from purely recreational to competitive. There are subject-oriented societies, language groups, cultural associations and so much more. Birkbeck students also benefit from access to the vast array of University of London societies, which is a great way to socialise and network with students from other universities across London, making friends which can last a lifetime.

In addition to extra-curricular and personal interest clubs and groups, there is a wide range of research networks and groups which allow students and academics to meet and collaborate in certain areas. These groups can cut across departments and subjects, allowing for interdisciplinary innovation and support.

City Life

Birkbeck’s outstanding Central London location is undoubtedly one of its key advantages. The campus is situated in the most densely populated university district in the city, Bloomsbury, where several of the country's top academic institutions are based. There are world-leading research centres, globally famous museums, alongside art galleries and public institutions such as the British Library, Brunswick Art Gallery and the British Museum.

For more culture, arts, music and theatre, the university is only a short distance away from hotspots like Soho, the West End, Covent Garden and King’s Cross where adventurous students will find a world of shops restaurants, bars, theatres and late night clubs. Birkbeck is well-connected to London's public transport networks, with regular buses, night buses and underground rails services operating 24/7.

Birkbeck is perfectly matched to its home city as an evening university. With endless employment opportunities in the city itself, along with rapid transport links, students are able to seamlessly combine their studies with their existing personal and professional commitments.

Cost of a pint This is the average cost of a pint.

Source: IDP Connect 2019

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Birkbeck’s flexible programming enables its students to bridge the gap between work and education. The university’s extensive evening schedule of courses brings the possibility of organising postgraduate study around existing work or family commitments, allowing students to broaden their skill sets, level up their professional qualifications and enhance long-term career prospects without compromising their time.

The university has a superb Careers and Employability Service which is available all year round, and offers targeted one-to-one advice, interview training, CV writing guidance, networking events and career workshops. This service is also available to Birkbeck alumni, who join an expanded network of global professionals, working in private and public employment sectors all over the world.

Birkbeck provides further assistance through its in-house recruitment agency, Birkbeck Talent, which builds and maintains connections with some of the best professional employment organisations in the UK. The university has over 150 partner companies which help Birkbeck students to find work during and after completing their course.

Additionally, Birkbeck works closely with The Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network to provide specialised support and training for MPhil and PhD students while they are studying, also in addition to after graduation.

Scholarships/Bursaries

Birkbeck supports fair access to education, and its highly flexible programme of evening classes, part-time study options and distance learning is clear evidence of this. The university acknowledges that studying alongside work or family commitments can be financially challenging, especially for postgraduate students, and provides a committed programme of postgraduate-oriented financial services to ensure that students from every background have the resources and advice needed to succeed academically.

There are flexible tuition fee payment options, which mean that students can spread the cost of their course throughout the year rather than having to pay a lump-sum at the start of term. There is also a dedicated hardship fund to add extra layers of security for those who are more economically vulnerable or with insecure income. There are also means-tested funding schemes such as the Birkbeck Postgraduate Bursary and additional awards to help out with childcare costs.

Birkbeck offers a 10% tuition fee discount to returning postgraduate students who completed their undergraduate studies at the university, or for members of any union that is recognised by the TUC. These discounts cannot be combined, and prospective students are encouraged to visit the university website for full information.

Fees

Tuition fees vary on a course-by-course basis, depending on choice of subject and study format. At postgraduate level there are a multitude of different course types, from taught master’s degrees to research degrees, PhD, MBA, and other professional qualifications. Most of these options can be studied as either full-time, blended learning, remote study or part-time formats. Birkbeck is notable for offering a larger range of part-time options than most universities, with two-year, three-year, four-year and six-year options available, each priced at different yearly amounts. Full information can be found on the university fees and funding pages, or under individual course descriptions.

Another factor in course pricing is residence status. There are separate payment tiers for home and overseas students. EU applicants can fall into either category, depending on a number of criteria which can be viewed on the Birkbeck website, and prospective EU applicants are advised to check which category they qualify for since this will affect their tuition fee requirements.

Taught

Birkbeck offers a broad range of master’s degrees, nearly all of which take place in the evenings between 6pm and 9pm. Many are also offered through distance learning, and some are partly or fully taught in the daytime. Full-time evening taught master's degrees are typically one year long, while part-time degrees are usually offered over two years.

Part-time taught master’s degrees usually involve attending one to two evening classes per week during term time, while full-time study usually requires attending two to three evening classes per week. Postgraduate certificates or diplomas are also offered over one to two years for graduates who wish to study at Birkbeck, without studying a full master's degree.

With an extensive range of courses on offer, from accounting and financial management to social sciences and psychosocial studies, students are part of a diverse learning community. Birkbeck's teaching structure is designed to facilitate enterprising and motivated students with existing daytime commitments.

Research

The university has invested time and resources in fostering ongoing professional relationships with many other domestic and international institutions, and has firm connections with the wider research community. The Birkbeck Graduate Research School supports its postgraduate students, offering courses and transferable skills training for students at all stages of their PhD, as well as providing opportunities to share ideas and expertise across disciplines.

Distance learning

A selection of Birkbeck’s postgraduate courses are available via distance learning, which brings a huge level of flexibility in terms of time management, and the ability to complete studies online, from anywhere in the world. Tuition is delivered through the university’s online learning portal, where students can access course material and receive feedback from their tutors on assignment and coursework.

There are some distance learning courses which require attendance of weekend workshops at the Birkbeck campus, and prospective students are advised to consult the university website for full details of course attendance requirements before submitting an application.