Hiya,

Thanks for your question and congratulations on the admit!

I assume you have got admits for Civil Engineering and Construction Management (its not very clear in your question, unfortunately)?
Well, before getting into any other factors, I would strongly insist on asking what you are interested in? Do you want to go for a technical job later on or mix a bit of business-oriented studies or maybe you would also consider research? Unfortunately, I am not from Civil but I can give you some tips that might be helpful for you to narrow down your options.
1. Please go through the curriculum for the different courses and check your subjects and options. Construction management is a joint program with the Business school and hence it would give you a bit of both technical and business aspects whereas civil would be purely technical. There is always a choice for taught and research-oriented curriculum. If you are happy with the content from both the courses, it is always worth it to have a rough plan of where do you want to get a job (country-wise), and check how the job market is.
2. If you are referring to the availability of labs and equipment for your studies as facilities, I can assure you that there is nothing to be concerned about. Studies here are highly practical, with loads of lab work and also field trips depending on the projects you take up. There would be an ample number of opportunities to interact with companies during your time here. The university also holds job fairs that you can go to on-campus that might help you to familiarise yourself with the job market. The career center helps you out in various ways even after you graduate.
3. Coming to the standard of living, its quite high compared to India. As a student, you are eligible to apply for student accommodation and also private rentals within the city. There are a lot of places in terms of stores, eateries, pubs, etc around the campus within a walkable distance.

Hope this helps, happy to clear any specific questions if you have!

Cheers,
priya

Hiya, thanks for your question. I am sure this is a question on everyone’s mind before taking up a new course. However, this depends on a number of factors such as your performance in studies, the projects you deal with, the job market, the country’s economy that you wish to apply in, etc. Unfortunately, no one can guarantee a job immediately after you finish the course. Having said that, if you wish to pursue a course from the University of Birmingham, the degree you achieve is worth a lot and is recognised worldwide. During your time here, you will have ample opportunities to interact with companies and attend job fairs. A lot of help is also offered by the career services even after the completion of the course. Personally, I have not heard of people being unemployed after doing a valuable STEM course. Also, I am sure that from your experiences, you would be well aware of the trends going on in the discipline. I wouldn’t be worried too much about getting placed after the course completion provided I have faired well during my time here.
Hope this helps! Cheers, Priya

Hiya, thanks for your question. Your question seems to be very broad. Is there something in particular you want to know about? However, I can give you a brief overview. From your question it seems like you want to get into research? The curriculum is well designed facilitating the transition into both research and technical fields later on. You will get plenty of opportunities to interact with industries for jobs and also research projects. The University of Birmingham has many collaborations for research projects, internships, etc. Rolls Royce, Jaguar Land Rover are some to name. If you are keen on research, its worth keeping an eye on the projects around you and getting in touch with the professors and expressing your interest. Not only this it will help you get projects for your Masters but you might also be considered for a PhD later on.
If you decide to opt for a full-time course, you will have a busy schedule with classes and projects. You will get a chance to unwind by participating in a lot of extracurricular activities. There are many societies and clubs that you can go to. The university has a fantastic sports centre with endless things to do. Some societies even organise day trips on weekends to nearby attractions. I am pretty sure that you will not realise how fast time flies. Happy to help if you have any specific questions.

Cheers,
Priya

Hiya,
thanks for your question. I am sure this is a question on everyone’s mind before taking up a new course. However, this depends on a number of factors such as your performance in studies, the projects you deal with, the job market, the country’s economy that you wish to apply in, etc. Unfortunately, no one can guarantee a job immediately after you finish the course. Having said that, if you wish to pursue a course from the University of Birmingham, the degree you achieve is worth a lot and is recognised worldwide. During your time here, you will have ample opportunities to interact with companies and attend job fairs. A lot of help is also offered by the career services even after the completion of the course. Personally, I have not heard of people being unemployed after doing a valuable STEM course from a good university such as this.

Coming to the part of the scholarship, this can be a bit tricky for a Masters study. A database for scholarships can be found here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/index.aspx. However, I must insist that the scholarships are highly competitive and might not cover all the expenses. There is also an opportunity to get a loan if you are from the EU/UK. There are plenty of part-time jobs available too. However, a Masters full time course is around 1 year and its packed with activities, studies, and projects. I would highly recommend taking a look at the deadlines for the scholarships applications and applying as soon as possible for higher chances to get selected. A loan from your home country is also one of the options to look at.

Hope this helps, happy to clarify further if you have any specific questions.

Cheers,
Priya

Hi there,

I am doing well, thanks and I hope you are staying safe too.

Congratulations on the admit and I hope that by the time you come here, everything gets back to normalcy.

I can imagine the feeling about your performance when studying abroad, but I am sure that you will get used to it. Assessments here are pretty straight forward that depend on your work. its always worth checking in with your seniors about some tips and strategies and also your professor can also guide you. Do not hesitate to ask questions anytime! Some inputs regarding the assessment for your course can be found here https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/govsoc/international-development.aspx#TeachingAndAssessmentTab.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
Priya

Hi,
thanks for your question! I am glad that you have selected the University of Birmingham for undertaking your studies. However, I would suggest you asking this specific course related questions to someone from the Business school. Having said that, i can still clarify and give you some insights based on your formula student-related questions:

Formula student is a testing ground for students where everyone comes together to build a car. Different teams from Europe come together and participate in competitions, etc. However, you need to be a part of the students’ team. I am not sure if students from Marketing/Business can get through this. Although the fact that you are associated with the formula student team is a great asset, This has nothing to do with the actual Motorsport teams in terms of future employment.

A lot of automotive companies do come for job fairs and 1-1 interactions. Motorsport jobs are less in number and quite competitive.

Coming to the job opportunities question, the University Birmingham graduates have a lot of opportunities to visit job fairs and interact with the companies. However, no one can guarantee a job after studies as it depends a lot on the performance of the student, the economic situation of the country, etc. But I would say that a higher education degree from this university is pretty valuable! I have hardly seen people without a job after they have graduated.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
Priya

Hi there,

Thanks for asking me!

So, ‘electric vehicles’ is a very broad term. Have you decided on the main topic that you are interested in? So, there are courses at the university within the Electrical dept. (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/eese/index.aspx). Also, it might require a first degree in the same discipline.

However, if you are interested in pursuing Mechanical Engineering, then you might be well aware of the need for mechanical engineers everywhere at any point. Depending on your interests, I would never doubt the availability of jobs and opportunities once you finish Masters from the university.

Cheers,
Priya

Hello there,

I am glad that you got your responses.

Coming to the funding issue, its slightly competitive. Earlier, there was the competition between UK and EU students and non EU students had other options. However, after the Brexit, the EU students are also in competition with the non EU ones.
But on the brighter side, the most commonly available funding for most of the PhD students is from the university itself. In this, you stand a chance to get the complete tuition fees (approx. £ 20k/y for three years) and a monthly stipend for a comfortable living (for three years). this funding is mainly dependent on the supervisor and the time of application as these are fixed in number for every year and department. The best way to go about is to communicate with the professor directly! if the professor and you are interested to make this PhD work out anyway, maybe he/she can find out other ways to fund you.

The final option (really competitive) would be to keep checking the scholarship opportunities given to Indian students in particular https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/international/students/country/india/index.aspx#FundingAndScholarShipsTab.

There could be chances where you could get the tuition fees waived but not given any stipend. Depending on your financial situation, you could consider part time teaching which helps quite a lot if not everything. these opportunities are available in plenty when you take up PhD.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

Cheers,
Priya

Hello there,

Many congratulations on finishing up your undergrad!

Please find my answers to the questions:

1. I think courses from science and engineering are in demand everywhere and every time! no one has regretted taking up Materials Science. I am myself a Materials Scientist and couldn’t be more happy and proud! I am not sure what made you think so 🙁

2. Do you intend to take up a job after a Masters or do you want to pursue a PhD? It all depends on the way you design your curriculum in your time here. Jobs within materials are very much in demand most of the time but I certainly can’t guarantee that you will land up in a ready-made job. it depends on the country, the economical status, the pandemic, your performance, and your target companies.

What I can add is you will get enough opportunities while you are here to interact with companies, attend seminars, job fairs, etc which are extremely important. There is certainly no dearth of exposure opportunities for a career progress.

3. I am afraid, the head of the department cant single-handedly give you an admit. Your application is usually discussed among a lot of people and it depends on your projects/publications/subjects/activities you have taken up to date. I think it’s best to leave it to the admissions team for them to come back to you with a decision. The head might not even respond to you.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
Priya

Hi there, hope you are doing well and well done on finishing up your Masters!

Railways research is a super upcoming discipline at the University of Birmingham! I have personally known a lot of researchers who have done their PhDs in this discipline and went on to work with the companies. So, I wouldn’t really doubt the scope of the subject! Some of them have carried on with post doc research whereas others have done/doing knowledge transfer partnership with universities and companies. An interesting case study would be the upcoming HS2 project for the train line between London and Birmingham and how people are actively engaged in it.

Regarding how to approach the researchers, there are a number of options. Firstly, I would suggest narrowing down your interests from the number of research themes. The research spotlights on this page should be a great place to start: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/railway/index.aspx. You can easily spot the academicians associated with the projects and their contact info. Try writing to them via email or LinkedIn. I am sure they will respond as soon as possible. One tip would be to get in touch with the supervisors and be in their books so that they might give you information on the available grants/ funds/ positions if you are both happy to work on a project! Please also keep checking www.jobs.ac.uk for the vacancies.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
Priya

Hi there, hope you are doing well. Thanks for your question.

Advanced Mech Engineering is a great option as you will get an opportunity to learn interdisciplinary subjects dealing with mechanical, civil, and business. The whole school has a great faculty who strives for excellence. One way to have a good insight into the faculty would be by initially planning your specialisation and looking into the professors who are working in it. There are several faculty pages that provide an excellent overview of their research and publications. I think, before joining, this time can be dedicated to knowing different research projects and subjects that might interest you so that you can follow that professor closely for my updates. This will help you to decide on your dissertation well in advance since the post graduate study is hectic and needs quick decisions.

I would be more than happy if you would like to know something more specific regarding your study.
Cheers,
Priya

Hi, thanks for your question and I hope you are doing good.

I appreciate your interest in pursuing higher education at the University of Birmingham. I would like to point out few things when you are considering going abroad for studies:
1. Do you want to get into industry or further research after doing a Masters? Does the curriculum at the uni you are interested in cater to your interests? Usually courses for Masters are either taught or research oriented. Your future interest would play a major role in the selection. Masters at the University of Birmingham are usually one year. Do you think you can finish all the course and projects in this time? Best way to find out is to browse through the research portals to obtain an overview of the things going on.
2. It’s always good to plan ahead and get in touch with the professor with whom you align your interests to see how much can you make of your time here and your degree. This is also a good opportunity to acquaint yourself with the group research if you are planning to undertake a PhD. Please understand that your GPA is not the only measure for your admission. Your overall profile including projects, extra curricular, conferences, papers, references, etc make an impact. I would consider your GPA to be very decent one. I would not let this fact alone let me down when applying for higher studies. Make sure that your resume highlights all the good points from your bachelors in every aspect.
3. I would never say that going for a Masters is not ambitious. However, ultimately I would strongly recommend to stick to your career interests and not get under peer pressure. There are multiple disciplines at Birmingham which might suit your interests. Please do look through thoroughly before you make a final decision. I would be happy to help if you have more doubts.

Cheers,
Priya

Hi,
hope you are doing good! Thanks for the question, however, I think you are the best judge for this question. Opting for either MSc or MBA is highly dependent on your interests and aspirations for the future.

MBA is definitely going to give you opportunities for managerial positions. Taking up MSc either research or taught can give jobs in the research sector or lead to a PhD.

I would suggest you write down your interests on a paper and check what kind of qualifications you would require for that. Some guidance from people who have pursued both MBA and MSc can also be very helpful. LinkedIn would be a good place to start getting in touch with people for that.

Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Priya

Hi there,
many congratulations on your admit and I am sure that you will enjoy your time here!

I do understand the situation you are talking about. Well, the part-time opportunities are plenty here. However, I hate to discourage you by saying that the Masters course is short and extremely hectic unlike other countries curriculum such as Germany. As an international student, your visa does not allow to work part-time beyond 15h/week. Critical time management has to be done if you wish to attend the classes and do a part-time job. Also, I am not sure if the part-time would cover up your monthly living expenses.

Regarding job hunting, good academic performance is always a plus point. Also, by the time you graduate you will be through for the skill points based immigration scheme. However, I cant guarantee anything. I am also in a very similar position as you are in. Additionally, the COVID19 situation is just about to bring a global recession. I just can say that eventually, this is will be over and you should be optimistic since you are still an year away from graduation. Things will definitely get brighter.

For the Masters study, try to concentrate as much as you can on the studies and self-development. I am pretty sure you will get a good job wherever since you would be graduating from a premium place!

Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Priya

Hiya,

I really love the student life here academically as well as personally.

Please bear in mind that one year Masters course can be really hectic but can be fun too with the right time management.
Mechanical Engineering is based int he Edgbaston campus and easily accessible to Bristol road where there are no. of facilities available (supermarkets, eateries, pubs, GP, pharmacy, sports, clothing stores, etc.). Academically, there is a lot of stuff going on campus almost daily that you would be informed of.
Regarding the job opportunities, Britain is always looking for fresh talent but I cant guarantee you a placement for sure. Hopefully, the new immigration policy will just make it easier for high skilled labour to secure a decent job. From the university aspect, there is no dearth of opportunities you get to meet and network with different companies on campus. This just helps to increase awareness on the job market. The library services help in a big way by conducting regular workshops on helping to build you a CV/cover letters and many more.

Hope this helps, please let me know if you have any specific questions.

Hello, thank you very much for your question and apologies in the delay getting back to you. My name is Emma from the Postgraduate Recruitment team, and I am replying on behalf of the mentor as they have not yet answered it.
Unfortunately I don’t have detailed knowledge of the course content, but as the mentor has not replied to you, I would advise that you make an enquiry to the relevant team. At the bottom of the course page (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/mechanical-engineering/advanced-mechanical-engineering.aspx) there is a ‘Make an enquiry’ button. Submitting a question there will send it to someone on the team, who will hopefully be able to help!

Alternatively, there is a live chat on the 11th May where you can ask questions to members of staff from Mechanical Engineering. You can sign up here: https://www.pg.bham.ac.uk/events/event/department-of-mechanical-engineering-11-05-20/

I hope this helps,
PG Recruitment

Hiya,

I would strongly recommend getting insights on the courses based in the school of Metallurgy and Materials. We do have few additive based studies in Mechanical but not as much as in the other schools. There are courses and projects in abundance in the Materials School. Once admitted, you can secure opportunities where both the schools have collaborated projects which can benefit you. However, in order to get an admission, make sure you fulfil the eligibility criteria which will depend on your past subjects and projects.

Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Priya

Hiya,

Engineering Management is a quite popular choice for people and pretty much in demand. They have a good choice to culminate their skills during the one-year curriculum. Do you know what modules are you specifically looking at? This course is delivered by the business school and engineering school where we have hundreds of faculty. Its always good to pinpoint some interests so that its easier to check whom to contact.

Cheers,
Priya

Hiya,

There is always demand for good talent anywhere. I can’t guarantee that you will definitely get a job after the course, but the options are good. It always depends on your academic record, projects that you have done, internships, etc. UoB is definitely a good place to get enough exposure for the industrial interaction to help you out with this.

Cheers,
Priya

I have been to China as a part of European project and presented a paper in an international conference. I volunteer for guide dogs.

Though it may sound clichéd, I am happy with my study at the university since I have been successful in side projects. I have learnt many things apart from academics like managing tasks, developing personal and social skills, and participation in extra-curricular activities.

I completed my undergraduate in India where I was the university topper. I did my Masters in Germany and I hold distinction ECTS grade. I am finally in Birmingham doing a project of my interest in a reputed research group.

When I decided to pursue postgraduate research, I wanted to have an overall development. The University of Birmingham offers many opportunities for the same apart from pure academics. There are workshops and talks conducted all year long which help students to mingle with other people and expand their thinking horizon. Also, the university is situated in a major city and is also close to cities like London and Manchester which I consider important to keep up with everything.

Flexibility of the course and the encouragement given. Constant feedback taken from the students to improve the existing conditions. Immediate approval for equipment of training of any kind. Authorities taking care and giving breaks to students and offering day activities to keep them relaxed.

I was granted a scholarship for the tuition fees by the university.

I have completed my higher education in three different countries. From this I can certainly say that there was a big transition in all terms including the course of study to living.

Postgraduate research was something on my mind right from my A levels. I carefully streamlined my course of study and headed towards my goal. I always dreamt of working in a research lab as a scientist, contributing to development.

Management of time is critical. Research might not be easy and it can get exhausting some times. Lots of patience is required and the student should maintain calm and composure. Have an open mind and be ready to give your best. The people here would help you at every turn possible. Leave no stone unturned!

Hello,
can you be specific about what opportunities are you referring to? In general, all kinds of facilities are provided all year long. You would be sent email notifications for any lectures/workshops/company visits/safety courses etc. There are various sports available and many societies that you can take part in.

There is definitely scope of working as laboratory demonstrators or conducting tutorial classes for undergraduates. Before you take up any work, you would be required to register with worklink and take up ILT courses (https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/cladls/edudev/taught-programmes/ilt-pgta-open-ilt001.aspx).

Hope this helps!

Hi there,

University of Birmingham does conduct research in diverse disciplines. For Wind Energy studies, a good amount of research is going on within the School of Civil Engineering. You might want to have a look at the website. Prof. Dr.-Ing. C. Baniotopoulos is known for his work in this stream.

As far as the scholarship is concerned, there are indeed many scholarships available for international students (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/International/students/finance/scholarships/index.aspx). I must also add that its highly competitive and not very easy to get through.

If you are aiming for PhD then it might be possible for getting tuition fees scholarship though not guaranteed.

I hope this answers you query and wish you luck with your application! 🙂

Hi there, hope you are well!

Well, I could go on and on whilst narrating my experiences. Also, experiences would be quite unique from individual to individual. As far as my experiences are concerned, I am quite happy and satisfied. The working environment is great, a lot of help from professors and colleagues. Time management is critical. In order to relieve the stresses, the uni makes a huge effort by organising meet and greet among departments along with other various stress-busting programs. Also, the department provides free day trips every once in a while. There is a fantastic sports centre and also various societies to keep you fully occupied as well as stress-free. Not to forget other innumerable facilities and services provided.

The living environment has also been pleasant for me. The weather in Birmingham can be a bit unpredictable though. A number of residences around the university (both uni accommodation and private) are available and it gives an opportunity to meet other students. Lots of grocery shopping is around the campus including within the campus and the city centre is just around 10 minutes away by train.

Funding can be a bit different from group to group depending on the grants received by the group. It’s highly possible but not entirely guaranteed to get a tuition fees scholarship. There are quite a number of scholarships available for international students though it can be quite competitive (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/International/students/finance/scholarships/index.aspx). There are also some part-time jobs available during the term as teaching assistants that could help you financially to a certain extent. Please approach your supervisor for any other potential means of funds if possible.

Hope this helps! Wish you luck with your application!

Hiya, thanks for your question.

We indeed do tons of robotics within the department. I would suggest going through the following web page for more information https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/mechanical-engineering/advanced-manufacturing/index.aspx.

There is also an extreme robotics research group in the School of Metallurgy and Materials which is worth having a look https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/metallurgy-materials/robotics/index.aspx

Well, I think it’s wise to first get the know the research topics within the school. Try to approach the supervisor/professor expressing your interest. Personally, I think that the previous studies and projects matter a lot while applying for a PhD Foundation is the key and no one can expect to start with an entirely new topic at a PhD level though not impossible. Once you have a talk with the professor, you will gain an understanding of the study which will help you to identify some key issues to write a proposal. You can always re-approach the professor for more help.

Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Priya