Zoe Fitzpatrick

Birmingham City University

Birmingham City University is dedicated to transforming the prospects of our learners, inspiring them to become makers and doers. We are an integral part of the city in which we are based, with courses shaped by the needs of industry and partnerships with some of the country's leading employers. The University focuses on practice-led, knowledge-based learning, providing access to cutting-edge facilities and real-world experience. We benefit from around 50 professional accreditations and have a well-established reputation for delivering in-company training and development programmes. Our teaching staff come from and maintain their links with industry, ensuring you are given an insight into the latest thinking. We are constantly looking for new ways to enhance the learning experience, with inspiring visiting lecturers and learning environments that are designed to replicate the workplaces you aim to enter. We even give you the chance to gain work experience in real roles around the University, through our student employment scheme. The work undertaken by our research staff and research students is not only enriching our courses, it is literally shaping the world. In the Research Excellence Framework 2014, which measures universities' research performance, 90% of Birmingham City University's total submission was judged to have delivered ‘outstanding' or ‘very considerable' impact externally. We have been pioneering vocational education in the city since 1843, through a series of predecessor institutions. Having achieved University status in 1992, we changed our name to Birmingham City University in 2007, reflecting our commitment to, and pride in, our home city.