The Birmingham Project FAQs

Any registered University of Birmingham first year undergraduate student, from any course, can participate in The Birmingham Project (including Erasmus students). N.B. Only Birmingham campus students can participate.

If you’re not sure if you’re eligible to take part, please contact The Birmingham Project Team.

None. We will provide a schedule of bespoke training and workshops throughout the project fortnight in June to provide groups with the skills they need to complete their project.

Training and workshops include: Project Management; Team building; Type Dynamics Indicator (personality types); Intellectual Property Rights, Copyright and Licensing; Research Methods and Social Science skills; Digital Media training (mobile app, Photoshop, website, digital magazine); and Presentation skills.

Students will be able to enrol between 11 January – 05 February 2021 (Birmingham Scholars will have early access from 07 - 18 December 2020).

It only takes a couple of minutes to secure your place on the project by completing our short enrolment form, which will be made available on our ‘How to take part’ intranet page during the above enrolment period.

Yes. There are 360 places and they will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the maximum number of participants has been reached, students will be invited to join a waiting list.

Yes, The Birmingham Project is free to all registered University of Birmingham first year undergraduate students.

It is mandatory for all project participants to attend all Birmingham Project events. Our events include:

• A 2 hour online Launch Event in March (date TBC)
• Project Fortnight (Monday 14-Friday 25 June 2021). Participants must be available every weekday, from 9am - 5pm, during this two-week period.

Participants will be provided with a two-week schedule of planned activities and training sessions during the project fortnight (Monday 14-Friday 25 June 2021) to ensure you can get the most out of the experience and achieve the best possible outcome as a group.

This is a really fast-paced and exciting project which requires a high level of commitment and enthusiasm from all participants. It is an incredibly rewarding experience, with many benefits for all who take part. Please see our ‘How to take part’ intranet page for a full list of dates you’ll need to be available for.

Please contact The Birmingham Project Team as soon as possible if you are aware of any commitments or reasons which may prevent you from being able to attend any dates during our events so we can discuss this with you.

Please contact The Birmingham Project Team as soon as possible if you are no longer able to participate so we can remove The Birmingham Project from your academic transcript and offer your place to another student on our waiting list.

Participants will work in a multi-disciplinary group to find an innovative solution to a real-world problem in the form of a digital resource (e.g. mobile phone app, website, blog, video etc.).

Through taking part, you will get a head start in developing and identifying your employability skills. Please visit our ‘Benefits for you’ page to find out more about the skills and recognition you can expect to gain from participating

Participants will be assessed through a group presentation (50%) and a peer evaluation (50%). The assessment will determine whether participants receive a pass or fail for The Birmingham Project on their enhanced transcript.

N.B. The programme does not bear any credits and therefore will not contribute towards an individual’s degree classification.

This is a student-led project with support from a number of University of Birmingham Academics and Professional Services staff, activity providers and employer partners.

During the two weeks of the project, a variety of bespoke workshops will be scheduled to provide groups with the necessary skills to complete their project. Training and workshops include: Project Management; Team building; Type Dynamics Indicator (personality types); Intellectual Property Rights, Copyright and Licensing; Research Methods and Social Science skills; Digital Media training (mobile app, Photoshop, website, digital magazine); and Presentation skills.

Upon successful completion of the project there will be recognition for all, even if your group doesn’t win a prize:

• Enhanced transcript
• Digital certificate
• Personal Skills Award (PSA) – 70 points
• Prizes (one winning group per Theme will be selected by our judging panels to win a prize)

N.B. Participants must attend the full programme to be eligible for recognition and a prize. PSA points can only be claimed by students completing The Birmingham Project from 2017/18 onwards.

You will be able to claim 70 points towards your Personal Skills Award (PSA).

N.B. Participants must attend the full Birmingham Project programme to be eligible to claim PSA points for this activity. PSA points can only be claimed by students completing The Birmingham Project from 2017/18 onwards.

One winning group per Theme will be selected by our Judging Panels to win a prize. There will be 6 winning groups in total across the project.

Whilst there are a number of prizes on offer, taking part isn’t just about winning a prize and there will be recognition for all. Please visit our ‘Benefits for you’ page to find out more about the skills and recognition you can expect to gain from participating.