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Reviewed on Jun 20, 2025(Enrolled 2021)
What Students Say
Likes
- Professors were really supportive and knowledgeable in their field
- Really Modern and good looking campus with a lot of space.
- Had classes for only 3 days a week most of the time which was more than enough
Dislikes
- Limited extracurricular clubs and over all not well put together and not very active
- Cafeteria food options could be better and cheaper
- Finance team was very slow and not upfront
Course Curriculum
8
- The difficulty level of the course was moderate to challenging; the questions are very application-level questions so a thorough concept is required. It was a mix of theoretical and practical learning; we had lab sessions every week to apply the theories.
- Positives were
- The faculty was super approachable and supportive.
- The curriculum was aligned with the UK campus so we knew we were getting a proper education.
- We had access to good lab facilities and online resources.
- Negatives were
- Some modules felt a bit rushed and not required.
- Group projects sometimes ended up uneven because of mixed skill levels in the team.
- In a semester there are a maximum of 4 subjects. In terms of class schedule, we usually had 1 to 3 classes per day, depending on the semester and had to go only 2 to 3 days a week. Each class was about 1 to 2 hours, and timings were usually between 9 AM and 5 PM, with breaks in between.
- The average number of students in a class was around 30 to 40 students. As for Indian students, I'd say around 40 to 50% of the class were Indian.
Admission Experience
- I applied to three colleges: 2 international universities, which are globally ranked very high and one university because it was in my hometown and still a very good engineering college. The universities were Heriot-Watt University in Dubai, Jyothi Engineering College in Kerala, and the University of Birmingham. I got accepted to all three and decided to go with Birmingham.
- I didn’t face any rejections from any colleges. I think what helped was having good results for 12th boards and being clear about why I wanted to study computer science. I just tried to be honest in my application and showed my genuine interest in the subject.
- I chose the University of Birmingham mainly due to its global ranking and reputation and being an alumnus from there has its benefits. They are also attested by the government, which very few international universities in dubai had. Also, the Dubai campus is super modern, which was also their marketing point, and the fact that it offers the same degree as the UK campus was a big plus. I also received a good scholarship due to my board results. I also was settled in dubai which made it very accessible as well. All in all these things made it a good option for me compared to other colleges.
- The admission process was very straightforward and easy. A university representative guided me through everything. It was completely online. I just had to upload the documents they requested, including my 12th results. After that, I got my initial offer letter, then confirmed it to get my actual offer letter. I accepted it, and that was it.
- The eligibility criteria for me were mostly based on my 12th board exam results. I also submitted my SAT scores to improve my chances and scholarship eligibility. From what I know, a minimum of around 65–70% in board exams is required, and as your grades increase so does the percentage for your scholarships.
- Overall, the admission experience was smooth and stress-free. I didn’t visit the campus until my first day, so everything from applying to accepting the offer was done online.
- I applied for the September 2021 intake at the University of Birmingham. I had taken a 2-year gap after high school to figure out what I really wanted to study and focus on some personal goals. During that time, I also explored online courses and did some internships involving computer networking and coding, which helped confirm that Computer Science with AI was the right path for me.
- The admission process itself was pretty smooth and took around 3 to 4 weeks in total. I applied online through the university website. All you have to do is fill out the application form, write your personal statement and upload required documents. Think I applied at the start of July and confirmed my offer by the end of july and university started in September.
Faculty
8
- The faculty-to-student ratio was good around 1:30 for every subject, we had online tutor sessions as well if a student wanted to clear doubts so we got personal attention and could easily interact with lecturers and assistant tutors.
- Most faculty used a mix of lectures, slides, coding demos, and projects to teach. The content was relevant and helped build realworld skills. Faculty did not help with finding internship personally more of a general kind of letting us know if a company is coming to our university.
- Personally, I admired professor kashif for how clearly he explained complex topics and always made time for questions.
Campus Life
10
- There are two college campuses for university of Birmingham, one in Uk and the other in Dubai.
- There are facilities available, a library is there, and there are many types of grounds there nearby, although it is not exclusive to our university. Most things are run by clubs which book grounds or areas outside university to practise.
- Few festivals in our campus would be UOBD fest, Talent show, Mirchi Jam, Global Day, etc.
- There are many cultural events that take place at my university, things like ethnic day, Diwali, National day, Christmas, and valentines day, all of which are celebrated very well.
Part Time Jobs
- TA, RA, and DA positions are more for PG students, so I am not familiar with that and the pay range for the same.
- Campus jobs are kind of available on the campus, like if you are a guide or info assistant for certain events like for example an open day or whenever any fest or events happen. I have not done it but from what I have heard, they are not paid in wages; rather, they get gift cards which they can redeem. I do not know the maximum working hours.
- On campus there are not too many part-time jobs available; they are usually for 1 or 2 days for an event or something like I said.
- Off-campus work you are allowed to have, no restrictions placed by the university
- I don't know how much students typically earn for part-time jobs, as none of my friends or people I know did part-time jobs. From what I know, it is difficult to secure part-time employment, as the competition is very tough and it is hard to get an opening unless you have a referral. Also, open positions are very few, especially for the companies that come for career fairs at our university. The university does have sessions which help in building resumes and they take you through how to apply and all.
- Besides that, if you are applying for an internship or part-time job through a company that has come for the career fair, then they just take your resume or ask you to fill in a form. Shortlisted students will get a call for interview and if passed, you get a position, although it is quite hard to land.
Placement
4
- From what I’ve seen in my batch, a good number of students (probably around 70–80%) land jobs or start internships within 6 months. Others take time off or to prepare for Higher Studies.
- I do not know the average salary, but it comes to more than AED 5000 minimum for a fresher out of computer science working in dubai.
- Campus recruitment is not very good at my university, so most students find a job through internships or LinkedIn, Bayt, and Indeed, which are decent in dubai or through networking.
- My friend was placed in a Pharmaceutical company which provides software right after his internship and now has risen up as project leader and is handling many projects already.
- Siemens, RTA, and Oracle are a few companies I have personally seen on my campus hiring students.
Accommodation
Off Campus
6
- I stayed with my family; they have been settled here in dubai for a while.
- No recommendations since I did not live in a hostel. University does provide one, though.
- My place was 20 mins by car but by public transport it takes almost 2 hrs to reach. The transportation system to our uni is not very good compared to the rest of dubai. Takes a long time if you don't have someone to drop you to uni.
Exams
- For my case, only 12th board results were required, with maths and computer being compulsory subjects for entry.
- The documents I submitted were, High school transcripts, Personal statement, CV, Copy of my passport and Some basic forms and ID documents.
- There was no interview involved in my admission process. Everything was handled through online forms and email, and the admissions team was really helpful and responsive the whole time, through whatsapp.
Fees
- So the total tuition for my 3-year Computer Science with AI course at the University of Birmingham Dubai came to about AED 118,000 in 2021, after applying my scholarship. I got a 40% scholarship in the first year and then 30% for the second and third years. The fees were paid in instalments every 3 months.
- I didn’t stay in student accommodation since I lived with my family, so I didn’t have to worry about rent or hostel fees.
- As for monthly expenses, they were pretty minimal. I had classes only 2 or 3 days a week. My dad would drop me off sometimes, or I’d take the bus and metro, which cost around 20 dhs per day, so about 160 to 240 dhs a month depending on how often I was on campus. Other than that, I spent maybe 100 AED a month on things like food or supplies. Basically, there was no additional cost besides the fees. Printing also was free; you had a credit for how much you could print but everything was online so rarely needed it.
Scholarship
- Yeah, there were quite a few scholarships available. I got the 2nd highest merit-based 1st type being awarded to only one student for 50% scholarship. The scholarship was based on my high school grades, needed 90% above for it . Like I mentioned, I got 40% off in my first year, and 30% off in the next two years
- A bunch of my classmates also had scholarships similar to mine. I think almost every student had some type of scholarships even if its small.
- The typical amount I cant say a number but almost everyone, but most people got somewhere between 10% to 40% off their tuition fees.
