Arts Institute at Bournemouth: Degree of empowerment

The Privy Council granted taught degree-awarding powers last week to the Arts Institute at Bournemouth. This allows the institute to apply for "university college" title later this year. The institute currently offers more than 20 degrees in arts, design and media accredited by University College for the Creative Arts and has 2,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Stuart Bartholomew, the principal, said the award was "significant for Bournemouth, Poole and the county of Dorset as they will now be home to two universities".