Arts University Bournemouth

Arts University Bournemouth was founded in 1880 as the Bournemouth Government School of Art. Over the years it has incorporated science, design and technology and became a full university in 2012, specialising in art, performance, design and media in the creative industries.

It offers courses at further, higher, postgraduate and research levels and also provides a range of short courses. It runs about 30 undergraduate courses and about 20 graduate courses across three schools: Bournemouth Film School, the School of Art, Design and Architecture, and the School of Fashion and Creative Industries Management. The university’s specialist education makes it one of only a handful in the UK and it aims to foster a creative environment in which staff and students share a passion for the arts and design.

Students are encouraged to work together across disciplines on programmes that combine professional practice and research. Employability is at the heart of the university experience; each course has an Industry Patron, many offer live briefs set by industry professionals, along with optional placement years and lifelong career coaching.

It has one campus, based in the southern coastal town of Bournemouth. The campus covers 3.7 hectares and houses 19 buildings that include specialist workshops, galleries and studios. The university provides accommodation at three Halls of Residence, one of which is based on campus, the other two in Bournemouth town centre.

Arts University Bournemouth has a number of notable alumni including Simon Beaufoy, the screenwriter of Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours, Paul Campion, who did visuals effects on Clash of the Titans and X-Men: The Last Stand, and Edgar Wright, the director of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.