Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) is one of a select group of specialist higher education institutions in the UK devoted solely to the study of the arts. We enjoy a strong reputation, both nationally and internationally, for providing the creative industries with practitioners of the future. Our excellent reputation in the creative industries has developed over our 125-year history, with several of our specialist courses now considered to be the best in the country.
There are a number of reasons that International students choose to study at the University including:
- AUB was awarded the Gold standard rating by the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
- Collaboration between courses and with industry
- High level of employability (98% of graduates are employed or in further education within 6 months of graduating)
- Excellent modern facilities
- Our high reputation within the creative industries
- Beautiful coastal location
- Established in 1885
- Extremely high satisfaction level from our students
- Personal and individual approach
- Relatively small class sizes
- Vocationally relevant courses
- Full range of courses from short summer programmes to PhD.
- Arts University Bournemouth has Highly Trusted Sponsor Status (HTS). This is the highest status that can be awarded by the UK Border Agency.
Location
The University is situated on the border of the adjoining towns of Bournemouth and Poole on the beautiful, lively south coast of England. The coastal environment in Dorset, combined with the warmer than average UK climate and vibrant social scene, provides an all year-round holiday atmosphere. Together with its beaches, Bournemouth has a lively, cosmopolitan feel, with the attractions and appeal of a large town without the disadvantages of life in a large city. The adjoining town of Poole, which boasts the world's second largest natural harbour, is one of the prime locations in the UK for a wide variety of water sports such as windsurfing, sailing, water skiing and kite surfing. Bournemouth and Poole are also located near the beautiful national park of the New Forest, and with London two hours away and excellent ferry links to continental Europe, it is ideally situated for easy access to the country's capital, the rest of Europe, picturesque countryside, and a spectacular coastline.
Courses
The undergraduate courses include:
- acting
- art and design history
- animation production
- architecture (ARB/RIBA Part 1)
- commercial photography
- costume and performance design
- creative events management
- creative writing
- dance
- fashion
- fashion branding and communication
- fine art
- film production
- graphic design
- illustration
- interior architecture and design
- make-up for media and performance
- modelmaking
- photography
- textiles
- visual communication
- visual effects design and production
For students who are not sure which specialist course is correct for them or require additional studies to enter a degree course we offer a one year Diploma in Art and Design - foundation studies, or a Diploma in Art and Design - foundation studies (Media pathway). We also offer an intensive 6 month prepatory course with a January start date, with an option to include English langage tuition or not - the International Art, Design and Media intensive course.
We also offer a range of short or bespoke programmes (including summer courses), and a range of study-abroad programmes of 10 weeks or longer. More details can be found here.
Postgraduate courses
The University's taught MA provision is offered as a one-year, full-time course, or on a two-year, part-time basis apart from Film Production which is a 15 month course. The following courses are running in 2017: Animation Production, Commercial Photography, Film Production, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration and a Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Teaching Practices.
We offer a two-year Master of Architecture MArch in Architecture. MArch offers students exemption from the Part 2 (ARB/RIBA) professional examination in architecture on their route to becoming a registered architect.
MPhil and PhD students will focus their study on a topic aligned with the prospective supervisor, as well as undertaking more general training in research skills and methodology. This research programme is validated by the University of the Arts London.
Facilities
Contemporary educational provision in art, design, media and performance is closely related to new technology. The University constantly updates its teaching facilities and is the place for you to study.
Our purpose-built studios and extensive modern workshops, with relevant tools and equipment, allow for experimentation and the learning of industry skills. We offer a specialist environment that reflects the way in which individuals and communities work together in the creative industries. Our purpose built library provides an excellent learning, teaching and study environment; it is one of the largest specialist art, design, media and performance libraries outside London. Its open plan design and high quality resources make it a popular space for students to work and study.
Student success
The creative industries are among the UK's most successful industries, and employability is a key feature of our courses. The Bournemouth Skillset Media Academy, a partnership between Arts University Bournemouth and Bournemouth University's Media School, is the largest centre of professional higher education for the film and media industries in the UK, and offers some of the world's finest education and training in the disciplines of practical creative media. Bournemouth's reputation reaches across the planet with alumni winning the very highest accolades in film and media including BAFTAs, Oscars and Emmys.
Simon Beaufoy, one of our film graduates, won an Oscar for the screenwriting of Slumdog Millionaire and photography graduate Wolfgang Tillmans won the UK's most prestigious art award - the Turner Prize.
