Arts University Bournemouth

About Arts University Bournemouth

Arts University Bournemouth is a specialist institution focused on creative education rather than a broad range of conventional university subjects. Its academic community spans art, design, architecture, fashion, creative industries management, film, animation, media and performance. This concentration can suit students who value regular contact with people working across related creative fields, but it offers less subject breadth than a comprehensive university. AUB states that the institution has existed since 1880. It became the Arts Institute at Bournemouth in 2000, received its own taught-degree-awarding powers in 2008, adopted university-college status in 2009 and became Arts University Bournemouth in 2012. Legally, it is a higher education corporation, which supports classification as a public institution in the UK context. The university operates as a distinct higher-education provider and is accepting students for 2026 entry. Its offer includes undergraduate degrees, on-campus and online postgraduate study, and supervised MPhil/PhD research. Research-degree awards are validated by University of the Arts London, an important distinction from AUB’s own taught-degree-awarding authority. AUB’s specialist identity shapes both its strengths and its trade-offs. Students gain access to a community organized around making, critique, production and creative practice. Prospective students should nevertheless investigate their precise course rather than relying on the university-wide profile: facilities, professional links, portfolio expectations, placement options and delivery modes differ substantially among studio, screen, performance, architecture and management subjects.

For 2026 undergraduate entry, UK applicants normally apply through UCAS. International applicants may also have direct, educational-agent and Common Application routes, depending on their circumstances. AUB evaluates the application as a whole, considering declared qualifications, the personal statement, a reference and, where relevant, a portfolio or audition. Requirements are course-specific, so the absence of a university-wide test threshold should not be read as open admission. Most creative courses request a digital portfolio, but some do not. Applicants should wait for AUB’s request rather than submitting an undergraduate portfolio with the initial UCAS application. The university normally allows 30 days after requesting it, although that period may shorten as UCAS decision deadlines approach. Audition and showreel requirements likewise depend on the course. Postgraduate applicants apply directly to AUB. On-campus master’s applicants usually hold a UK 2:1 honours degree or an equivalent qualification in a relevant area, while related experience or other evidence of readiness may also be considered. Online postgraduate courses generally state a usual 2:2 threshold. A portfolio or interview may be requested. International applicants must check both academic equivalencies and English-language rules. For bachelor’s study, the published requirement includes IELTS 6.0 overall with at least 5.5 in each component. For master’s entry in September 2026 or January 2027, it includes IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component. Accepted alternatives are listed by AUB and differ by study level.

AUB organizes its teaching around creative subjects, with courses spanning art, design and architecture; fashion and creative industries management; and Bournemouth Film School. Its current portfolio includes BA and BSc routes, taught postgraduate programs and research degrees. Some postgraduate courses are delivered online, so applicants should confirm whether their preferred course is campus-based, remote or offered in more than one format. Learning is centered on creative practice and the development of work that can be discussed, refined and presented. The campus includes specialist studios and production environments, including the Drawing Studio, workshops and facilities serving film, animation, photography, costume, performance and design activity. Bournemouth Film School students also use a studio complex at Elliott Road near the principal campus. Access arrangements and the exact equipment available depend on the course, so applicants should use the relevant course page and open-day information to assess fit. At research level, AUB offers supervision in theoretical and practice-based areas across art and architecture, design including fashion and textiles, film and animation, and performance, subject to suitable supervisory expertise. Students initially register for MPhil study and may progress to PhD following successful confirmation. Research can combine creative practice with written critical work. The MPhil/PhD award is validated by University of the Arts London. The specialist model encourages interdisciplinary contact, but students should not assume every course has the same professional accreditation, placement structure or assessment pattern. Course specifications remain the best source for module content, contact arrangements, assessment and any external recognition.

Key Highlights

• Specialist public university for art, design, media and performance
• Institutional history dates to 1880
• Current university name adopted in 2012
• Own taught-degree-awarding powers held since 2008

Student Life & Environment

Student life is shaped by a relatively concentrated creative community. All enrolled students automatically become members of Arts University Bournemouth Students’ Union, an organization independent from the university. The union represents students and supports student-run clubs, societies and networks. Its activities also give students ways to present creative work and engage with the surrounding community. Available groups can change from year to year, and students may establish a new one where no existing society matches their interest. AUB accommodation is offered to first-year students in halls on campus and in Bournemouth’s Lansdowne area. Options include en-suite rooms in shared flats and self-contained studios. AUB ResLife provides a residential program intended to connect hall residents with one another, university support and local opportunities. Accommodation is not all located beside teaching spaces, so travel time and bus access should be considered when selecting a hall. The university provides wellbeing and counselling services, as well as disability and neurodiversity support that can coordinate reasonable adjustments and help eligible students explore Disabled Students’ Allowance. Students who need adapted housing or academic support should disclose their requirements early and follow the relevant application process. Sporting provision is not the institution’s central focus, although the Students’ Union notes that AUB students can use facilities at neighbouring Bournemouth University.

Location & Surroundings

Despite its name and the database city label, AUB describes its principal site as a single campus in Poole, Dorset, on Wallisdown Road near the boundary with Bournemouth. This distinction matters when estimating everyday travel. Some halls are on campus, while others are in Bournemouth’s Lansdowne area; film students may also use the Elliott Road studio complex near the main campus. The wider Bournemouth and Poole conurbation offers a coastal setting with beaches, cultural venues and access to Dorset’s landscape. Students living centrally can reach shops, nightlife and the seafront more easily but may commute to teaching by bus. Those living on campus reduce the journey to classes while being farther from the town-centre environment. AUB provides public-transport directions and identifies bus connections as an important way to reach the Wallisdown campus. The university estimates travel from London at roughly two and a half hours, although the actual journey depends on the departure point and connections. Applicants should compare hall location, course facilities and transport costs together rather than treating AUB as a wholly town-centre campus.

Costs & Career Outcomes

For undergraduate courses beginning in 2026/27, AUB lists annual tuition of £9,790 for Home applicants and £19,950 for international and EU applicants assessed at the overseas rate. Home fees may rise in later years, while AUB states that international undergraduate fees are fixed for the duration of the course. Integrated foundation-year and optional placement-year charges differ, so students should use the fee table for their exact route. For most on-campus postgraduate courses in 2026/27, the listed full-time fee is £9,975 for Home students and £19,950 for international and EU students. Master of Architecture and MA Visual Effects and Photorealistic Computer Graphics have separate rates, and international applicants may face a non-refundable registration fee on relevant courses. Online postgraduate programs use their own fee schedule. Housing is a major additional cost. AUB’s 2026/27 contract lists different totals according to hall, room type and contract length; examples range from £7,770 for a 42-week single en-suite agreement at Madeira Road to above £13,000 for some 51-week studios. Students should budget separately for food, materials, equipment, travel and personal expenses, which vary markedly by course and lifestyle. AUB Futures provides current students and graduates with careers and enterprise support, including individual coaching, workshops, employer activity, opportunities and guidance for employment, freelancing or starting a business. This is useful infrastructure, but it does not guarantee a particular job or income. Applicants should ask their course team about placements, live briefs and graduate destinations specific to their discipline.