History, Affiliations and Rankings

Arts University Bournemouth is a leading specialist university offering high-quality courses in Arts, Design, Media and Performing Arts on the South Coast of the UK. The university is passionate about the subjects they teach and continue to encourage curiosity, risk-taking and adventure in exploring and pushing subject knowledge and its boundaries. The university is a practical university with strong ambitions for our graduates to enjoy rewarding careers. The university had its foundation laid in the 1880s and is the only Centre for Excellence in Media Practice in the UK. The two Science and Art Schools at Bournemouth East and Bournemouth West, as well as the Technical and Commercial Schools, were merged into the Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design in 1913. All Art subjects were then grouped together under the School of Art at Bournemouth Municipal College. In 1964, the Bournemouth Municipal College of Art and Poole College of Art merged to establish Bournemouth and Poole College of Art. In 1979, the name of the college was changed to Bournemouth and Poole College of Art and Design. Following the acquisition of taught degree-granting capabilities in 2008, the name was changed to The Arts Institute at Bournemouth (AIB), and the Arts Institute Bournemouth changed its name to the Arts University College at Bournemouth in 2009. Following permission from the Privy Council in 2012, the Arts University College in Bournemouth achieved full university status and became Arts University Bournemouth (AUB). The university ranks at #57 in the Complete University Guide 2022. AUB has twice won a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education.

Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses 

The university has a nearly 4-acre campus with world-class facilities and designs that cater to the creative field. Most courses are based within the same campus next to Bournemouth University and Wallisdown. The campus covers around 19 buildings and specialist workshops and workspaces. The facilities include the Library, the Refectory, MoDiP (Museum of Design in Plastics), CRAB Drawing Studio and Student Service Building. The university's attractive and green campus has long been a source of pride. With a total score of 33%, it was ranked 88th out of 154 universities in 2019 The People & Planet Green League table. The EcoCampus Platinum was also granted to the university in 2019. The institution also offers a plethora of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs organized in two faculties - the Faculty of Art and Design and the Faculty of Media and Performance. It also majorly offers summer courses along with Foundation diploma courses, BA, MA, and research degrees under the Faculty of Art and Design and the Faculty of Media and Performances. 

Accomplishments and Alumni

AUB has consistently achieved outstanding employability results of over 93.5% because of the quality of teaching and facilities that prepare our students for employment. AUB’s stunning state-of-the-art campus is a creative hub designed for specialists. In the 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework, AUB received Gold ("provision is consistently exceptional and of the highest level found in the UK Higher Education sector"). In 2018, Ofsted assessed AUB's Further Education teaching as Outstanding (with Outstanding scores in all categories). Some of the most famous alumni include Simon Beaufoy (Screenwriter of Slumdog Millionaire), Paul Campion (Visual Effects on Clash of Titans), and Sara Sugarman (Director of Waking the Dead).

Student Diversity and Recruiting Companies

The university also has a strong reputation for creative collaborations, supported by our specialist teaching and award-winning facilities that ensure students are equipped with the skills and knowledge for their future careers in the creative industries. The university houses more than 3,500 students with over 450 international students joining them from 60 countries. All members of the university community focused on making a good environment for students from every background. Students from AUB get opportunities to work with some of the best people in the Fashion, Cinema and Photography industries. Students who have had their alma mater from BU’s National Centre for Computer Animation have progressively worked with award-winning movies like Gravity, Star Wars, Gladiator, and Lord of the Rings. They have also won Creative Conscience Awards, RSA Student Awards, etc.