Sea, sand and work experience add to the charms of this south coast university, which straddles two campuses in the seaside town: Talbot (the main site) and Lansdowne (where most accommodation is based), which is a short bus ride away. A big draw for students at Bournemouth University (BU) is its work placement pledge: every undergraduate degree course brings an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience with an employer either in the UK or abroad. BU has become renowned for computer animation, TV and media production, music and sound production degrees, as well as its well-regarded tourism courses. Situated on the Jurassic Coast, close to seven miles of sandy shoreline (and clean water with blue-flag certification), BU is also noted for its commitment to environmental sustainability and ethical practices: it is ranked 11th in the People & Planet 2024-25 university league table.
What is Bournemouth University’s reputation?
Part of the 1992 British university cohort, BU traces its earliest history to the Bournemouth Municipal College founded in the early 20th century. Today, the curriculum spans around 100 degree programmes and 17 subject areas — although planned cuts to course provision are set to alter this number (see below).
Research in communication, cultural and media studies, and leisure and tourism was well regarded in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021). The breadth and volume of the university's submission was substantially increased since the previous assessment in 2014 and involved three times as many staff. However, BU dropped to 79th in our research quality rating, against stronger gains at other universities.
Testament to its standing within the media industries, BU hosts the National Centre for Computer Animation.
BU was awarded silver overall in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023) and silver for student outcomes, but only bronze for the student experience. Student satisfaction suffered during the pandemic and remains outside the top 100 in our analysis of the latest National Student Survey, falling eight places to 122= for teaching quality and six for the wider experience (103=).
What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?
As part of efforts to plug a £20 million funding shortfall, Bournemouth is suspending a dozen or so degrees, and applicants should check the university website for any further course changes.
There are also four new courses from 2025: mechatronics and robotics, law with legal practice, and two-year accelerated degrees in business and management, and communication and media.
What are Bournemouth University’s entry requirements — and my chances of getting in?
With an average of 108 Ucas tariff points among new entrants, Bournemouth ranks 114= for entry standards. Applications dipped by about 9 per cent in 2024 to their lowest since 2022, and just under 4,000 new students enrolled on courses — the fewest new starters in six years. The AccessBU programme considers personal circumstances and those who meet the criteria may find their offer reduced by up to 16 Ucas tariff points.
What are the graduate prospects?
BU is 60th in our analysis of the proportion of graduates in highly skilled work or further study 15 months after finishing their degree, though it was in the top 50 only four years ago.
Several courses are accredited by leading professional bodies and dedicated university staff help students to find the ideal work placement posting from four weeks to a year in a range of workplaces. The university has cultivated links with more than 70 institutions worldwide, enabling students to have opportunities to study abroad too.
There are more chances to help them shine as graduates via BU’s graduate skills programme, which offers industry-led masterclasses to get ahead.
What is Bournemouth University’s campus like?
The university has invested more than £200 million in its facilities and IT, adding gateway buildings at its Talbot campus, which started life as the Bournemouth College of Technology in the 1970s, and Lansdowne. At Talbot the 5,000 sq m Poole Gateway Building has industry-standard TV studios and a motion-capture studio for animation.
Students also have access to games PC and Mac laboratories and a critical listening lab. The Talbot campus is a hub for student services, providing a central point for access to help and support.
The faculty of health is based at Lansdowne, where the Bournemouth Gateway Building provides health students with simulation suites replicating an operating theatre, hospital wards, and an ambulance.
When can I visit?
bournemouth.ac.uk
Everything you need to know about Bournemouth University’s student life and wellbeing support
The beach is on the doorstep and the New Forest National Park is not far away. On the Talbot campus, students can get in shape with yoga, boxercise, Zumba and spin classes. BU runs activities including basketball drop-in sessions, and courses in jiu-jitsu, surfing and kayaking — which are also open to the students of neighbouring Arts University Bournemouth. For BU’s own creative students, there are three art spaces to show their work.
Proactive support teams work with BU’s faculties to offer pastoral or academic help. An out-of-hours welfare duty officer ensures that round-the-clock care is available. BU’s student assistance programme also operates 24 hours, 365 days a year, providing phone or online support from qualified counsellors. The university has launched a Dorset universities suicide prevention strategy in partnership with the NHS and in 2023 BU opened the Retreat drop-in centre where students can get help in a crisis.
What do the students say?
“BU is a welcoming, inclusive community which has practical innovation at its core. Distinguished academics deliver engaging and thought-provoking teaching, all underpinned with real-world application. Bournemouth offers the perfect fusion of student energy and coastal life.”
Harvey Bone, BA (Hons) History
What about student accommodation at Bournemouth University?
First-years who select BU as their first choice by the deadline are guaranteed one of 3,759 study bedrooms.
How diverse and inclusive is Bournemouth University?
BU has climbed seven places in our social inclusion table to 63rd overall. It is in the top 25 (23=) for its proportion of white working-class male students, one of the most underrepresented groups, and nearly half of new students in 2024 were the first in their family to go to university (62nd). Bournemouth has improved its black awarding gap, although at minus 24.8 per cent its 19-place climb takes it only to 71=.
Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at Bournemouth University
BU maintenance bursaries for students from low-income households (up to £25,000) provide £800 a year. Care leavers’ bursaries, also £800 a year, cover four years if a student began with a foundation year.
Scholarships reward academic excellence, musical or sporting talent, and there is a dedicated scholarship awarded to female students of cybersecurity.
