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 20 undergraduate courses and about 10 graduate courses across two faculties: Art and Design, and Media and Performance. 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