Bournemouth University

Bournemouth University's roots lie in a municipal college founded in the town during the early twentieth century. That college was later renamed the Dorset Institute of Higher Education, took polytechnic status in 1990 and was granted the title of university in 1992. Today the institution enrols around 17,000 students, of whom more than 3,000 come from beyond the UK, and it divides its academic activity between four faculties, namely the Business School, Health and Social Sciences, Media and Communication, and Science and Technology. Both campuses are located along the Dorset coast. In Poole, Talbot Campus lies roughly two miles inland from the centre of Bournemouth and houses the students' union and the main library, whereas Lansdowne Campus is within easy reach of the town centre and the seafront.

Media and the creative industries are the areas for which Bournemouth is best known. In 2011 its National Centre for Computer Animation received a Queen's Anniversary Prize, and former students have worked on films that went on to win Oscars. Further specialist centres concentrate on media practice and on the policy and management of intellectual property.

Information for International Students

For overseas students who require academic or language preparation before a degree, Bournemouth University International College offers a route in. Operated with Kaplan International Colleges from a purpose-built centre on Lansdowne Campus, it teaches a Pre-Master's Programme, the International Year One Diploma in Business and the International Foundation Certificate, together with pre-sessional English aimed at university study. Its students have access to the main university's facilities and may become associate members of the students' union. The standard English requirement for most bachelor's and taught master's programmes is IELTS Academic 6.0 overall, with no component below 5.5; research degrees call for 6.5, and certain courses ask for more.

Newcomers starting in September or January are offered orientation sessions covering the practicalities of settling in the UK and giving them the chance to get to know one another. Trained immigration advisers provide free advice on visa and immigration questions. A room in university accommodation is guaranteed to first-year undergraduates who satisfy the published booking conditions. Scholarships recognise strong academic achievement among undergraduates and postgraduates alike, and the careers service assists international graduates, among them those weighing up the Graduate Route.