Best known for its media programs that have trained Oscar winners, one of the U.K.’s “new universities” straddles Bournemouth with two campuses.
Though founded only recently in 1992, Bournemouth University is quickly becoming one of the U.K.’s liveliest universities, drawing students to the seashore and the classroom. It is an outgrowth of the Bournemouth Municipal College, which was founded in the early 20th century to prepare students for degrees from the University of London. The university received its charter in the early 1990s along with a flurry of institutions nicknamed the “new universities.” Feel like a student amid its modern buildings and welcoming community.
Walk or take the bus north from the city to the Talbot Campus, which is self-contained and technically across the border in neighboring Poole. Look for signs of the university crest, which features a talbot, an extinct breed of hunting dog that was beloved by English kings during the Middle Ages.
Explore the buildings, including the student union and main library, where students sit hard at work on their assignments. Peek through the windows of the National Centre for Computer Animation, where students learn to do the special effects that prepare them for careers in the movie industry.
Hop on a shuttle to the Lansdowne Campus, which is located a few minutes away on the outskirts of the city. Though it is not self-contained like the Talbot Campus, you can spend an hour or two looking for the buildings with the distinctive university crest. Have a drink at the student nightclub or at some of the student-friendly businesses that have sprung up nearby, ready to serve the university’s ever-expanding student body.
Bournemouth University’s Talbot Campus is located north of the city center in Poole, a 15-minute bus ride or 10-minute drive from Bournemouth’s main train station. Reach it in a 20-minutes bus ride or 11-minute drive from the city center. The Lansdowne Campus is east of the city center, not far from the main train station, an 11-minute bus ride or 7-minute drive from the city center. Buses connect the two campuses. Check online for open hours for specific buildings and attractions.
