University of the West of England - UWE Bristol

The University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE Bristol) is a public research university, located in and around Bristol, England, which received university status in 1992. In common with the University of Bristol and University of Bath, it can trace its origins to the Merchant Venturers' Technical College, founded as a school in 1595 by the Society of Merchant Venturers. UWE Bristol is made up of several campuses in Greater Bristol. Frenchay Campus is the largest campus in terms of student numbers, as most of its courses are based there. City campus provides courses in the creative and cultural industries, and is made up of Bower Ashton Studios, Arnolfini, Spike Island, and Watershed. The institution is affiliated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and validates its higher education courses. Frenchay Campus and Glenside Campus are home to most of the Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, with a further Adult Nursing cohort based at Gloucester Campus. Hartpury Campus provides training in animal sciences, sport, equine, agriculture and conservation. In 2018, the Teaching Excellence Framework awarded the university Gold.The University of the West of England can trace its roots back to the foundation of the Merchant Venturers Navigation School in 1595. In 1894, the school became the Merchant Venturers Technical College. The University of Bristol was formed just a few years after this, leaving the college for the foundation of UWE Bristol. The college was partly responsible for the creation of the Bristol College of Science and Technology (BCST) in 1960, which later gained a royal charter to form the University of Bath in 1965. The technical college in turn became Bristol Polytechnic in 1970; the then-main campus was at Ashley Down, now a campus of the City of Bristol College. Bower Ashton Studios was formed in 1969 as the West of England College of Art, which was formerly the art school of the Royal West of England Academy in Queens Road, Bristol. The St Matthias site (which is no longer owned by the university) was originally built in Victorian times and was a teacher training college. These campuses, together with campuses in Redland, Ashley Down, Unity Street and Frenchay became part of Bristol Polytechnic around 1976. The institution gained university status and its present name as a result of the Further and Higher Education Act, 1992. The Avon and Gloucestershire College of Health, which is now Glenside Campus, and the Bath and Swindon College of Health Studies joined in January 1996. Hartpury campus joined in 1997. The university is a lead academic sponsor of Bristol Technology and Engineering Academy, a new university technical college.At UWE Bristol, we’re focused on solving future global challenges through outstanding learning, world-leading research and a culture of enterprise. Here, we empower our students to make a choice. To choose a university that pushes itself as much as it pushes them. To choose a community of original thinkers - breaking new boundaries and leading the way. From our enterprise support programmes to industry masterclasses. Professional mentoring to business incubators. World-leading research facilities to work experience opportunities across the globe. We give our students the tools they need to act on their ideas and make them happen. Each of our pioneering courses have been created in partnership with industry professionals. And over 150 come with professional accreditation from industry bodies. Coupled with world-class teaching, they’re designed to equip students with the most in-demand skills, and the kind of mindset that employers want and need. So that when you graduate from UWE Bristol, you’re ready to take on the world.We’ve been awarded Gold in the Government’s 2018 Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework, TEF. This is the best rating achievable and was awarded for our outstanding quality of teaching, alongside the exceptional performance of our graduates. We make sure our graduates stand out - with the skills employers want and need. Enterprise is built into our curriculum, and our links to over 7,000 employers help shape many of our courses. It’s no surprise we’re in the top 10% of UK institutions for sustained employment three years after graduating. We understand the power of a diverse university community. That’s why we celebrate individuality and work hard to create a supportive and inspiring place for everyone to work and study. We’re proud to have welcomed students from over 166 countries – all with different ideas, perspectives and beliefs.Our teachingWith more than 600 courses on offer, at the undergraduate, postgraduate, professional, and short course level, we offer a broad range of subjects across the arts, creative industries, health, science, business, law, environment, and technology disciplines.  We are well known for the quality of our teaching, and for our student experience as a whole.We’ve built close links with leading employers such as CERN, Rolls Royce, the NHS, Aardman Animation and the BBC to help develop the right content for our courses and to give our students exposure to diverse professional opportunities.Our research and wider impactAlongside our teaching, our academics are working on nationally and internationally renowned research in many interesting areas – from robotics to appearance issues. As well as enriching our teaching, we ensure our research contributes to society and the economy through knowledge exchange, science communication, partnerships, and supporting business innovation and growth.We also play a very active role in our city and the wider region and are seen by many employers and organizations as the ‘go to university for graduate recruitment. The Students' Union at UWE, formerly UWE Students' Union (‘UWESU’), is based at Frenchay campus and was established in 1971. It is run by a team of five sabbatical officers, who are elected annually from the student population. The new Students' Union building was completed in Summer 2015 and operates a bar, a coffee shop and two convenience stores at Frenchay Campus. A Students' Union bar and shop is also available at Glenside Campus and Bower Ashton Studios. The student radio station, Hub Radio operates out of a studio on campus. In September 2006, Frenchay Student Village opened providing on-campus accommodation for 1,932 students, adding to the 252 units already provided in Carroll Court. Campus accommodation is also provided at Glenside. In partnership with UNITE Student Housing a further 1,500 places are provided in Bristol City Centre and UWE Bristol Accommodation services also places students in vetted private rentals. All accommodation at UWE is self-catering. In September 2014, Wallscourt Park opened on Frenchay Campus. Following the 2020-21 academic year, Carroll Court is to be knocked down as replaced with accommodation similar to that of the Student Village in order to accommodate extra students.

Courses

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