Placement And Career Information

Arts University Bournemouth supports career development through AUB Futures, its careers and enterprise service. Many undergraduate course pages list an optional placement year, which can help students gain industry experience and strengthen creative portfolios.

Placement availability and structure depend on the course, so students should check the exact course page before applying.

How Placement Years Usually Work

Many AUB undergraduate courses list a duration such as three to five years full-time, with an optional one-year placement year. The placement year gives students time to gain industry experience before returning to complete the degree.

Students should confirm:

• Whether the course includes an optional placement year
• Whether placement is paid or unpaid
• Whether students must secure the placement themselves
• Whether the placement is approved by AUB
• Whether it appears in the course title or transcript
• Placement-year tuition fee
• Visa and Student route implications
• Portfolio and professional development expectations

AUB lists the 2026/27 optional placement year fee at GBP 1,850 for international/EU undergraduate students.

Career Support At AUB

AUB Futures helps students with:

• One-to-one career coaching
• Career planning
• Industry events
• Workshops
• Creative professional talks
• Alumni insights
• Enterprise and freelance guidance
• Employer connections
• Support for employment, freelancing or launching a business

Support is available during study and for three years after graduation.

Graduate Career Routes

Career routes depend on the course, but AUB students commonly explore:

• Artist or designer
• Animator
• Film, TV or media production
• Photographer
• Fashion designer or fashion communicator
• Graphic designer
• Communication designer
• Creative director
• Content creator
• Digital marketer
• Games artist or designer
• Modelmaker
• Architect or interiors-related roles
• Illustrator
• Performer or maker
• Creative producer
• Freelancer or creative entrepreneur

Creative careers can be competitive, so students should build networks and portfolio evidence early.

Benefits For International Students

Placement, live briefs and industry projects can help international students:

• Understand UK creative industry expectations
• Build a professional portfolio
• Gain practical experience
• Develop confidence in critique and presentation
• Build contacts
• Create stronger graduate applications
• Explore whether employment, freelancing or entrepreneurship suits them

Important Planning Advice

For the September 2026 intake, students should ask early whether their course has a placement-year option and how it affects visa duration, fees and graduation timeline.

Creative students should also document work carefully. Photos, process notes, final outputs, case studies and reflection can all become useful portfolio material.