Applicants & future students

We understand that you may have questions about how BU’s courses will be delivered in light of Covid-19 restrictions. We are currently running our courses with a blended approach of face-to-face and virtual teaching, with facilities open on campus for all students to use. We are constantly monitoring UK Government advice and guidance and are adapting our approach to ensure we are delivering the best teaching experiences.

Please see our Study pages, where you will find the latest information about our courses and how to apply to BU for 2021 study. The following FAQs have been prepared to help answer some of the questions you may have relating to Covid-19:

Applications process

I am looking to apply to BU – will I be able to come to an Open Day?

We’re still welcoming applications for our undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research courses. We have a range of upcoming Virtual Open Days which offer ways for you to discover BU for yourself, talk to our students and staff and take a virtual campus tour.

Following government guidance regarding the roadmap out of lockdown, we are currently exploring options for offering Campus Tours to enable you to visit us in person. We can't wait to show you why it's not just the seven-mile stretch of award-winning sandy beaches that makes Bournemouth such a great place to study. Please check our Open Days page for the latest information. If you have already applied, we'll be in touch with details of when and how to book.

Will my application be affected by current Covid-19 restrictions?

The Government has announced changes to this year’s exams and results day for 2021 – what does this mean for my application?

You're still able to apply for 2021 entry and your application will be processed as per our usual procedures.

The UK Government has announced that teacher-assessed grades will be used to replace cancelled GCSE, A-level and BTEC exams in England this summer. If you are holding a conditional offer with BU, we will use teacher-assessed grades to confirm your place.

The UK Government has announced that exam results day will be the 10 August 2021 for A-levels and the 12 August 2021 for GCSEs.

How will teaching be delivered at the start of my course?

We are currently taking a blended approach to our teaching. The majority of our teaching is virtual, with some face-to-face sessions where access to specialist equipment is required. It is our ambition to increase face-to-face teaching and return to normal campus activity as soon as national restrictions allow. We will communicate with you about the specific teaching elements of your course nearer the time, and make updates to the course pages on the BU website.

Will accommodation be available and what Covid-19 restrictions will be in place?

Our student accommodation continues to be open and available for applicants to book. Our accommodation offers a home from home, while managing the health, safety and wellbeing for everybody living there. We continue to work with all of our accommodation partner providers to ensure that plans are implemented in line with the latest Government guidance.

More information is available on our accommodation pages, including the specific safety measures in place.

I am interested in applying to BU for entry in January & September 2022. How will my course be delivered at that time?

We are working hard to support our current students to make sure they are not disadvantaged in their learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as planning for the new academic year 2021/22. We continually assess our teaching to ensure students achieve the required level of learning. However, at the moment, it is too early for us to confirm how individual courses will be delivered in 2022. Rest assured though, that we will keep you informed with further information available later on in the year.

International students

I am an international student, can I travel to the UK?

The government’s advice for international students travelling from overseas for the Spring term is to consider whether you need to travel to the UK at this time, particularly if your course does not require you to be on campus. You should consider delaying your travel plans if travel plans can be rearranged without undue costs.

For those who do need to travel, as a Student visa holder, you are still allowed to travel to the UK under the new quarantine laws, and you must follow all quarantine regulations.

From 15 February, if you are travelling from, or your flight route takes you through a country on the UK’s banned travel list (sometimes called the ‘red list’) in the last 10 days, you will need to quarantine (self-isolate) in a government quarantine hotel for 10 days. You need to book your hotel before you travel and book two Covid-19 tests to take during your quarantine period at your own expense. Further information on travelling from a country on the ‘red list’ is available on the gov.uk website.

If you are travelling from a country that is not on the banned travel list, you will need to quarantine at home for 10 days and you will need to book two Covid-19 tests before you arrive to take during your quarantine period. Further guidance for how to quarantine when you arrive in the UK is available on the gov.uk website.

All international arrivals must complete a passenger locator form on arrival in the UK and must take a Covid-19 test and get a negative result during the three days before you travel. More information about testing before you travel to England is available on the gov.uk website.

Please ensure that you adhere to both the UK regulations and the regulations of your home country before you travel.

Will I still need a student visa (formerly a Tier 4 visa) if I am studying from home at the beginning of my course?

We are working with our students to be as flexible as possible, to allow for students who may be subject to in-country restrictions as a result of Covid-19. For students who begin studying at BU in your home country, you will only need to apply for a student visa when you plan to travel to the UK. Please contact our International Admissions team to make arrangements around your visa and arrival: iat@bournemouth.ac.uk

You can find details on the official Home Office Guidance Document and further information on the British Council and UKCISA websites.

When I arrive into the UK will I need to self-isolate (quarantine) for 10 days?

The current UK Government guidelines around Covid-19 explain that anyone arriving from abroad, will have to self-isolate for a 10-day period on arrival to the UK:

From 15 February, if you are travelling from, or your flight route takes you through a country on the UK’s banned travel list (sometimes called the ‘red list’) in the last 10 days, you will need to quarantine (self-isolate) in a government quarantine hotel for 10 days. You need to book your hotel before you travel and book two Covid-19 tests to take during your quarantine period at your own expense. Further information on travelling from a country on the ‘red list’ is available on the gov.uk website.

If you are travelling from a country that is not on the banned travel list, you will need to quarantine at home for 10 days and you will need to book two Covid-19 tests before you arrive to take during your quarantine period. Further guidance for you is available on the gov.uk website.

International arrivals must complete a passenger locator form on arrival in the UK and will need to check the travel restrictions for your country before arranging any travel.

If you will be living in our student accommodation during your quarantine period, please see the Student Accommodation section of the website.

If I don’t come to the UK to study in January, will I still be eligible for the Graduate Immigration Route after my studies?

The Government has confirmed that existing international students who have been studying by distance/blended learning will remain eligible to apply for the Graduate route provided they are in the UK by 6 April 2021 and meet the other requirements of the route. This is applicable for the 2020/21 academic year. In addition, students who commence a one-year Master’s programme in January 2021 will also remain eligible for the Graduate route, even if they are studying remotely, provided they enter the UK before 27 September 2021 and complete the final semester of their studies in the UK.

Looking for something else? Go back to our main FAQ hub.