How to Find Courses and Study Options on the UWE Bristol Website

Updated

The UWE Bristol website organises its course search around two starting points: Find a course (search by course name or browse by subject area) and four study-level entry points — Undergraduate, Postgraduate, International, and Online study. Use the course search when you already know roughly what you want to study; use the study-level pages when you are still deciding what kind of qualification or route fits you.

Start with the course search

The homepage course finder is the fastest route to a specific programme.

  1. Go to the Find a course section on the homepage.
  2. Choose one of two search methods:
    • Search by course — type a course name if you have one in mind.
    • Browse by subject area — open the subject list if you only know your field of interest.
  3. Select your year of entry before or alongside your search. The site lists 2026 and 2027, plus an "All courses for 2027/28" option.
  4. Open a result to see the course page, then check the entry requirements and study mode for that specific programme.

Expected result: a filtered list of courses matching your subject and year, each linking to its own course page.

Common sticking point: searching by course name only works if you use the terminology UWE Bristol uses. If a search returns nothing, switch to browsing by subject area instead of guessing alternative spellings.

Browse by subject area

If you are exploring rather than targeting one course, the subject list is the better entry point. The subjects shown on the site include:

Category Subjects
Business and law Accounting and Finance, Business Management, Economics, Law, Marketing
Creative and design Architecture, Art, Creative and Music Technology, Design, Drama Acting and Performance, Fashion, Filmmaking Animation and Photography, Journalism, Music Therapy
Engineering and built environment Computing, Construction Property and Surveying, Engineering, Mathematics, Planning
Health and life sciences Biosciences, Environmental and Public Health, Environmental Science, Forensic Science, Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery, Physiotherapy Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation, Psychology Sociology and Criminology, Social Work
Humanities and social sciences Education and Teaching, English and Creative Writing, Geography and Environmental Management, History Film and Culture, Philosophy Politics and International Relations

Use this list to confirm whether your intended field is taught at UWE Bristol at all before you invest time in the course search.

Choose the right study-level entry point

The four study sections serve different applicants, and picking the wrong one is the most common way to miss relevant courses.

  • Undergraduate study — for bachelor's-level courses. The site describes these as "courses shaped by industry, state-of-the-art facilities and a community that will challenge, excite and support you."
  • Postgraduate study — for master's and other post-first-degree study, with the site pointing to "the options, flexibility and practical support you'll need to succeed."
  • International study — for applicants from outside the UK, covering the community and career skills on offer.
  • Online study — for "fully online and distance learning courses designed for career professionals," useful if you need to keep working while you study.

How to decide: if you are applying from outside the UK, check the International section as well as your study level — it carries information specific to your situation that the general undergraduate or postgraduate pages may not.

Check open days and events alongside the course search

Course choice and campus experience are usually decided together. The homepage lists upcoming events, including:

  • 10 October 2026 — Undergraduate On Campus Open Day
  • 21 November 2026 — Undergraduate On Campus Open Day
  • 2 December 2026 — Undergraduate Virtual Open Day

If you are weighing up a course, booking an open day lets you compare the campus and facilities against what the course page describes. The virtual option suits anyone who cannot travel to Bristol.

What to verify before you apply

Once you have a shortlist, confirm these on each course page rather than relying on the subject list:

  • The year of entry matches the year you intend to start.
  • The study mode (on campus, online, or distance learning) fits your circumstances.
  • The entry requirements for that specific course, since these vary by programme and level.

The site also notes that UWE Bristol is 4th in the Southwest (Guardian league table 2024) and that 89% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2022/23, published 2025) — useful context when comparing institutions, but not a substitute for checking the individual course that interests you.