There's nothing head-in-the-clouds about Bournemouth - and that's not only because the lovely weather on the south coast means there rarely are any clouds. The university is firmly rooted in the professional application of education. It works closely with key employers, and courses are designed with future professional success in mind. The 18,000 or so students enjoy all the benefits of living in a tourist town, touted by some as the new Brighton, no less. It's sunny and boasts some of the best beaches in the UK - great if you're a fan of watersports, or even just of lying on the sand eating an ice cream. Accommodation BU guarantees accommodation to first year undergraduate students who select BU as their firm choice and have applied by the 15 Ucas January deadline (for UK/EU students) or the 30 June deadline (for non-EU students). Facilities £200 million is being invested in their buildings, IT and facilities by 2018 and the latest development includes a new student centre which opened in spring 2015. Award-winning professional facilities include a Sony HD TV studio (the first one at a UK university) and the National Centre for Computer Animation has state-of-the-art equipment, including a motion capture facility for real-time animation. There are also new student learning zones in the central library for more flexible learning. The University's health and social care practice skills suite brings medical environments to life through a midwifery ward, an operating department practice room, occupational and physiotherapy rooms, a counselling room and four nursing wards. And, forensic science courses are supported by a dedicated "crime house", and summer schools feature the use of the UK's only simulated mass grave site. Because of its location on the south coast, the University is close to sailing and watersports facilities including the Sailing Academy in Weymouth, which hosted events during the 2012 Olympics. Transport There are inter-campus buses, extensive cycle routes in town, ferry cross-channel services, and rail and road links. And Bournemouth International airport, of course.