City campus provides courses in the creative and cultural industries, and is made up of Bower Ashton Studios, Arnolfini, Spike Island, and Watershed.

The University of the West of England can trace its roots back to the foundation of the Merchant Venturers Navigation School in 1595.

The St Matthias site (which is no longer owned by the university) was originally built in Victorian times and was a teacher training college.

[11] In the spring of 2016, UWE Bristol launched a rebranding campaign which introduced a new look to the university, with a new logo as part of the Strategy 2020.

[8] In September 2008, UWE purchased a further 70 acres (28 ha) of adjoining land which had been occupied by Hewlett-Packard, enabling a western expansion of the campus.

[20] Every year in June the campus houses a degree show attended by Bristol residents as well as friends and families of the graduating students.

[23] The Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences includes the following departments: It offers full- and part-time courses at all levels in the areas of Midwifery, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Social Work and other health-related professions.

Among its principals and deans were the war artist Jack Bridger Chalker, the graphic designer Paul van Der Lem, and Paul Gough RWA, a researcher and art historian,[25] who became the first pro-vice chancellor and executive dean of the former faculty in its expanded form of over 2,600 students.

Its origins lie in teacher training colleges at Redland and St Matthias which became part of the former Bristol Polytechnic in 1969.

[29] Echoing Bristol's long connection with the sea and the Merchant Venturers' Navigation School, the top of the crest depicts a ship's mainmast and rigging.

[30] The shield at the centre is adapted from that of the College of St Matthias with the wavy line representing the rivers of Avon and Severn.

[30] The motto Light, Liberty, Learning is a Disraeli quotation and corresponds directly to the symbolism of the coat of arms.

[44] Ofsted reports have rated UWE Bristol's primary, secondary and further education initial teacher training (ITT) courses as good.

[46] The REF 2014 results reveal that 57 percent of the research submitted by UWE Bristol was judged to be either world leading or internationally excellent.

The results highlight UWE Bristol's particular strengths in the areas of allied health and nursing, and communications, cultural and media studies.

Results were also outstanding in areas such as architecture, built environment and planning; engineering; art and design; computer science; and business and management.

[48] The BRL is home to a community of 70 academics and businesses who are leading current thinking in nouvelle and service robotics, intelligent autonomous systems and bio-engineering.

The total area of the BRL is circa 2,400 m2, with over 300 square metres of specialised laboratory space and two Flying Arenas.

[53] Based at the University of the West of England Campus in Frenchay the series of lectures bring business leaders to Bristol.

The conference covers a wide range of topics including business, technology & innovation, science and local & global issues.

The new Students' Union building was completed in Summer 2015 and operates a bar, a coffee shop and two convenience stores at Frenchay Campus.