Ravensbourne University London

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

Ravensbourne University London is a public university located on the Greenwich Peninsula in London, England. It specializes in digital media and design, offering vocational courses in areas such as fashion, television and broadcasting, interactive product design, architecture and environment design, graphic design, animation, music production for media, and sound design. The institution was officially granted university status in 2018 but has roots going back to the 19th century. It was established in 1962 through the merger of Bromley School of Art, Sidcup School of Art, and Beckenham School of Art. Initially known as Ravensbourne College of Art and Design, the university has undergone several transformations over the decades. Bromley School of Art, which began in 1878, became Bromley College of Art after World War II and later merged with departments from Beckenham and Sidcup to form Ravensbourne. The college was first located at Bromley Common before moving to a larger site in Chislehurst in 1975, due to planning restrictions on its original site, which was part of the Metropolitan Green Belt. In 1983, in response to nationwide education cuts, Ravensbourne closed its Fine Art department, despite earlier plans to discontinue its communications and broadcasting course. This led to a renaming of the institution to Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication. By 1991, the communications and broadcasting department had been consolidated at the Chislehurst campus. In 2010, Ravensbourne moved to its current state-of-the-art campus on the Greenwich Peninsula, marking a new phase in its development. The name Ravensbourne comes from the River Ravensbourne, which runs from Bromley Common to Greenwich. Throughout its history, the university has maintained a strong focus on industry-relevant creative education, adapting to changes in technology and media while preserving its foundational commitment to design and innovation.