Skip to main content

A-Z list of all open units in 2026/27

Please note: It is possible that the information shown for future academic years may change due to developments in the relevant academic field. Optional unit availability varies depending on both staffing, student choice and timetabling constraints.

Open units are units which are outside of a student's subject discipline(s) that are available in many undergraduate programmes (subject to space and timetabling constraints). Typically these units are interdisciplinary and do not have any pre- or co-requisites. Single honours undergraduate students are normally able to choose up to 20 credit points of open units.

The University has developed a number of thematic, interdisciplinary "Bristol Futures" open units which deal with issues and themes of current importance. Details of these units are available here including video trailers for some of the units. Specific details about each unit is available below. The Bristol Futures optional units are:

City Futures: Migration, Citizenship, and Planetary Change
Creative Futures: Tools for Changing the World
Decolonise the Future!
Science of Happiness
Sustainable Development
Understanding global problems using data: inequality, climate change and the economy

The open units scheme also includes the University Wide Language Programme units. Details of these are available here as well as specific information about each unit below.

It is possible that open units appearing on this list will be unavailable if capacity has been taken up by students taking it as an optional unit.

What do the Levels represent?


What do the teaching blocks (TB) mean?

 
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top
Beginners Korean UWLP10018 20
Beginners Portuguese UWLP10026 20
Beginners Russian UWLP10016 20
 
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top
Creative Futures: Tools for Changing the World UNIV10007 20
 
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top
Decolonise the Future! UNIV10009 20
 
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top
Post-Beginners French UWLP10002 20
Post-Beginners Spanish UWLP10010 20
 
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top
Science of Happiness UNIV10010 20
Sustainable Development UNIV10001 20
 
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Other Top
Understanding global problems using data: inequality, climate change and the economy UNIV10008 20

Feedback