Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer by websites that you visit. They are widely used in order to make websites work effectively, to enable additional functionality, and to provide information to the owners of the site.   

Cookies and personal data 

Some cookies may collect or enable the collection of what might be considered “personal data” (i.e. information relating to an identifiable individual): for example where a cookie collects or enables the collection of your geographical location through your IP address.  As further explained below, through use of a Google Analytics cookie BU can receive some information on geographical location: however this is limited to the level of nearest town/city, we view it only in aggregated form and your IP address is not visible to us at any time. Other cookies don’t collect any information which can be related back to you as an identifiable individual. We do not use cookies or data from cookies to take any steps to identify individual.

Below we explain the different types of cookie which we use on the BU website. We also explain the choices you can make about our use of cookies and how you can make those choices.

a. Necessary cookies

These cookies enable the BU website and services operating on or through the website (like Live Chat, Unibuddy and Social Media sharing integrations) to operate in the intended way and provide essential functionality. Therefore they cannot be switched off using the cookie consent tool on the website. You may still be able to use browser controls to limit or prevent cookies being stored if you wish, but this may mean that the website or parts of the website will not work properly for you.  

b. Analytics cookies  

These cookies collect information about how users have used or interacted with the website, generating statistical information and analysis about use of our website.  We use this to continually develop and improve the structure and content of the website, aiming to ensure the smoothest user journey.   Examples include the use of Google Analytics and Hotjar to understand user interaction with website content. All data collected through these cookies is anonymised. 

c. Marketing cookies  

These are cookies on our website which are used (in combination with other cookies or tools) to show you information and advertising relevant to the content you interacted with on our website. For example, after your visit to a course webpage you may see details of our Open Days advertised to you on a range of websites or digital platforms such as social media platforms or YouTube.  What you see will depend on whether you consent to use of marketing cookies on our website and which consents you give or preferences you set on other sites and platforms.  

Some more information about our use of digital advertising can be found in our Student Recruitment & Admissions privacy notice  

d. Local storage objects – Cues.ai

Cues.ai is a tool we use to provide intelligent prompts to links and useful information on our course pages. Cues.ai uses local storage, a technology that is stored on your device and only ever accessed by the browser. It is not sent to the server. You can remove local storage objects by clearing your browser cache.

e. Your choices: controlling the use of cookies 

When you visit the BU website you will see our cookie control tool (this will pop up as soon as you land on the website and can also be reopened at any time during your visit).  This will give you the option to allow all of the cookies described above or to refuse use of one or both of the following types of cookie: analytics and marketing.  If you choose to select “off” for one of these types of cookie, it will not be used.    If you choose “I’m happy with all cookies”, then all types of cookie will be used.   

As explained above, you cannot use our cookie control tool on the BU website to deactivate necessary cookies.  You may be able to use controls within your chosen web browser to stop these cookies from being used, but this will affect the functionality of parts of the website i.e. it may not work properly for you, in the intended way.  

You can use the following links to find out how to manage cookies on popular browsers: 

To find information relating to other browsers, visit the browser developer's website. 

To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites, visit http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout