Address: Ellison Building, Ellison Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, England, United Kingdom
Design, Law, Business
Northumbria University is based in Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England, with its main base in the city and an additional campus in London. Its origins lie in Rutherford College, a technical college in Newcastle, and the present institution took shape through the polytechnic system of the late twentieth century.
In 1969 Rutherford College of Technology, the College of Art and Industrial Design and the Municipal College of Commerce merged to form Newcastle Polytechnic. The polytechnic became the University of Northumbria in 1992, when polytechnics across the United Kingdom received university status. Besides the city-centre campus in Newcastle, the Coach Lane Campus lies outside the centre of the city.
Teaching is organised in academic departments and schools, among them Newcastle Business School, which runs a Business Clinic. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework the university ranked in the UK top 25 for research power, and Times Higher Education named it UK University of the Year in 2022. Northumbria describes itself as research-intensive and business-focused, with research that spans science and technology, health and wellbeing, economic and social issues, and arts and culture.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Strong links with regional and national businesses, public sector (e.g. NHS), and creative industries. Emphasis on professional practice, placements, and enterprise. Campuses in London and Amsterdam.
Research:
Applied research in areas such as design innovation, health and social wellbeing, energy futures, digital living, and law. Growing research quality (REF performance).
Famous Alumnis:
Sir Jonathan Ive (honorary), Sting (honorary), Victoria Pendleton, Amanda Staveley
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
3600
Current students***:
32500
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
205000
Pros
Large university with wide range of courses, strong in design and professional programs, city location, good graduate employability.
Cons
Lower research ranking than Newcastle University, focus more on applied and vocational courses, large student numbers.
Best For
Students seeking professionally-focused degrees, particularly in design, law, business, and health, in a large city university with strong industry links.
Loughborough University in Leicestershire is known for design, sports science and engineering.
Aston University in Birmingham lists business, engineering and health sciences.
Brunel University London in west London pairs engineering with design.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, includes law among its main fields next to ocean studies and health professions.
Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, lists computing science, criminology and environmental studies.
Linnaeus University in Sweden is known for entrepreneurship and forestry.
Chung-Ang University in Seoul, South Korea, pairs engineering with project management.
Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea, combines engineering and life sciences.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Which colleges merged to form Newcastle Polytechnic?
In 1969 Rutherford College of Technology, the College of Art and Industrial Design and the Municipal College of Commerce came together as Newcastle Polytechnic. That polytechnic is the direct predecessor of today's university.
When did the polytechnic receive university status?
Newcastle Polytechnic became the University of Northumbria in 1992, at the time polytechnics across the country were upgraded. The shorter name Northumbria University is now used in everyday life.
Which campuses does the university have?
The main base is in Newcastle upon Tyne, where the city-centre campus is complemented by the Coach Lane Campus outside the centre. There is also a campus in London.
What did the 2021 research assessment show?
In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework Northumbria ranked in the UK top 25 for research power.
Has it won national awards?
Times Higher Education named Northumbria UK University of the Year in 2022. The title is listed on the university's own pages.
How can applicants compare courses and fees?
Course pages on the official university website list entry requirements, fees and study options. Applicants should rely on those pages for current figures.
Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Innovation, Project Management, Quality Management, User experience (UX), User-Centered Design
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
Innovation.world is not affiliated with this school/university. We recommend to contact them directly on their website for any special request.
To complete or correct any information here or share your opinion, please comment below or > send us a direct message <.
