.svg) | |
| Motto | Latin:Dominus fortitudo nostra |
|---|---|
Motto in English | The Lord is our Strength |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1838: Royal Polytechnic Institution 1891: Polytechnic-Regent Street 1970: Polytechnic of Central London 1992: University of Westminster |
| Endowment | £0.354 million (2022)[1] |
| Budget | £240.9 million (2021–22)[1] |
| Chancellor | Natalie CampbellMBE |
| Vice-Chancellor | Peter BonfieldOBE |
| Students | 22,040 (2023/24)[2] |
| Undergraduates | 17,490 (2023/24)[2] |
| Postgraduates | 4,550 (2023/24)[2] |
| Location | , |
| Colours | Royal blue, Fuchsia |
| Affiliations | |
| Website | westminster |
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TheUniversity of Westminster is apublic university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as theRoyal Polytechnic Institution, it was the firstpolytechnic to open in London.[3] The Polytechnic formally received aRoyal charter in August 1839, and became the University of Westminster in1992.[4]
Westminster has its main campus inRegent Street incentral London, with additional campuses inFitzrovia,Marylebone andHarrow. It also operates theWestminster International University in Tashkent inUzbekistan.[5] The university is organised into three colleges and 12 schools, within which there are around 65 departments and centres, including the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI) and the Centre for the Study of Democracy. It also has itsPolicy Studies Institute,Business School andLaw School. The annual income of the institution for 2021–22 was £240.9 million of which £4.25 million was from research grants and contracts, with an expenditure of £223.7 million.[1] The university is a member of theAssociation of Commonwealth Universities, theAssociation of MBAs,EFMD,EQUIS, and theEuropean University Association.
Westminster's alumni include aNobel laureate in Medicine, the inventor ofcordite,heads of state, politicians andmayors,Olympians, scientists,BAFTA- andOscar-winning filmmakers,[6]Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees,Grammy Award-winning musicians, journalists, and poets. Graduates of the university are styled with the post-nominal lettersWestmin, to indicate the institution.
The Royal Polytechnic Institution was built by William Mountford Nurse in 1837[7] and opened at 309 Regent Street on 6 August 1838 to provide (in the words of its prospectus of 1837) "an institution where the Public, at little expense, may acquire practical knowledge of the various arts and branches of science connected with manufacturers, mining operations and rural economy".[8]
Sir George Cayley (1773–1857), the "father of aeronautical engineering",[9] was the first chairman and the Polytechnic formally received a Royal charter in August 1839.[4] The Polytechnic housed a large exhibition hall, lecture theatre and laboratories, and public attractions included working machines and models, scientific lectures and demonstrations, rides in a diving bell and, from 1839, demonstrations of photography. Prince Albert visited the institution in 1840, when he descended in the diving bell, and became a patron in 1841. The first public photographic portrait studio in Europe opened on the roof of the Polytechnic in March 1841.[10]
In 1847,John Henry Pepper joined the Polytechnic and oversaw the introduction of evening lectures in engineering, applied science and technical subjects for young working Londoners. Pepper wrote several important science education book - one of which is regarded as a significant step towards the understanding ofcontinental drift.
In 1848, a theatre was added to the building, purpose-built to accommodate the growing audiences for the Polytechnic's optical shows. These combined magic lantern images with live performances, music, ghosts and spectres, spreading the fame of what was arguably the world's first permanent projection theatre.[11]
In 1862, inventorHenry Dircks developed theDircksian Phantasmagoria, where it was seen by Pepper in a booth set up by Dircks at the Polytechnic.[4] Pepper first showed the effect during a scene ofCharles Dickens's novellaThe Haunted Man (1848) at the Regent Street theatre to great success.[12][13] However, Pepper's implementation of the effect tied his name to it permanently. Though he tried many times to give credit to Dircks, the title "Pepper's ghost" has endured.[13]
Under the chairmanship ofJoseph Butterworth Owen, the Royal Polytechnic Institution increased its presence in formal classes for young men traditionally denied the opportunity of higher education in the United Kingdom during the nineteenth century. Expansion gradually gave way to financial difficulty, reflecting a long-standing tension between education and the need to run a successful business. A fatal accident on the premises in 1859 caused the first institution to be wound up and a new one formed. Various regeneration schemes were considered, but in 1879 a fire damaged the roof, precipitating the final crisis.[4]
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In September 1881, the Royal Polytechnic Institution closed, marking a transition to new ownership and a new era of educational development. Christian philanthropistQuintin Hogg (1845–1903) acquired the lease to the building in December 1881 for £15,000,[14] and the premises re-opened on 25 September 1882. About 6,000 members and students – three times the anticipated number – attended during the first 1882/3 session. The institute gradually adopted the name thePolytechnic Young Men's Christian Institute, or simply, the Polytechnic, for short.
From 1882 an expanded programme of classes began, including science, engineering and art classes held in conjunction with the Science and Art Department (of the Board of Trade), and a scheme of technical and trade education, related to theCity and Guilds of London Institute of Technical Instruction and to the London Trades Council. The building housed classrooms, a swimming bath, gymnasium, and a refreshment room. Activities included daily chapels, Parliamentary debating, a Reading Circle, music and drama societies and several sports clubs.
In the early 1880s the Institute attracted much favourable attention from the technical education lobby. Following the City of London Parochial Charities Act in 1883, it became clear that funds would be available to endow the Polytechnic and to found and support institutions on the same model across London. A public appeal was launched in 1888 to raise the required matching funding. The Scheme was finalised under the auspices of the Charity Commissioners in 1891, when the Institute was reconstituted asThe Polytechnic-Regent Street (often referred to as theRegent Street Polytechnic), managed by a newly created governing body.[15]
On 21 February 1896, the first performance of a moving film (Cinématographe) to a paying UK audience was delivered by theLumière brothers at the Regent Street Cinema. For this reason the cinema has been described as "the birthplace of British cinema".[16]
The building at 309 Regent Street was rebuilt in 1910–1912 to reflect the needs of a growing institution whose student members exceeded 15,000. Pioneering work in emerging professional and commercial disciplines, alongside general interest subjects, was the hallmark of the institution. WhenHogg died in 1903, he was succeeded as President by SirKynaston Studd (1858–1944), who remained in office until his death in 1944, and did much to continue the traditions of the founder. Two major appeals were launched to support expansion, the first for the rebuilding of 309 Regent Street in 1910–1912, and the second to build the Polytechnic Extension building for the Women's Institute in Little Titchfield Street, which was formally opened in 1929. Both buildings continued to provide sporting and social facilities for members of the Institute as well as workshops and classrooms for students of the Education Department.
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The Education Department provided a wide range of courses, with a rapid expansion of commercial subjects alongside the original trade and technical classes. Courses ranged from post-elementary school entry for craft and technical training at 13 to degrees accredited by theUniversity of London external degrees programme. Most teaching was in the evening and part-time, though day classes increased throughout the period. Following World War Two there was a rapid growth in the demand for further education and training, which was reorganised following the White Paper on Technical Education in 1956.
The variety of levels of work at Regent Street meant that it was designated a regional college rather than a college of advanced technology, after which the governors decided to reduce the proportion of lower level work. Following the establishment of the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) in 1964, a number of degree courses were approved and became operational; including Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic, Civil, Building, Production, and Manufacturing), Architecture, Photography (1966), Arts Administration (1967), Life Sciences (1973) and Media Studies (1975).
In 1960 theLondon County Council announced a plan to turn Regent Street into a tri-partite federal college by adding a new College of Architecture and Advanced Building Technology (CAABT) and also a College of Engineering and Science (CES). The existing commercial subjects would remain centred on no 309 Regent Street.
CAABT was allocated theLuxborough Lodge site in Marylebone Road and CES a site in New Cavendish Street. Both schemes suffered prolonged delays and the new buildings were not finished until 1970. Holborn College of Law, Languages and Commerce was merged with Regent Street Polytechnic to form thePolytechnic of Central London (PCL).
At a ceremony on 21 May 1971, the Lord ChancellorLord Hailsham, grandson and namesake ofHogg, opened the new buildings and designated the new institution. In 1990, Harrow College of Higher Education became part of the PCL.
The PCL was re-designated as theUniversity of Westminster following theFurther and Higher Education Act 1992, which created a single funding council, theHigher Education Funding Council, for England and abolished the remaining distinctions between polytechnics (degrees awarded nationally) and universities (degrees awarded by individual university). The newly established university was re-dedicated at Westminster Abbey on 1 December 1992. As a university, Westminster gained the power to grant its own degrees.
Dame Mary Hogg (great-granddaughter of Quintin Hogg, founder of the Regent Street Polytechnic) was awarded an honorarydoctorate of law (LLD) by the University of Westminster in 1995.[18] Hogg also became part of the court of governors at the university, thus continuing the university's close association with the Hogg family.[19]
Westminster's efforts in overseas expansion resulted in the university being awarded theQueen's Award for Enterprise in 2000, and again in 2005.[20]
In recent years, the university has established the Africa, Arab andChina Media Centres; the Centre for the Study of Democracy, the institute for Modern and Contemporary Culture, and absorbed the 90-year-oldPolicy Studies Institute. In 2002 Westminster established theWestminster International University in Tashkent at the invitation of the government ofUzbekistan.[21]
In 2013, the university celebrated 175 years of research, teaching, and providing education for all, regardless of background or financial status. Special events were organised both at campuses in the UK, and with their teams around the world.[22] Celebrations included an interfaith service atWestminster Abbey on 30 January 2013.
Westminster has four main campuses, three of which are incentral London.[23]
The Regent Campus comprises a group of buildings clustered around its historic headquarters at 309 Regent Street. TheRegent Street Cinema lies within the 309 Regent Street building, and serves as a fully functioning cinema, open to the public. Located nearby is the Little Titchfield Street building, which houses the library for the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, including theWestminster Law School, and the Wells Street building.
The Marylebone Campus is located onMarylebone Road directly oppositeMadame Tussaud's andBaker Street underground station. Built in the 1960s it is home to the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment,Westminster Business School and thePolicy Studies Institute. The P3 exhibition area, a 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m2) space located in the former concrete construction hall of the School of Engineering, was opened in 2008.[24]
The Cavendish Campus is a modern glass and steel building in New Cavendish Street (Fitzrovia), close to theBT Tower. It houses science, engineering and computer laboratories. The campus is close toWarren Street, Great Portland Street and Goodge Street underground stations.
TheHarrow Campus is in a suburb, outside Central London. It is the base for Media, Arts and Design courses. It is also home to London Gallery West which exhibits a broad mix of contemporary media, art and design work. The nearest Tube station to the Harrow campus isNorthwick Park on theMetropolitan line.
| Campus | Site(s) | |
| Regent | 309 Regent Street | |
| Little Titchfield Street | 4–12 Little Titchfield Street | |
| 16 Little Titchfield Street (Education Abroad Centre) | ||
| 32/38 Wells Street (Corporate Services) | ||
| Cavendish | 115 New Cavendish Street | |
| Marylebone | 35 Marylebone Road | |
| 29 Marylebone Road (Student Employability Centre) (Coming Soon) | ||
| Harrow | Watford Road | |
The University of Westminster is incorporated under the Companies Act as a charity and company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital. It is also anexempt charity under the Charities Act 1993.[25]
The university's governing body is the Court of Governors. It meets five times per year and is ultimately responsible for the effective conduct of the activities of the university, including its strategic development, educational character and mission, and finances. The members of the Court of Governors are the trustees of the charity.[25]
The University of Westminster is organised into three colleges and 12 schools, within which there are around 65 departments and research centres:
The University is also home to the institute for Modern and Contemporary Culture, the Centre for the Study of Democracy and thePolicy Studies Institute.
Westminster had an income of £205.1million for 2017–2018, of which more than £22million was from funding grants, research grants and contracts.[25]
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The university'scoat of arms was granted on 17 May 1993. The predecessorPolytechnic of Central London used the colours of claret and silver and this was adapted into the murrey and argent livery of the arms. Theportcullis is taken from the arms of theCity of Westminster whilst the open book symbolises learning. The lateQueen Elizabeth II, who agreed to continue as the patron on the formation of the university, is represented by theTudor rose, a royal badge. The motto of the university, "The Lord is our Strength", is influenced by Quintin Hogg and his Young Men's Christian Institute. The open book on theescutcheon contains a Latin motto which reads as "Veritas", meaning "truth".
In the crest the demi lion with battle axe comes from the arms of Sir George Cayley. He founded the Royal Polytechnic Institution in 1838 on the site of the present University's Regent Street campus. Cayley was an engineer and inventor and pioneer aviator, hence the wings added to the lion. The lion supports a book charged with a portcullis.
The ram supporter comes from the arms of Quniton Hogg's grandson, Lord Hailsham, Lord High Chancellor. The Hogg family continued their association with the University through four generations. The lion with a tilting spear comes from the Studd family arms. The Studds worked closely with Quintin Hogg and in the running of The Polytechnic.
The Compartment depicts the situation of Westminster on the banks of the River Thames.[26]
| National rankings | |
|---|---|
| Complete (2026)[27] | 123 |
| Guardian (2026)[28] | 122 |
| Times / Sunday Times (2026)[29] | 115 |
| Global rankings | |
| QS (2026)[30] | 801–850 |
| THE (2026)[31] | 801–1000 |
Westminster offers Bachelor's, Master's, andDoctoraldegrees as well as certificates and diplomas at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. More than two thirds of Westminster's programmes are recognised by the appropriateprofessional bodies such as theBCS,BPS,CIOB,CABE,ICE,RICS,HPC etc. in recognition of the high standards of relevance to the professions.
The university has numerous centres of research excellence and was ranked sixth in the UK and 40th globally for Media and Communications byQS World University Rankings 2018.[32] The university was also ranked 15th for Art and Design in the UK,[33] and 18th in the UK for Architecture.[34] TheTimes Higher Education Young University Rankings 2019, which lists the world's best under 50-year-old universities out of 351 universities, ranked Westminster 151–200 in the world.[35]
The university achieved world leading and internationally excellent status for most of their work, ranking second for Communications, Cultural and Media Studies research,[36][37] 6th for Art and Design research,[38] in addition to the university performing strongly in Architecture and the Built Environment,[39] and Geography and Environmental studies.[40] In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, almost 80 per cent of Westminster's submitted research across 20 subject areas was judged to be of international quality. In 2013, Westminster was ranked joint second in the UK by theArchitects’ Journal in their "AJ Top 100" special issue.[41]
A Student Representative Council (SRC) was established at the polytechnic in 1933, to create a sense of unity and expand the social activities of its day students. The SRC was affiliated to the National Union of Students but initially restricted itself largely to social activities.
After 1945 it began to campaign on issues such as lifting a ban on religious or political activity within the Polytechnic, and establishing a formal Students’ Union. The ban was lifted in 1962 and a Union granted in 1965.
University of Westminster Students' Union (UWSU) was founded in 1966 as The Polytechnic Students' Union. Its first President was Owen Spencer-Thomas (1966–1967).[42] During the 1970s the newly formed Polytechnic of Central London Students’ Union (PCLSU) engaged in a strategy of protest and direct action. Against a backdrop of general social unrest, PCLSU campaigned against cuts in student grants, lack of accommodation and the rise in costs for overseas students.
After 1992, the Union was based primarily at theMarylebone site, where the SU served all students across four of its campuses. It now has offices on all campuses. The union also operates a bar, The Undercroft, and the Loft venue, located on theHarrow Campus.
The union has hosted to numerous musical events and gigs includingFleetwood Mac,[43] and most notably the first and only encounter betweenCream and Eric Clapton andJimi Hendrix.[44]
The union is run by five elected Officer Trustees who are campus based.
Smoke Radio is a student-run radio station at the University of Westminster. It was founded in 2004 and broadcasts online from a studio in the university's Harrow campus. Since September 2005 the station has run a 24-hour playout system and broadcast a schedule of live programmes during the week. Smoke Radio has won numerous awards at the Student Radio Association Awards (SRA), and recorded a record six wins in 2018.[45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52]
Smoke TV is thestudent television station of the University of Westminster. Launched in September 2011 it is run by students and targeted at students.[53] The station produces programmes covering campus news, film reviews and sport events and showcases student productions such as short films, TV shows, documentaries and music videos.[54]
From 1970 to 1992 the Students' Union published a magazine called McGarel. In the early 1990s, the Students' Union began expressing an interest in new print media, andThe Smoke was conceived in 1992. However, in 2006,The Smoke briefly switched to a newspaper format, initially being published fortnightly during term time. The newspaper format was later scrapped for a much smaller magazine format.
The Quintin Hogg (informally known as "The QH" or "The Hogg") was launched in September 2012 as a university-wide newspaper. The paper is circulated at all four of the university's campuses.
Past student publications included thePolytechnic Magazine (1935–1971),Poly-hoo (1938–1939),The Poly Tribune (1946),Publicity Committee News (1946), theJournal of the Maths and Physics Department (1945–1946),the Student Forum (1949–1953),New Chameleon (1962),Polygon (1963),Polygen (1964),West One (1966–1969),McGarel (1968–1993), andGen (1970).
The university also publishes an annual alumni magazine,Network, as well as several academic student journals such as theLaw Review[55] andWells Street Journal.[56][57]
Sport has played an important role at the institution since the late 19th century. In 1883, the athletic club, the Harriers, was established and was for many years the largest athletics club in the country.[58]
In 1908, the polytechnic organised the opening and closing ceremonies of the1908 London Olympic Games, also hosting a venue atThe Polytechnic Stadium inChiswick.[59] From 1898, the polytechnic awarded theStudd Trophy, an annual trophy for the best sports performance. Over the years, the award was given to sportsmen from various disciplines, such asswimming,boxing, andcycling, but the majority of awards have been given totrack and field athletes.
Noted award holders include:
The university has grounds in Chiswick on the Thames with boat house, tennis courts, athletics track and about 12 pitches. There are sports pitches and a sports hall at the Harrow campus while the Regent Campus has a gym, badminton courts and offers sports, martial arts and yoga classes.
In the 2017-18 basketball season, the Westminster Dragons won their first university title in over seven years.[60]
Notable Westminster alumni (and others who attended) include:
Notable former Westminster faculty and staff includeSir George Cayley (the father of aeronautical engineering),Charles Algernon Parsons (engineer and inventor of thesteam turbine),Rachel Aldred (academic specializing inactive mobility),Tom Ang (photographer andBBC presenter),Cherie Blair (senior barrister, wife of formerPrime Minister of the United Kingdom,Tony Blair),Harpal Brar (founder and former chairman of theCommunist Party of Great Britain (Marxist–Leninist)),Richard Burton (visiting lecturer and managing editor of theJewish Chronicle),Nicholas Garnham (emeritusprofessor in the field of media studies),Andrew Groves (fashion designer),Catherine Grubb, artist (taught at Harrow School of Art),[62]Mayer Hillman (senior fellowemeritus at thePolicy Studies Institute),Peter H Millard (president of the UKNosokinetics Group),Chantal Mouffe (political theorist),Ezra Pound (prominentmodernist figure inpoetry),Joshua Oppenheimer (Oscar nominated filmmaker),John Henry Pepper (scientist and inventor),Jean Seaton (professor of media history and official historian of theBBC),Alfred Waterhouse (architect and designer of theNatural History Museum),George Checkley (Modernist architect) andBrian Winston (Emmy award-winning documentary script writer).
51°31′01″N0°08′35″W / 51.51694°N 0.14306°W /51.51694; -0.14306
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