Manchester Metropolitan University is located in the centre of

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, England. The university has 40,000 students and over 4,000 members of staff. It is home to four faculties (Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Education and Science and Engineering). It is the fifth-largest university in the United Kingdom by total enrolment.

History

Manchester Metropolitan University was developed from mergers of various colleges with various specialisms, including technology, art and design. Its founding can be traced back to the Manchester Mechanics Institute, which was established in 1824 entirely through private initiative and funds to teach artisans the basic principles of science by part-time study, and the

Manchester School of Design Manchester School of Art on Oxford Road in Manchester, England, was established in 1838 as the Manchester School of Design. It is the second-oldest art school in the United Kingdom after the Royal College of Art which was founded the year befo ...

(f. 1838) latterly known as the

Manchester School of Art Manchester School of Art on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road in Manchester, England, was established in 1838 as the Manchester School of Design. It is the second-oldest art school in the United Kingdom after the Royal College of Art which was founded ...

. The painter L. S. Lowry attended in the years after the First World War, where he was taught by the noted impressionist Adolphe Valette. Schools of Commerce (f. 1889), Education (f. 1878), and Domestic Science (f. 1880) were added alongside colleges at Didsbury, Crewe, Alsager and the former Domestic and Trades College (f. 1911). The Manchester College of Science and Technology, which had originally been the Mechanics Institute and would then become

UMIST The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) was a university based in the centre of the city of Manchester in England. It specialised in technical and scientific subjects and was a major centre for Research univer ...

, transferred its non-degree courses to the School of Art by 1966. The institution renamed itself as Manchester Polytechnic in 1970, which was followed by series of mergers with the Didsbury College of Education and Hollings College in 1977, as well as City of Manchester College of Higher Education in 1983. In 1987, the institution became a founding member of the Northern Consortium, and became a corporate body on 1 April 1989 as allowed by the terms of the Education Reform Act. On 15 September 1992, Manchester Polytechnic gained university status under the wide-sweeping

Further and Higher Education Act 1992 The Further and Higher Education Act 1992 made changes in the funding and administration of further education and higher education within England and Wales, with consequential effects on associated matters in Scotland which had previously been g ...

, and then became Manchester Metropolitan University. After earning university status, Manchester Met absorbed

Crewe Crewe () is a railway town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the parish had a population of 55,318 and the built-up area had a population of 74,120. ...

and

Alsager Alsager ( ) is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It is located to the north-west of Stoke-on-Trent and east of Crewe. At the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 cen ...

College of Higher Education, and in 2004 the Manchester School of Physiotherapy (MSOP), an institution officially formed in 1991 through the amalgamation of the Schools of Physiotherapy of the

Manchester Royal Infirmary Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) is a large NHS teaching hospital in Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester, England. Founded by Charles White in 1752 as part of the voluntary hospital movement of the 18th century, it is now a major regional and nati ...

(MRI) and of Withington Hospital. MSOP was previously affiliated with the

Victoria University of Manchester The Victoria University of Manchester, usually referred to as simply the University of Manchester, was a university in Manchester, England. It was founded in 1851 as Owens College. In 1880, the college joined the federal Victoria University. A ...

, which conferred degree-level courses by extension until the final class of 2005. MSOP joined Manchester Metropolitan University as the Department of Physiotherapy in 2004, and was later renamed as the Department of Health Professions. The university's logo is derived from the upper part of the shield of the university's coat-of-arms, with six spade-irons positioned together, suggesting hard toil and entrenchment.

Campus

The university was previously located on seven sites: five in Manchester (All Saints, Aytoun, Didsbury, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Hollings) and two in Cheshire (Alsager and Crewe). However, the university later closed six of the seven sites to rationalise its estate. The university moved the work of the Alsager campus to Crewe, while the Aytoun campus was closed in 2012 following the opening of a Business School on the main campus. The Elizabeth Gaskell, Hollings and Didsbury campuses were closed in 2014, with faculties being relocated to the main city centre campus in Manchester. The Crewe campus closed in summer 2019, a decision taken following a review conducted by financial advisory firm Deloitte. Manchester Metropolitan University comprises four faculties led by faculty pro-vice-chancellors, 10 Professional Services Directorates and a range of departments, schools and institutes. The four faculties are: Arts and Humanities The Faculty of Arts and Humanities has more than 11,000 undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students. Home to

(f. 1838),

Manchester School of Architecture The Manchester School of Architecture (MSA) is a List of architecture schools#United Kingdom, School of Architecture, jointly administered by the University of Manchester and the Manchester Metropolitan University in the city of Manchester, Engl ...

and Manchester Writing School, the faculty is one of the largest in the UK. It offers a range of subjects, from design to fashion, creative writing to architecture, linguistics to languages, digital arts to journalism, and history to sociology, across 9 departments and schools. Business and Law The Faculty of Business and Law has more than 10,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled on 120 different degree programmes. The faculty consists of the Business School, which holds the globally recognised trio of accreditations from EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA, and the Manchester Law School. The faculty is also home to the majority of the university's Degree Apprenticeship programmes, with more than 2,400 apprentices studying across 15 programmes with 530 employer partners. Health and Education Home to around 9,000 students across 5 departments, the Faculty of Health and Education provides an inclusive learning and training environment based in the Brooks building. Science and Engineering More than 6,000 students in the Faculty of Science and Engineering benefit from nearly 100 undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in a variety of subjects. A new, £115m base for the faculty opens in 2024, which will include teaching and research spaces, a 200-student super lab, study areas and green spaces. File:Statue of John Dalton.jpg, The statue of

John Dalton John Dalton (; 5 or 6 September 1766 – 27 July 1844) was an English chemist, physicist and meteorologist. He introduced the atomic theory into chemistry. He also researched Color blindness, colour blindness; as a result, the umbrella term ...

William Theed William Theed (1804 – 9 September 1891), also known as William Theed the younger, was a British sculptor, the son of the sculptor and painter William Theed the elder (1764–1817). He specialised in portraiture, and his services were extensi ...

outside the university's building in Chester Street File:Manchester School of Art, (Manchester Metropolitan University), Cavendish Street, Manchester, England in 2008.jpg,

File:Grosvenor Building, Manchester Metropolitan University (15391128821).jpg, The Grosvenor Building, Manchester Met School of Art File:Manchester Metropolitan University Business School.jpg, Manchester Metropolitan University Business School File:Righton Building (14936658501).jpg, Righton Building Library The Library offers a study skills service and houses a number of special collections mainly relating to the fine and applied arts, like the

Laura Seddon Greeting Card Collection Laura Seddon Greeting Card Collection is a collection of 19th to early 20th century British greeting cards, housed in the All Saints Library of Manchester Metropolitan University, England. The collection contains 32,000 cards by various publish ...

, a collection of

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

and

Edwardian In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...

greeting cards. The North West Film Archive is managed by Manchester Metropolitan University's Library and is located within the Central Library. In 2021, the Manchester Poetry Library opened in the Grosvenor building. The Library can be accessed 24/7 by MMU students during term times and by visitors during term times on Saturdays and Sundays between 11:00 and 17:00. Campus investment The university's 10-year Estate Masterplan 2017–2027 was complemented by a £379m commitment to the Estates Investment Programme until 2024, delivering a range of projects including: the Arts and Humanities development, the Science and Engineering development, the School of Digital Arts (SODA), Manchester Metropolitan Institute of Sport, and the Student Residential portfolio.

Organisation

Governance

In common with most universities in the United Kingdom, Manchester Met is headed formally by the chancellor, currently

Lord Mandelson Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, (born 21 October 1953) is a British politician, lobbyist and diplomat who has served as British Ambassador to the United States since February 2025. A member of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party ...

but led by the vice-chancellor, currently

Malcolm Press Malcolm Colin Press (born 18 September 1958) is a British ecologist, professor and Vice-Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University, in the United Kingdom. Press is also Vice President of Universities UK for England and Northern Ireland. ...

. The university's board of governors is responsible for determining the educational character and mission of the university. It also falls to the board of governors to ensure that the university's resources are used in line with the university's Article of Government. It also safeguards the university's assets and approves the annual estimates of income and expenditure. The board of governors is responsible for broad policy, but the vice-chancellor, along with the University Executive Group, is responsible for overall management, policy implementation, organisation, operations and direction of the university. In December 2014, it was announced that

had been appointed to succeed John Brooks as vice chancellor on 1 June 2015. Manchester Met has around 40,000 students /sup>, making it currently the 11th in the UK for the biggest student population in 2020/21. The university employs over 4,000 staff.

Finances

In the financial year ending 31 July 2021, the university had a total income of £369m.

Academic profile

Rankings

The university is the fifth most popular university by enrolment in the UK (2023/2024 data). Manchester Metropolitan University is recognised for its research excellence, with 30% of its research rated world-leading in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework. Its Business School holds triple accreditation, including EQUIS, AMBA, and AACSB, placing it among a select group of global business schools. The university maintains a strong commitment to inclusion and diversity.

Research

30% of Manchester Met's overall research has been rated at the highest 'world leading' (4*) level and 90% of its research impact is rated 'world leading' (4*) or 'internationally excellent', (3*) across more than 740 academics. The university has fourteen research centres: * Advanced Materials and Surface Engineering * Business Transformations * Bioscience Research Centre * Centre for Applied Computational Science * Centre for Creative Writing, English Literature and Linguistics * Centre for Decent Work and Productivity * Ecology and Environment * Education and Social Research Institute * Future Economies * Health, Psychology and Communities * History Research Centre * Manchester School of Art Research Centre * Musculoskeletal Science and Sports Medicine * Research Centre for Applied Social Sciences

Students' Union

{{Main, The Union MMU The

Students' Union A students' union or student union, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, organizat ...

exists to represent all members at the Manchester Metropolitan University and students on accredited external courses. The Union is led by the Union Officers Group formed of five students of the university, elected by the students to lead the Union on their behalf. A shop and café catering to university students has also been set up inside the Students' Union. The Students' Union moved in January 2015 to a new purpose-built building on Higher Cambridge Street, next to Cambridge and Cavendish Halls of Residence.

Notable alumni

Some in the list attended institutions which became part of present-day Manchester Metropolitan University.{{Cite web , last=University , first=Manchester Metropolitan , title=Meet Our Alumni, Manchester Metropolitan University , url=https://www.mmu.ac.uk/alumni/meet/ , access-date=1 December 2022 , website=Manchester Metropolitan University , language=en , archive-date=16 June 2024 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616151828/https://www.mmu.ac.uk/alumni/community/meet , url-status=live {{div col, colwidth=30em
Academia * Edward Fletcher Cass, folklore *

James Corner James Corner (born 1961) is a landscape architect and theorist whose works exhibit a focus on "developing innovative approaches toward landscape architectural design and urbanism." His designs of note include Fresh Kills Park on Staten Island and t ...

, landscape architecture *

Sorcha Ní Fhlainn Sorcha Ní Fhlainn is an Irish academic who specializes in vampire fiction, horror film, and gothic studies. She is Reader in Film Studies and Co-Director of the Popular Screen Cultures Network at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was ch ...

, film studies * Freda Newcombe, neuropsychology * David Park, art history * Alan Clive Roberts, engineering * Laura Serrant, nursing * John Wilson, public policy * Sue Wise, feminist theory Arts and Creative *

John Bishop John Bishop (born 30 November 1966) is an English comedian, presenter, actor and former semi pro footballer. His first television appearance was in 2007 on the RTÉ topical-comedy show '' The Panel'', where he was a regular panelist until 20 ...

, comedian, presenter * John Bradley, actor *

Sarah Burton Sarah Jane Burton (née Heard; born 1974) is an English fashion designer. She worked at the Alexander McQueen (brand), Alexander McQueen fashion house from 1997 through 2023, spending her last 13 years at the company as its creative director. ...

, Creative Director, Alexander McQueen *

Steve Coogan Stephen John Coogan (; born 14 October 1965) is an English-Irish actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. His accolades include four BAFTA Awards and three British Comedy Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Aw ...

, actor, comedian & producer *

, landscape architect *

Brian Cosgrove Brian Joseph Cosgrove (born 6 April 1934) is an English animator, designer, director, producer and sculptor. With Mark Hall, he founded Cosgrove Hall Films in 1976 and produced successful animated children shows including ''The Wind in the W ...

, animator, producer, director *

Isabelle Jane Foulkes Isabelle "Issi" Jane Foulkes (, 12 July 1970 – 31 October 2001) was an Anglo-Welsh artist, textile designer and disability campaigner. She designed the Welsh fingerspelling alphabet and worked with charities including Hearing Dogs for Deaf Peo ...

, artist and disability campaigner * Malcolm Garrett, Graphic Designer *

Thomas Heatherwick Thomas Alexander Heatherwick, (born 17 February 1970) is an English designer and the founder of London-based design practice Heatherwick Studio. He works with a team of more than 200 architects, designers and entrepreneurs from his studio in ...

, designer *

Bernard Hill Bernard Hill (17 December 1944 – 5 May 2024) was an English actor. He was known for his versatile roles in both television and film, and his career spanned over fifty years. Hill first gained prominence as the troubled hard man Yosser Hughes ...

, actor * Liz Jolly, Chief Librarian, British Library *

Gethin Jones Gethin Clifford Jones (born 12 February 1978) is a Welsh television presenter. He was an active rugby union player while at Manchester Metropolitan University and, after graduation, he began his television career on Welsh language channel S4C a ...

, presenter * Liz Kessler, writer * L. S. Lowry, artist *

Lindsey McAlister Lindsey McAlister OBE (b. 30 October 1960) is an English theatre director and writer based in Hong Kong. She founded the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation (HKYAF) (formerly Youth Arts Festival) in 1993. She has written several original musicals, ...

, theatre director *

Martin Parr Martin Parr (born 23 May 1952) is a British documentary photographer, photojournalist and photobook collector. He is known for his photographic projects that take an intimate, satirical and anthropological look at aspects of modern life, in p ...

, photographer *

Heather Peace Heather Mary Peace (born 16 June 1975) is an English actress, singer and LGBT rights activist. She is known for her roles as Eve Unwin in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' and Nikki Boston in the BBC school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road' ...

, actress, musician * Greg Poole, artist *

Michelle Yeoh Yeoh Choo Kheng (; born 6 August 1962), known professionally as Michelle Yeoh (), is a Malaysian actress. In a career spanning over four decades, Yeoh has appeared Michelle Yeoh filmography, in projects encompassing a wide array of genres, a ...

, actress * Peter Saville, graphic designer * John Thomson, actor and comedian *

David Threlfall David John Threlfall (born 12 October 1953) is an English stage, film and television actor and director. He is best known for playing Frank Gallagher in Channel 4's series '' Shameless''. He has also directed several episodes of the show. In Ap ...

, actor * Dame Julie Walters, actress * Carey Young, artist Business * Helen Connolly, CEO, New Look *

Paul Hudson Paul David Hudson (born 27 February 1971) is an English weather presenter and environment correspondent for BBC Yorkshire and BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Hudson was born and raised in Keighley, West Yorkshire. He was made an Honorary Fe ...

, CEO,

Sanofi Sanofi S.A. is a French Multinational corporation, multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France. The corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthélabo. In 200 ...

* Jonathan Mildenhall, CEO, TwentyFirstCenturyBrand *

Nick Read Nicholas Jonathan Read (born 29 September 1964) is a British businessman who was the CEO of Vodafone Group plc from October 2018 to December 2022. Read currently works as a senior advisor for Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and is chair ...

, CEO Vodafone Group * Dame Dianne Thompson, businesswoman * Michael Turner, Chairman, Babcock International *

Paul S. Walsh Paul Steven Walsh (born 15 May 1955) is an English businessman who is the executive chairman of the McLaren Group. He was the chief executive of Diageo, the world's largest whisky company, for twelve years between 2000 and 2013. Walsh was criti ...

, Executive Chairman,

McLaren Group McLaren Group Limited ( ) is a British holding company based in Woking, England, which is involved in Formula One and other motorsport and the manufacture of sports cars. The group was founded by Ron Dennis shortly after his acquisition of the ...

Public sector and law * Keith Bradley, Labour Party politician * Sarah Green *

Patrick Harvie Patrick Harvie (born 18 March 1973) is a Scottish politician who served as Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights from 2021 to 2024. He has served as one of two co-leaders of the Scottish Greens since 2008, and i ...

Mike Kane Michael Joseph Patrick Kane (born 9 January 1969) is a British politician who has served as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport since July 2024. A member of the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, Kane has served as Member of Pa ...

* Afzal Khan *

Rebecca Long-Bailey Rebecca Roseanne Long-Bailey (' Long; born 22 September 1979) is a British Labour Party politician and solicitor who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Salford, previously Salford and Eccles, since 2015. She served in the Shadow Cabinet ...

Sylvia Pankhurst Estelle Sylvia Pankhurst (; 5 May 1882 – 27 September 1960) was an English Feminism, feminist and Socialism, socialist activist and writer. Following encounters with women-led labour activism in the United States, she worked to organise worki ...

, feminist and campaigner *

Paul Scriven Paul James Scriven, Baron Scriven (born 7 February 1966), is a Liberal Democrat politician and life peer. Leader of Sheffield City Council from 2008 to 2011, he was once described as Nick Clegg's "closest ally in local government". Scriven has ...

, Baron Scriven of Hunters Bar *

Grant Shapps Sir Grant Shapps (born 14 September 1968) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Defence from August 2023 to July 2024. Shapps previously served in various Cabinet of the United Kingdom, cabinet posts, including Chairman of ...

, Conservative politician * Thelma Walker, Labour politician Sport *

Michael Appleton Michael Antony Appleton (born 4 December 1975) is an English professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of EFL League Two club Shrewsbury Town. As a player, he operated as a midfielder, in a nine-year career that ...

, football manager and coach *

Karen Bardsley Karen Louise Bardsley (born 14 October 1984) is an American-born English former Association football, footballer who played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. She played for Sky Blue FC in the previous top-flight American Women' ...

, professional footballer *

Mike Butt Mike Butt (born 6 May 1995) is a international rugby league footballer who plays as a er and for the Widnes Vikings in the Championship. Background Butt was born in Manchester, Greater Manchester, England. He is of Welsh descent through his ...

, Wales international rugby league footballer *

Kadeena Cox Kadeena Cox (born 10 March 1991) is a parasport athlete competing in T38 para-athletics sprint events and C4 para-cycling and British television presenter. She was part of the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships and the 2016 UCI Para-cyc ...

, parasport athlete *

Mark Cueto Mark John Cueto (born 26 December 1979 in Workington, Cumbria) is a former English international rugby union player. He played on the wing for Sale Sharks and England. He is currently the third leading try scorer in the Aviva Premiership. O ...

, former professional rugby player *

Ashley Giles Ashley Fraser Giles (born 19 March 1973) is a former English first-class cricketer, who played 54 Test matches and 62 One Day Internationals for England before being forced to retire due to a recurring hip injury. Giles played the entirety of ...

, former professional cricketer * Danny Grewcock, former England rugby player *

Steve Round Stephen John Round (born 9 November 1970) is an English professional association football, football coach and former player. He is currently a part-time assistant first-team coach at Derby County F.C., Derby County. He was assistant first-team c ...

, Assistant Manager, Arsenal * Paul Simpson, former professional football * Gordon Taylor, former professional footballer {{div col end

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

{{Commons category * {{Official website, http://www.mmu.ac.uk, Manchester Metropolitan University official website {{clear {{Manchester Metropolitan University, state=autocollapse {{Universities and colleges in North West England {{Universities in the United Kingdom {{Triple accreditation {{Authority control Universities and colleges established in 1970 1970 establishments in England Buildings and structures in Manchester Universities UK