Member institutions of the University of London are colleges and universities that are members of the federal University of London.
The University of London was initially configured as an examining board for affiliated colleges, but was reconfigured as a teaching university for London, with many London colleges becoming schools of the university, in 1900. [1] Since the 1990s it has trended towards much greater autonomy for its colleges. Common assessment standards by subject no longer exist across the university nor is shared teaching or cross-registration commonplace.[ citation needed ]
The member institutions of the University of London are currently divided as follows, in alphabetical order:
The institutions that make up the university of London have been referred to by a number of different terms historically. From federation in 1900 until the passing of the University of London Act 1994 they were formally "schools of the university" or (until 1978) "colleges incorporated into the university", [2] from 1994 until the passing of the University of London Act 2018 they were "colleges", [3] and from 2018 they have been "member institutions". A member institution is defined in the 2018 act as "an educational, academic or research institution which is a constituent member of the University and has for the time being — (a) the status of a college under the statutes; or (b) the status of a university". [4] This had the effect of allowing institutions to change their status from colleges to universities in their own right while still remaining part of the University of London. [5] These institutions, including the London School of Economics [6] and University College London, [7] achieved university status in their own right within the University of London in 2022 and 2023.
In February 2024, it was announced that City, University of London and St George's, University of London would merge and become a single university in August 2024 and will be renamed to "City St George’s, University of London". [8] [9]
Students from University of London colleges who wish to take a course at another college within the collegiate public university as part of their degree can register as intercollegiate students. [10]
Until the year 2008, all colleges within the federal collegiate system solely awarded a University of London degree. From 2003 onwards some colleges received their own degree-awarding powers. [11] [12] However, these were held in abeyance until 2008, when a number of colleges began to award their own degrees. [13]
University College London, which operates as UCL, is a public research university in London, England. It is a member institution of the federal University of London, and is the second-largest university in the United Kingdom by total enrolment and the largest by postgraduate enrolment.
The University of London is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree-awarding examination board for students holding certificates from University College London, King's College London and "other such institutions, corporate or unincorporated, as shall be established for the purpose of Education, whether within the Metropolis or elsewhere within our United Kingdom". It is one of three institutions to have advertised themselves as the third-oldest university in England. It moved to a federal structure with constituent colleges in 1900. It is now incorporated by its fourth (1863) royal charter and governed by the University of London Act 2018.
Universities in the United Kingdom have generally been instituted by royal charter, papal bull, Act of Parliament, or an instrument of government under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 or the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. Degree awarding powers and the 'university' title are protected by law, although the precise arrangements for gaining these vary between the constituent countries of the United Kingdom.
In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies from country to country.
Birkbeck, University of London, is a research university located in the Bloomsbury neighborhood of London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. Established in 1823 as the London Mechanics' Institute by its founder Sir George Birkbeck and its supporters- Jeremy Bentham, J. C. Hobhouse and Henry Brougham- Birkbeck is one of the few universities to specialise in evening higher education in the United Kingdom.
London Guildhall University was a university in the United Kingdom from 1992 to 2002, established when the City of London Polytechnic was awarded university status. On 1 August 2002, it merged with the University of North London to form London Metropolitan University. The former London Guildhall University premises now form the new university's City campus, situated on various sites in the City of London.
London is a leading global educational centre, having one of the largest populations of overseas students of any city in the world.
Colleges within universities in the United Kingdom can be divided into two broad categories: those in federal universities such as the University of London, which are primarily teaching institutions joined in a federation, and residential colleges in universities following the traditional collegiate pattern of Oxford and Cambridge, which may have academic responsibilities but are primarily residential and social. The legal status of colleges varies widely, both with regard to their corporate status and their status as educational bodies. London colleges are all considered 'recognised bodies' with the power to confer University of London degrees and, in many cases, their own degrees. Colleges of Oxford, Cambridge, Durham and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) are 'listed bodies', as "bodies that appear to the Secretary of State to be constituent colleges, schools, halls or other institutions of a university". Colleges of the plate glass universities of Kent, Lancaster and York, along with those of the University of Roehampton and the University of the Arts London do not have this legal recognition. Colleges of Oxford, Cambridge, London, and UHI, and the "recognised colleges" and "licensed halls" of Durham, are separate corporations, while the colleges of other universities, the "maintained colleges" of Durham, and the "societies of the university" at Oxford are parts of their parent universities and do not have independent corporate existence.
The third-oldest university in England debate has been carried out since the mid-19th century, with rival claims being made originally by Durham University as the third-oldest officially recognised university (1832) and the third to confer degrees (1837) and the University of London as the third university to be granted a royal charter (1836). These have been joined more recently by University College London as it was founded as London University (1826) and was the third-oldest university institution to start teaching (1828) and by King's College London. Most historians identify Durham as the third-oldest, following standard practice in how a university is defined and how this is applied historically, although the popular press is more divided.
University College London (UCL) was founded on 11 February 1826, under the name London University, as a secular alternative to the strictly religious universities of Oxford and Cambridge. It was founded with the intention from the beginning of it being a university, not a college or institute. However its founders encountered strong opposition from the Church of England, the existing universities and the medical schools which prevented them from securing the Royal Charter under the title of "university" that would grant "London University" official recognition and allow it to award degrees. It was not until 1836, when the latter-day University of London was established, that it was legally recognised and granted the authority to submit students for the degree examinations of the University of London.
The Careers Group, University of London was a division of the central University of London, serving the collective needs of a number of its college-based services, and collectively - until 2019, comprised the largest higher education careers and employability service in Europe.
The University of London Dragons, formerly known as the University of London Union Purples, are a British student ice hockey team based in London, England. They compete in three divisions under the British Universities Ice Hockey Association. Dragons are the most successful student ice hockey team in the history of British university ice hockey.
London Universities and Colleges Athletics (LUCA) is the representative and governing body for university athletics in London.
The University of London Screen Studies Group (SSG) is a research consortium in film studies, founded in 2001. Member institutions include Goldsmiths, Birkbeck, University College London, King's College London, Royal Holloway, SOAS, Queen Mary, and the London School of Economics.
The history of Imperial College London can be traced back to the founding of the Royal College of Chemistry in 1845 in London, with some ancestral medical schools dating back to 1823. The college was formed in 1907 out of the Royal Colleges in South Kensington, and throughout the 20th century became central to the national strategy for technical education and research. It existed for most of its life as part of the University of London, only becoming independent in 2007.