![]() | This article needs to be updated.(March 2019) |
![]() Coat of arms of the university | |
Motto | Latin: Scientia et votorum impletio |
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Motto in English | Knowledge and the fulfilment of vows |
Type | Public |
Established | 1898 – West Ham Technical Institute 1952 – West Ham College of Technology 1970 – North East London Polytechnic 1989 – Polytechnic of East London 1992 – gained university status |
Chairperson | Anulika Ajufo |
Chancellor | Shabir Randeree |
Vice-Chancellor | Amanda Broderick |
Academic staff | 716 |
Students | 22,450 (2022/23) [1] |
Undergraduates | 11,395 (2022/23) [1] |
Postgraduates | 11,060 (2022/23) [1] |
Location | London , United Kingdom 51°30′28″N0°3′49″E / 51.50778°N 0.06361°E |
Campus | Urban |
Colours | Teal, black and white |
Affiliations | MillionPlus Association of Commonwealth Universities Universities UK EUA |
Website | uel |
University of East London (UEL) is a public university located in the London Borough of Newham, London, England, based at three campuses in Stratford and Docklands, following the opening of University Square Stratford in September 2013. [2] The University of East London began as the West Ham Technical Institute and it was officially opened in October 1898 after approval was given for the construction of the site by the West Ham Technical Instruction Act Committee in 1892 following the Technical Instruction Act of 1889. It gained university status in 1992. It was formerly known as College of East London.
The community is made up of over 40,000 students from over 160 countries studying at the University of East London and collaborative partners.
UEL can trace its roots back to 1892, when the newly formed County Borough of West Ham decided to establish a West Ham Technical Institute to serve the local community. The institute was to be, in the words of John Passmore Edwards speaking at the building's opening ceremony, a "people's university".[ citation needed ] The college provided courses in science, engineering and art, and also established its own internal degree courses in science and engineering, which were ratified by the University of London. In addition, it had a women's department. [3]
As demand for technical education grew throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Essex County Council created two further colleges at Walthamstow and Dagenham (South West Essex Technical College and South East Essex Technical College). [4] In 1970 these three colleges [4] (West Ham, Walthamstow, Dagenham) were combined as a merger of higher education colleges, to create the North East London Polytechnic. [5] Campuses were modernised and revitalised by buildings such as the Arthur Edwards building on the Stratford campus, completed in 1982. [4]
In 1988 the North East London Polytechnic became a higher education institution, and was renamed the Polytechnic of East London in 1989. [5]
In 1992 the Polytechnic of East London became the University of East London, one of a number of "new universities". UEL's succession of founding institutions exemplify the developments that took place in British further and higher education policy throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries. [6] The University of East London consisted of the Barking Campus (closed 2006) [7] and the Stratford Campus. In 1999 the Docklands Campus was opened, the first new university campus built in London for over 50 years. [8]
In 2012, following previous opposition, UEL adopted the full increased tuition rates of £9,000 permitted by legislation enacted in 2010, [9] [10] an increase from the previous rate of £3,290. [9] The university is a lead academic sponsor of Hackney University Technical College which opened in 2012, one of the first university technical colleges in England.
In April 2013 the university was granted armorial bearings by the College of Arms. [11]
UEL has three campuses, at Stratford and Docklands, the newest of which, University Square Stratford, opened in September 2013. The Barking campus was closed in 2006. [12]
UEL delivers programmes and short courses at the Barking Learning Centre in a nearby borough. [13] Off campus, there are students registered on programmes with UK and non-UK academic partners, such as the Women's Institute of Management in Malaysia. [14]
UCFB is a college of the university.
The Stratford Campus is close to the 2012 Olympic Park. It is centred around University House, a 19th-century listed building. [15] The campus is home to the School of Education and Communities, the School of Health Sport and Bioscience and the School of Psychology. The Centre for Clinical Education was opened in January 2008. Operating in partnership with the National Health Service, the centre is London's only provider of podiatric education. [16]
In 2011 UEL appointed Make Architects to lead the design of a replacement library at the Stratford Campus. The project had a budget of £13 million and the library opened in June 2013. [17]
The Docklands Campus, opened in 1999, is the largest of the three campuses, It is in the redeveloped Docklands area of east London, at the Royal Albert Dock, closed to commercial shipping since the 1980s and now largely used as a water sports centre and rowing course, for example for the London Regatta Centre.
London City Airport is across the dock from the campus. The Cyprus station of the Docklands Light Railway is adjacent to the campus, and offers links to Canary Wharf and central London.
The campus was shortlisted for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' Building of the Year in 2001. [18]
New student accommodation opened in 2008 and the campus now has 1,200 student rooms, together with shops, cafés and a restaurant, launderettes and an open-air fitness suite. SportsDock, a £21 million sports and academic centre, opened in March 2012. [19] SportsDock served as the High-Performance Training Centre for Team USA during the London 2012 Olympic Games. [20] The campus library is housed in the Royal Docks Business School building.
A third campus, University Square Stratford (USS – not to be confused with University Square at the Docklands Campus), opened for the 2013–14 academic year. The building opened being co-owned with Birkbeck, University of London it is situated in Stratford and delivers part-time and full-time study for adults. The project was the first time two higher education institutions created a new shared building. The building provides shared teaching spaces for both higher education institutions and their partners. It is home to the Royal Docks School of Business Law, as well as UEL's Institute of Performing Arts. Facilities include performance studios, editing suites, a mooting room and lecture theatres. [17]
In July 2021, the university bought the remaining shares in University Square as part of their Vision 2028 strategy, to "boost careers-led education", this enabled the UEL's Royal Docks School of Business and Law facility within USS to be further enhanced by a trading floor simulator, a mooting room, and a marketing analytics lab.
The building was nominated for the 2014 Carbuncle Cup. [21]
Degree programmes and other courses are taught by one of the seven teaching schools. In addition, the Graduate School provides support and administrative services for postgraduate research students.
The School of Business and Law (RDBSL) is a combined school which offers undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD degree programmes, as well as non-degree executive education for individuals and companies. The school's main location is at the Stratford Campus but it also offers programmes at the Docklands Campus. [22] Its programmes are recognised by professional bodies including the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, (ACCA), the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, (CIPD). [23]
The school also offers a range of business support, enterprise development services and conferencing facilities. Knowledge Dock helps students start their own companies by supplying help and business start-up incubators. [24] Knowledge Dock is accredited by the European Business Network as a Business Innovation Centre (BIC) and is the only BIC in London, and one of only 12 in the UK. [24]
The School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering was established in 2011. [25] It delivers undergraduate programmes in architecture, computing, civil engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, mathematics and product design. [26]
The School of Education and Communities delivers teaching and supports research in comparative education, early childhood, diversity and language, multilingualism, professional education, race and community, social work, teacher education and technology-enhanced learning. [27]
The School of Health, Sport and Bioscience supports research and delivers teaching in nursing, health studies, physiotherapy, microbiology, biomedical science, physiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, forensic science, sports science, conservation and ecology. [28]
The School of Psychology delivers programmes such as BSc (Hons) Psychology, accredited by the British Psychological Society, and a qualification in counselling training, BSc (Hons) Counselling and Mentoring. [29]
The School of Arts and Creative Industries delivers courses that cover fashion, film, design, [30] fine art and media, digital arts and communications, games design and animation, music, theatre and dance, creative writing, cultural and heritage studies, journalism, advertising and performing arts. [31]
The Graduate School provides support for postgraduate research students, research and scholarly activities. [32]
In 2018, UEL partnered with renowned theatre arts school Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and became validators of their BA (Hons) Musical Theatre course. The course takes place at two locations; The academy, Barbican and Italia Conti Arts Centre, Guildford.
National rankings | |
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Complete (2025) [33] | 125 |
Guardian (2025) [34] | 56 |
Times / Sunday Times (2025) [35] | 126 |
Global rankings | |
QS (2025) [36] | 901–950 |
THE (2025) [37] | 1001–1200 |
UEL offers both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. In addition, extended degree programmes are available for many of the single honour programmes. In these programmes, students add a preliminary foundation year to the usual three-year programme. UEL offers a range of postgraduate degrees, including taught master's degrees, professional doctorates and research degrees including MPhils and PhDs. [38]
UEL has an MBA programme in Malaysia via collaboration with Women's Institute of Management Malaysia. [39] [40]
UEL's campuses are in Newham, the host borough of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, close to two Olympic venues; the Olympic Park in Stratford and the Excel Centre in Docklands. UEL has had Olympic and Paralympic projects including research, student involvement and sporting partnerships underway since it was announced that London's bid to host the Games was successful in 2005.
Asics had a five-year partnership with UEL, and provided bursaries and scholarships to support research athletes at the university. During the 2012 Games, ASICS played host to athletes, ambassadors and business partners in their brand centre at UEL's Stratford campus. [41] [42]
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) was a Games-time partner with UEL and students volunteered as Games-makers during the Games. [41]
British Swimming has had a partnership with UEL since the London Olympic Games in 2005. British Swimming used UEL residencies during the Games. [43] [44]
The United States Olympic Committee's Team USA used SportsDock as its training centre during the Games. UEL sites acted as a base for USOC's sports performance services, logistical operations and media relations. [45] [46] Michelle Obama addressed the Team USA athletes at the SportsDock facility on Friday, 27 July 2012, speaking of the pride and excitement that the Games bring to people. [47]
UEL students volunteered with Team USA in a number of roles during the Olympic season, including writing for the team's Games-time publication.
Team Singapore (SSC)'s recovery centre was based at UEL, providing high-performance athletic services including an athletes' lounge. UEL also provided accommodation for SSC's medical team. [41] [48]
In the seven years to 2012, UEL produced around 70 pieces of research work, including the Westfield Transport Observation, Newham Impact Evaluation and LOCOG Impact Evaluation. [49]
The University of East London Students' Union (UELSU) is the university-wide representative body for students at the university. It exists to represent UEL students in university decision-making, to act as the voice of students in the national higher education policy debate, and to provide direct services to the student body. It is affiliated to the National Union of Students, which represents students nationwide. Elections are held every year to elect a new executive committee. [50] The Students' Union runs a number of clubs and societies, campaigns and entertainment. There is also a social meeting space, on the Docklands campus and another, the Dome, on the Stratford campus
There are over 50 societies at UEL. [51] There is a student e-zine called Your Universe, a joint partnership between UEL and student writers. [52]
UEL's sports clubs participate in the British Universities and Colleges Sport leagues and sports activities are managed by UELSports. [53] In 2011, UEL was named the most improved university for sport at the BUCS awards, having jumped 43 places in the league table. [54]
A sports centre at the Docklands campus, Sportsdock, opened in 2012. This was used by Team USA for their training during the 2012 Summer Olympics. The centre features a gym and fitness suite, two large indoor sports arenas, ten badminton courts, two competition basketball courts, volleyball and netball courts, cricket bays, two five-a-side football pitches, a sports café and covered seating for 400 people. [55]
![]() | This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy.(January 2014) |
UEL and its predecessor institutions have a number of notable academic staff and alumni, including politicians, business people, authors, actors, musicians and sports people.
Stratford is a town in East London, England, in the London Borough of Newham. Part of the Lower Lea Valley, it is 6 miles (9.7 km) northeast of Charing Cross, and includes Maryland and East Village.
West Ham is a district in East London, England and is in the London Borough of Newham. It is an inner-city suburb located 6.1 mi (9.8 km) east of Charing Cross.
The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is a London borough in East London. The borough was created in 1965 as the London Borough of Barking; the name was changed in 1980. It is an Outer London borough and the south is within the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway; an area designated as a national priority for urban regeneration. At the 2011 census it had a population of 187,000. The borough's three main towns are Barking, Chadwell Heath and Dagenham. The local authority is the Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council. Barking and Dagenham was one of six London boroughs to host the 2012 Summer Olympics.
The London Borough of Newham is a London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of West Ham and East Ham, authorities that were both abolished by the same act. The name Newham reflects its creation and combines the compass points of the old borough names. Situated in the Inner London part of East London, Newham has a population of 387,576, which is the fourth highest of the London boroughs and also makes it the 26th most populous district in England. The local authority is Newham London Borough Council.
Plaistow is a suburban area of East London, England, within the London Borough of Newham. It adjoins Upton Park to the north, East Ham to the east, Beckton to the south, Canning Town to the south-west and West Ham to the west.
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a borough in London, England. Situated on the north bank of the River Thames and immediately east of the City of London, the borough spans much of the traditional East End of London and includes much of the regenerated London Docklands area. The 2019 mid-year population for the borough is estimated at 324,745.
Royal Docks is an area in the London Borough of Newham in the London Docklands in East London, England.
Beckton is a suburb in east London, England, located 8 miles (12.9 km) east of Charing Cross and part of the London Borough of Newham. Adjacent to the River Thames, the area consisted of unpopulated marshland known as the East Ham Levels in the parishes of Barking, East Ham, West Ham and Woolwich. The development of major industrial infrastructure in the 19th century to support the growing metropolis of London caused an increase in population with housing built in the area for workers of the Beckton Gas Works and Beckton Sewage Treatment Works. The area has a convoluted local government history and has formed part of Greater London since 1965. Between 1981 and 1995 it was within the London Docklands Development Corporation area, which caused the population to increase as new homes were built and the Docklands Light Railway was constructed.
East London is the northeastern part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of railways in the 19th century encouraged the eastward expansion of the East End of London and a proliferation of new suburbs. The industrial lands of East London are today an area of regeneration, which are well advanced in places such as Canary Wharf and ongoing elsewhere.
The University of East London Docklands Campus is a campus of the University of East London (UEL) situated in the Docklands area of east London. The campus opened in 1999. It is one of two campuses in UEL, the other being the Stratford Campus.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a sporting complex and public park in Stratford, Hackney Wick, Leyton and Bow, in east London. It was purpose-built for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, situated adjacent to the Stratford City development. It contains the Olympic stadium, now known as the London Stadium, and the Olympic swimming pool together with the athletes' Olympic Village and several other Olympic sporting venues and the London Olympics Media Centre. The park is overlooked by the ArcelorMittal Orbit, an observation tower and Britain's largest piece of public art.
Newham College is a large general further education college in the London Borough of Newham, England, established in 1985. The college's main site is in East Ham, with a further site in Stratford and six further local neighbourhood learning centres; the college also runs the Fashion and Textile Museum in Central London. As of 2018 there are over 23,000 enrolled students at the college. At one point it was one of the largest colleges of further education in England.
The Docklands Light Railway extension to Dagenham Dock was a proposed extension of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Dagenham Dock in East London, to serve the Barking Riverside development and the wider London Riverside part of the Thames Gateway.
Cumberland Community School is a coeducational secondary school located in the London Borough of Newham, England. There are 300 pupils in each year. It is on Oban Close off Prince Regent Lane close to its junction with Newham Way and has substantial land, sharing facilities with neighbouring Newham Leisure Centre. It is built on the site of the former Woodside Community School.
The School of Law and Social Sciences is one of eight academic schools at the University of East London in East London, England. The School teaches six undergraduate courses, ten postgraduate courses, and houses the Centre on Human Rights in Conflict. The School is attended by over 1,000 students.' The majority of the School's courses are taught at the University of East London's Duncan House, near to its Stratford Campus, however the Law School's Refugee Studies course is based at the University of East London's Docklands Campus. Based on the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, The Times Higher Education survey ranked the school 38th in the UK.
East Village is an area in Stratford, East London that was designed and constructed as the Olympic Village of the 2012 Summer Olympics and has been converted for use as a new residential district, complete with independent shops, bars and restaurants. The area was formerly contaminated waste land and industrial buildings to the north of Stratford town centre. More than 7,000 people now live in the area.
The University of East London Stratford Campus is based in and around University House, a Grade II* listed building, located in Stratford, London in the London Borough of Newham. The nearest station is Maryland.
The British Institute of Technology, England (BITE), formerly the British Institute of Technology and E-commerce, is a private educational institute, also involved in consultancy and research, whose main campus is located in the London Borough of Newham, east London, England.
Young and Talented School of Stage and Screen (Y&T) is a London-based drama school located at Oxford House in Bethnal Green and The Broadway Theatre, in Barking. Y&T was founded in 2004 by actress and director Suzann McLean (Robinson) and has been running at the Barking and Dagenham College since 2013. The school won an Ebony Business Recognition Award in 2013 in the category of "Entertainment and Leisure" as well as the Jack Petchey Foundation Crystal Award in 2015. And has received positive reviews in East End Life and Muslim Weekly newspaper.
Brook Sixth Form and Academy is a university technical college located in Dagenham in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, England. It opened in September 2014 as Elutec and changed its name in September 2023. Pupils from Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham, Redbridge and Thurrock attend the UTC.