Manchester Metropolitan University

About

The Northern Quota is a Manchester based news website run by students and staff from the Multimedia Journalism courses at Manchester Metropolitan University.

About the University

Manchester Metropolitan University was awarded university status in 1992 and is part of the largest higher education campus in the UK and one of the most extensive education centres in Europe.

With a history dating back 150 years, we have a combination of the traditional and the contemporary that sets MMU apart and gives us our distinct character.

Manchester Metropolitan University is one of the largest campus-based universities in the UK with a total student population of more than 37,000. Our claim is to be the University for World Class professionals with an emphasis on vocational education and employability.

Our roots in higher education date back to 1824, and we’re committed to a strong future through a £350million investment in our buildings and facilities. We have a combination of the traditional and the contemporary that sets the University apart and gives us our distinct character. Manchester Metropolitan University is part of the largest higher education campus in the UK and one of the most extensive education centres in Europe.

The University was initially developed as a centre of Technology, Art and Design from Manchester Mechanics’ Institution (1824) and Manchester School of Design (1838). Later Schools of Commerce (founded 1889), Education (f. 1878) and Domestic Science (f. 1880) were added along with colleges at Didsbury, Crewe, Alsager and the former Domestic and Trades College (f. 1911), latterly Hollings College. The painter L. S. Lowry attended the art school in the years after the First World War where he was taught by the noted impressionist Adolphe Valette.

University Location

The central Manchester campus is situated close to Manchester’s city centre and we have a second campus in Cheshire, 36 miles (58 km) from Manchester.

The University is arranged into eight faculties, each providing specialist learning, teaching and research hubs for students at undergraduate, postgraduate and professional development.

We are the UK’s most popular University as measured by undergraduate applications in the 2011 intake, receiving more than 56,000* applications this year. We have:

  • More than 1,000 courses and qualifications, the majority of which have a strong professional bias.
  • The highest concentration of postgraduate taught courses in the North West.
  • Links with over 70 professional bodies and associations recognising both the quality and practical focus of our course provision.
  • An extensive portfolio of training and professional development courses, including tailored courses to meet specific business needs.

*Based on applications received in 2011/12. Data provided by UCAS.

Some Key Facts

  • We are more than two-thirds through a 10-year campus rationalisation programme to locate the University from seven campuses to two (Manchester and Crewe) by the academic year 2014/15.
  • The North West fashion design and textiles industry has seen an increase in sales of £5 million over the last four years as a result of partnerships with us.
  • The University is an international leader in clothing design and technology.
  • We are the largest public sector provider of accountancy training in the North West.
  • We are one of the largest providers of science, engineering and technology education in the UK.
  • The region’s schoolchildren are directly benefiting from the 81% of newly qualified teachers who stay on to work and live in the region each year.
  • 80% of our trained health professionals including nurses, health visitors, health scientists and dental technicians go on to work in the health services in the North West.
  • We educate a tenth of the UK’s food technologists.
  • We have one of the largest creative communities in the UK, with over 8,000 students and staff involved in cultural production in the region.
  • According to the latest UK-wide assessment of university research quality we have world-leading research in sciences, arts, education and social sciences.
  • More than 70% of our graduates remain in the North-West after graduation contributing to the development of the local economy.
  • 44% of our students come from low income backgrounds – we give real opportunity to thousands of able students.
  • The new Poet Laureate, Professor Carol Ann Duffy is Creative Director at our Writing School in the Department of English.

Regular news on the University and our activities is available via ManMetLife, our staff news website.