The University of Northumbria in the UK has its roots in the Rutherford College in Newcastle upon Tyne, founded in 1880. The university started with a polytechnic’s status.

In 1969, the university was founded by the amalgamation of three universities in the Newcastle area — Rutherford College of Technology, The College of Art and Industrial Design, and The Municipal College of Commerce. Further building itself on the foundations of these well-established colleges, Newcastle Polytechnic became one of the leading polytechnic institutes of the country.

In 1984, the polytechnic became the hub of initial teacher training due to the inauguration of the City College of Education. Further, the Northern Counties College of Education was also incorporated in 1976. In addition to the nurse training, the polytechnic also started offering occupational therapy and physiotherapy training in 1976.

Finally, in 1992, the institute was granted the status of a university. Since the university has affiliate as a research institute and has opened campuses both domestically and internationally in London and Amsterdam.

The University of Northumbria now has four campuses across the United Kingdom, comprising over 30,000 students hailing from over 140 countries worldwide. With a silver TEF award to its name, the University of Northumbria is recognized as one of the UK’s leading educational institutions.