The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal[a] 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”.[8] It is one of three institutions to have advertised themselves as the third-oldest university in England.[b][9][10] It moved to a federal structure with constituent colleges in 1900.[11] It is now incorporated by its fourth (1863) royal charter and governed by the University of London Act 2018 (c. iii).[12]
The university consists of 17 member institutions and three central academic bodies.[13][14] The university has around 48,000 distance learning external students[15] and around 219,410 campus-based internal students, making it the largest university by number of students in the United Kingdom. For most practical purposes, ranging from admissions to funding, the member institutions operate on an independent basis, with many awarding their own degrees whilst remaining in the federal university.
Under the 2018 act, member institutions ceased to be termed colleges and gained the right to seek university status without having to leave the federal university: Birkbeck, City, Goldsmiths’, King’s College London, the LSE, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Queen Mary, the Royal Veterinary College, Royal Holloway, SOAS, St George’s and UCL have all indicated that they intend to do so.[16]
As of 2015, there are around 2 million University of London alumni across the world,[17] including at least 14 monarchs or royalty, more than 60 presidents or prime ministers in the world (including 5 prime ministers of the United Kingdom),[c] 2 Cabinet Secretaries of UK,[d] 98 Nobel laureates,[e] 5 Fields Medallists, 4 Turing Award winners, 6 Grammy winners, 2 Oscar winners, 3 Olympic gold medalists and the “Father of the Nation” of several countries.[f] The university owns University of London Press.
History[edit]
19th century[edit]
See also: London University (UK Parliament constituency) and General Examination for Women
All universities are different, but some are more different than others. The University of London is the most different of them all.
— Negley Harte, Historian[18]
University College London (UCL) was founded under the name “London University” (but without recognition by the state) in 1826 as a secular alternative to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, which limited their degrees to members of the established Church of England.[19] As a result of the controversy surrounding UCL’s establishment, King’s College London was founded as an Anglican college by royal charter in 1829.[20][21]
In 1830, UCL applied for a royal charter as a university which would allow it to confer degrees. This was rejected, but renewed in 1834.[22] In response to this, opposition to “exclusive” rights grew among the London medical schools. The idea of a general degree awarding body for the schools was discussed in the medical press.[23] and in evidence taken by the Select Committee on Medical Education.[24][25] However, the blocking of a bill to open up Oxford and Cambridge degrees to dissenters led to renewed pressure on the Government to grant degree awarding powers to an institution that would not apply religious tests,[26][27][28] particularly as the degrees of the new University of Durham were also to be closed to non-Anglicans.[29]
In 1835, the government announced the response to UCL’s petition for a charter. Two charters would be issued, one to UCL incorporating it as a college rather than a university, without degree awarding powers, and a second “establishing a Metropolitan University, with power to grant academical degrees to those who should study at the London University College, or at any similar institution which his Majesty might please hereafter to name”.[30]
Following the issuing of its charter on 28 November 1836, the new University of London started drawing up regulations for degrees in March 1837. The death of William IV in June, however, resulted in a problem – the charter had been granted “during our Royal will and pleasure”, meaning it was annulled by the king’s death.[31] Queen Victoria issued a second charter on 5 December 1837, reincorporating the university. The university awarded its first degrees in 1839, all to students from UCL and King’s College.
The university established by the charters of 1836 and 1837 was essentially an examining board with the right to award degrees in arts, laws and medicine. However, the university did not have the authority to grant degrees in theology, considered the senior faculty in the other three English universities. In medicine, the university was given the right to determine which medical schools provided sufficient medical training. In arts and law, by contrast, it would examine students from UCL, King’s College, or any other institution granted a royal warrant, effectively giving the government control of which institutions could submit students for examination by the university. Beyond this right to submit students for examination, there was no other connection between the colleges and the university.
In 1849 the university held its first graduation ceremony at Somerset House following a petition to the senate from the graduates, who had previously received their degrees without any ceremony. About 250 students graduated at this ceremony. The London academic robes of this period were distinguished by their “rich velvet facings”.[32]
The list of institutions whose students could enter University of London examinations grew rapidly by 1858, including all other British universities as well as over 30 other schools and colleges outside of London. In that year, a new charter opened up the examinations to everyone, effectively abolishing the weak link between the university and the colleges.[33][34][35] This led the Earl of Kimberley, a member of the university’s senate, to tell the House of Lords in 1888 “that there were no Colleges affiliated to the University of London, though there were some many years ago”.[36] The reforms of 1858 also incorporated the graduates of the university into a convocation, similar to those of Oxford, Cambridge and Durham, and authorised the granting of degrees in science, the first BSc being awarded in 1860.[37]
The expanded role meant the university needed more space, particularly with the growing number of students at the provincial university colleges. Between 1867 and 1870 a new headquarters was built at 6 Burlington Gardens, providing the university with exam halls and offices.
In 1863, via a fourth charter, the university gained the right to grant degrees in surgery.[38] This 1863 charter remains the authority under which the university is incorporated, although all its other provisions were abolished under the University of London Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. 62).
In 1878, the university set another first when it became the first university in the UK to admit women to degrees, via the grant of a supplemental charter. Four female students obtained Bachelor of Arts degrees in 1880 and two obtained Bachelor of Science degrees in 1881, again the first in the country.[39]
| showUniversity of London Act 1898 |
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In the late 19th century, the university came under criticism for merely serving as a centre for the administration of tests, and there were calls for a “teaching university” for London. UCL and KCL considered separating from the university to form a separate university, variously known as the Albert University, Gresham University and Westminster University. Following two royal commissions the University of London Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. 62) was passed, reforming the university and giving it a federal structure with responsibility for monitoring course content and academic standards within its institutions. This was implemented in 1900 with the approval of new statutes for the university.[40]
- Somerset House in 1836. The university had its offices here from 1837 to 1870.
- King William IV, who granted the University of London its original royal charter in 1836
- An illustration of 6 Burlington Gardens, home to the university administration from 1870 to 1900
