Northumbria University
APM Academic Accreditation case study
Northumbria University is a research-rich, business focused, professional university with a global reputation for academic excellence.
Formerly Newcastle Polytechnic, it was formed in 1969 from the amalgamation of three regional colleges, all with their roots in meeting the practical and vocational training needs of local industry as far back as the 19th century. Building on these foundations, it was awarded university status in 1995. By 2000 it was the largest university in the North East of England.
Today, Northumbria University has campuses in Newcastle upon Tyne, London and Amsterdam, and works in partnership with other higher education institutions across the world and with major employers.
The university is a high performer in research, teaching and attaining desired student outcomes. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 recorded that Northumbria had the biggest rise in research power of any university in the UK, moving from the 80s to 48th (Times Higher Education), and in 2017, it achieved a Silver Award in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) ranking. It also boasts a high employability rate for of graduates, with 96 per cent typically in a relevant role six months after graduation.
Alumni include former Labour government minister and solicitor general Dame Vera Baird; record-breaking Olympic runner Steve Cram and cyclist Victoria Pendleton; actor Kevin Whately; Spain’s youngest minister Bibiana Aido; the designer behind Apple products such as the iPhone, iPad and MacBook Pro, Jonathan Ive; singer and former teacher Sting (Gordon Sumner) and fashion designer Scott Henshall.