University of Sunderland

The University of Sunderland’s roots can be traced back to 1860, when the School of Science and Art was established. In 1901, Sunderland gained a pioneering Municipal Technical College, which launched the first sandwich course in England and Wales two years later. Sunderland Polytechnic, one of the first, was formed from a merger of the technical and art colleges in 1969. Sunderland’s Teacher Training College became part of the Polytechnic in 1975. Sunderland University gained university status in 1992, the same year that Sunderland became a city.

In recent years the University of Sunderland has developed an award-winning campus at St Peter’s, on the north bank of the River Wear, close to the site of the seventh century St Peter’s monastery, one of Britain’s earliest and greatest centres of learning.

Sunderland University has long been associated as being a leader in certain areas; particularly those of pharmacy, education and sports science.  The university’s City Campus is currently undergowing a huge redevelopment to bring it in line with the state-of-the-art facilities on St. Peter’s campus with £75 million ear marked for improval.  This development, along with the award-winning St Peter’s Campus should help to further improve the facitlities for the university’s 17,000 students.

The University is placed in the very heart of Sunderland, the biggest city in by population terms north of Leeds.  This old industrial city has become a vibrant and increasingly trendy place in recent years and now boasts resteraunts, shops and nightlife to rival its close neighbour, Newcaslte.  The recently built National Glass Centre - used by Sunderland University’s art department - on the north bank of the Wear is a top class facility boasting some of the best equipment, kilns and studios for artwork in Europe.