Education since 1834

Our origins

As the Industrial Revolution, fuelled by some of the North East’s own innovators and engineers, changed Britain and the world, our history began.

In 1834, in the Barber Surgeon’s Company Hall of Newcastle, a School of Medicine and Surgery was founded to meet the demand for surgeons and doctors.

As pressure mounted for engineers, architects, chemists and biologists needed in the growing shipbuilding, iron, steel, mining and agricultural industries, a College of Physical Science was formed in 1871.

By 1908, the two colleges had become one division of the federal University of Durham, and Newcastle had become a great city; a leading player in the creation of the modern world.

The two colleges merged in 1937, forming King’s College and pioneering regionally important applied sciences, such as geology, mining, naval architecture, engineering and agriculture.

With the dissolution of the federal University of Durham in 1963, King's College became the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Today, Newcastle University operates in three locations – Newcastle, Singapore, and Malaysia. We’re home to a vibrant international community of over 27,000 students from 145 countries.

We work with strategic partners, industry collaborators and employers around the world.

We’re pushing the boundaries of knowledge through world-leading research.

We’re nurturing generations of students to build a society that’s better, stronger, and fairer.

Interactive timeline

Step back in time and explore some of the milestones that have shaped us.