University of Greenwich

The University of Greenwich was founded in 1890, previously existing as Woolwich Polytechnic and Thames Polytechnic, before being granted university status and renamed in 1992.

Serving around 21,000 students, the majority of which are undergraduate, it is made up of four faculties: Engineering and Science, Education and Health, Architecture, Computing and Humanities, and the Business School.

Situated on the banks of the River Thames, the university’s main campus is in what was the Old Royal Naval College – a UNESCO World Heritage site in Greenwich, southeast London. It features three baroque buildings that were designed by the celebrated architect Sir Christopher Wren in the late 17th century. The campus is often cited as one of the greenest in the UK.

Just off the main campus in Greenwich is the Cooper Building where the Student Union is located, complete with a modern bar, pool room, shop and eateries.

The university has two other campuses. The Avery Hill campus is located in 86-acre grounds in Eltham, southeast London, and is made up of two sites that feature computer clusters, laboratories, lecture theatres and libraries, as well as being surrounded by pubs, clubs and restaurants.

The university’s Medway campus, 30 miles from central London on the Kent coast,  is defined by Edwardian redbrick and ivy-clad buildings that house the Faculty of Engineering and Science as well as programmes from the Faculty of Education and Health.

The university has a large international community and students come from nearly 180 countries worldwide. Students also have the opportunity to study abroad either in Munich or at a variety of universities in the United States.    

University of Greenwich alumni include Olympic athletes, Academy Award winners and John Boyega, the British actor who plays Finn in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.