History
UCL was founded in 1826 to open up higher education in England to those who had been excluded from it. It was the first university in England to welcome students of any religion or social background, and the first in England to welcome women to university education. This challenge to the norm and commitment to a fairer society was considered deeply unconventional by contemporary commentators.
Education
UCL is widely regarded as an academic powerhouse, appearing in the top 20 in a range of worldwide rankings. UCL is 9th in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2024, and , The Times and The Sunday Times University of the Year 2024.
There are more than 700 graduate research and taught degree programmes available, as well as teacher training courses in a wide range of academic areas.
UCL's vision is to transform the way that the world is understood, how knowledge is created and how problems are solved.
Research
At the very heart of UCL's mission is our research. The university was rated second in the UK for research power in the last “Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).”
UCL’s researchers are continually making an impact on the world we live in; creating headlines across subject areas, locally in the UK and across the globe. UCL's research-based teaching methodology means that research is integrated into many of our degrees and students have the opportunity to make an original contribution to their field of study.
Career
Employability matters. Stand out in a competitive job market with a graduate degree from University College London, the 9th best university on the planet. UCL provides a world-class education and world-class employment opportunities.
Get bespoke career support, join industry networks, and develop the cultural fluency and global outlook that are prized in today’s job market.
Distance Learning Courses
- Postgraduate Certificate Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry
- Certificate Advanced Endodontics
- Certificate Applied Renal Physiology
- Certificate Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy Skills
- Postgraduate Certificate Clinical Ophthalmic Practice
- M.Sc. Clinical Trials
- Certificate Conscious Sedation for Dental Nurses
- Certificate Counselling for Hearing Healthcare Professionals
- Certificate Culture, Health and Wellbeing - An Introduction
- Certificate Deaf Awareness - Online Training for Doctors
- Certificate Deaf Awareness - Online Training for Nurses
- Certificate Digital Dental Photography
- M.B.A. Executive Programme Health
- Certificate Fellowship in Laser Dentistry
- Certificate Fundamentals of Paediatric Physiotherapy
- Certificate Health Policy and Practice
- Master Health Professions Education
- M.Sc. Implant Dentistry
- Certificate Infectious and Global Nephrology
- Certificate Introduction to Hospital Episode Statistics
- Certificate Laser Dentistry - An Introduction
- Certificate Leading and Managing Health Innovation
- M.Sc. Oncology
- Postgraduate Certificate Optometry and Ophthalmology (Distance Learning)
- Postgraduate Certificate Optometry and Ophthalmology (Enhanced Clinical Practice) (Distance Learning)
- M.Sc. Paediatric Dentistry
- M.Sc. Pain Management
- M.Sc. Performing Arts Medicine
- M.Sc. Perioperative Medicine
- Certificate Perioperative Medicine in Action
- Certificate Remote Research Methods In Health
- Certificate Renal Dialysis
- Certificate Respiration Through Life, Health and Disease
- Certificate The Professional Assistant in Anaesthesia
- Certificate The Professional Surgical First Assistant
- Certificate Value-Based Healthcare
- Certificate Advanced Audiological Management
- Certificate Anthropology of Home
- Certificate Anthropology of Social Media - Why We Post
- Certificate Architecture for Mental Health
- Certificate Audiology Taster
- Certificate Auditory Processing Disorders
- Certificate Crime Analysis
- Certificate Deaf Awareness - Online Training for Doctors
- Certificate Deaf Awareness - Online Training for Nurses
- Certificate Deaf Awareness - Online Training for Teachers
- Certificate Dutch Online Courses (with Personal Tutor)
- Certificate Experiments in Ethnographic and Documentary Film
- Certificate French Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate German Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate Global Prosperity Beyond GDP
- Certificate Greek Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate Health Policy and Practice
- Certificate Icelandic Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate Italian Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate Japanese Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate Leveraging Technology for Social Care
- Certificate Making Babies in the 21st Century
- Certificate Management Skills for Police Leaders
- Certificate Mandarin Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate Politics and Poetics of Archival Filmmaking
- MPhil/PhD Psychology and Human Development
- M.Res. Social Research
- Certificate Spanish Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate Visual Anthropology and the City
- Certificate ANOVA - General Linear Models (GLMs) with SPSS
- Certificate Advances in Auditory Implants
- Certificate Applied Renal Physiology
- M.Sc. Chemical Research
- Certificate Chi-square and Beyond for 2x2 Tables
- Certificate Infectious and Global Nephrology
- Certificate Introduction to Bayesian Analysis (Online)
- Certificate Introduction to Hospital Episode Statistics
- Certificate Introduction to Meta-analysis
- Certificate Introduction to SPSS
- Certificate Key Ideas in Mentoring Mathematics Teachers
- Certificate Remote Research Methods In Health
- Certificate SPSS - an Introduction (Evening Course)
- Certificate Stata - an Introduction
- Postgraduate Diploma Advanced Educational Practice
- Certificate Becoming Research Active Online
- Certificate Blended and Online Learning Design
- Certificate Blockchain Executive Education
- M.Sc. Chemical Research
- Certificate Community Based Research - Getting Started
- Certificate Deaf Awareness - Online Training for Teachers
- MPhil/PhD Education, Practice and Society
- Certificate English Grammar for Teachers (Online Course)
- M.A. Global Learning
- Master Health Professions Education
- Certificate Key Ideas in Mentoring Mathematics Teachers
- Certificate Accessible Theatre - Audio Description
- Certificate An Introduction To Spatial Audio
- Certificate An Introduction to Soundscape Composition
- Certificate Cinema of the Margins
- Certificate Civic Design
- Certificate Colour for Painters (Advanced Evening Course)
- Certificate Colour for Painters (Evening Course)
- Certificate Contract Drafting Skills Workshop
- Certificate Documentary Filmmaking - From Idea to Reality
- Certificate Documentary Pitching - An Introduction
- Certificate Documentary Storytelling
- Certificate Documentary as Encounter
- Certificate Drawing (Afternoon or Evening Course)
- Certificate Experiments in Ethnographic and Documentary Film
- Certificate Healthy Urbanism
- Certificate Militant Cinema and Activist Film
- M.Sc. Performing Arts Medicine
- Certificate Personal Filmmaking - Reframed
- Certificate Politics and Poetics of Archival Filmmaking
- Certificate Practical Documentary Filmmaking
- Certificate Sound Recording for Documentary Film
- Certificate Ancient Philosophy Summer School
- Certificate Artemisia in Fiction and Fact
- Certificate Crafting Project Narratives
- Certificate English Grammar for Teachers (Online Course)
- Certificate English Phonetics Virtual Summer School
- Certificate French Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate German Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate Greek Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate Icelandic Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate Icelandic Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate Italian Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate London Classics Summer School - Greek and Latin
- Certificate Mandarin Evening Language Classes (All Levels)
- Certificate Poisson Regression - an Introduction
- Certificate Subtitling - an Introduction
- Certificate Bayesian Analysis - an Introduction
- Certificate Broadband Technologies and Components
- Certificate Cloud Data Centres and Edge Computing
- Certificate Data Analysis using MATLAB - an Introduction
- Certificate Introduction to Bayesian Analysis (Online)
- Certificate Introduction to Dealing with Missing Data
- Certificate Introduction to Meta-analysis
- Certificate Introduction to Quantum Computing
- Certificate Introduction to R
- Certificate Introduction to R (Online)
- Certificate R - Further Topics
- Certificate Regressions with R - an Overview
- Certificate APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ)
- Certificate Becoming a Project Leader
- Certificate Contracts - an Introduction
- Certificate Critical Appraisal (Online, Self Paced)
- M.B.A. Executive Programme Health
- Certificate Leading and Managing Health Innovation
- Certificate Management Skills for Police Leaders
- Certificate Navigating the Business Sustainability Agenda
- Short Course Responsible Innovation for Industry Professionals
- Short Course Responsible Innovation for Research
- Certificate Strategic Leadership for Healthcare
- Certificate Advances in Auditory Implants
- Certificate Antennas and Propagation
- Certificate Assessing Measurement Reliability and Validity
- Certificate Bartlett DPU summerLab
- Certificate Communications Systems Modelling
- Certificate Homer Summer School
- Certificate Anthropology of Social Media - Why We Post
- Certificate Collage into Mixed Media (Easter Course)
- Certificate Dubbing - an Introduction for Translators
- Certificate Making Radio Documentary
- Certificate MemoQ (for Translators)
- Certificate Project Management for Translators
- Certificate Trados Studio - an Introduction
- Certificate Transcreation
- Certificate Videogame Localisation
- Certificate Drafting 'Legal' Clauses in Commercial Contracts
- Certificate Leveraging Technology for Social Care
- Certificate Clinical Exercise and Physical Activity
Student services
- UCL is proudly committed to ensuring that all of its students have access to the best support and welfare services they need for academic success, personal growth and development. The Student Enquiries Centre offers free walk-in guidance across a number of issues, from health and wellbeing to finance and funding. Tutors and research supervisors are also able to provide academic support as well as friendly advice and encouragement. Student Support and Wellbeing (SSW) offer personal services including:
- Drop-in sessions and counselling for mental health and wellbeing
- Specialist information for international students
- Disability or long-term health condition support
- NHS health centre
Housing services
UCL Accommodation offers a range of room types, with halls conveniently located in central London. We offer postgraduate halls and have limited family accommodation for students that would like to live with partner, family or children. We also work with private providers and partners to signpost alternative accommodation options for students that choose to live outside of halls.
The fees you pay vary depending on location and facilities. However, all accommodation fees include a furnished room rental and:
- Use of communal areas
- Maintenance within your Hall
- Cleaning of shared bathrooms, kitchens and communal areas
- Utility charges, including Wi-Fi
- Basic contents insurance; and 24/7 support
Library services
There are 15 specialist libraries with more than two million books, 12,000 journal subscriptions, archives, rare materials, significant manuscripts and many other resources. The university also holds globally important museum collections, artworks, objects, specimens and images.
Campus life
UCL sits at the heart of one of the most dynamic cities in the world and is committed to being a global leader in knowledge exchange, enterprise and open innovation.
UCL's historic campus is in Bloomsbury, central London, with the main Quad on Gower Street. We are continually creating new world-class facilities in our Bloomsbury campus – both through new developments and refurbishing some of our buildings that are rich in heritage.
In addition, in the largest single expansion since UCL was founded nearly 200 years ago, UCL East (at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford) has now joined our Bloomsbury campus in discovering, co-creating and sharing new knowledge for the benefit of all.Sports facilities
UCL offers plenty of opportunities to take part in team sports or just to keep fit and have fun.
- Students' Union UCL runs around 60 sports and dance clubs, ranging from boxing and badminton to karate and capoeira!
- The Union also runs Bloomsbury Fitness, a well-equipped health and fitness club located just next door to the main campus in Bloomsbury.
- The UCL Sports Grounds in Shenley, Hertfordshire, include full-size football pitches, all-weather netball and tennis courts, plus a pavilion. A free bus service runs to the sports grounds on match days and for training.
- Other nearby facilities include Student Central, open to all University of London students including UCL students.
Student clubs
Student union
UCL Students’ Union helps all members of the student community make the most of their time at university. It hosts more than 360 clubs and societies and is home to several bars, shops and cafes. The students’ union strives to improve the lives of all UCL students by representing and advising them, offering support, fostering connections and organising activities and events. It is managed by elected officers who act as the student's voice. Union officers work hard to improve the way the university is run. The Postgraduate Students’ Association is dedicated to graduate students, providing them with many services such as social amenities and sports facilities.
- Ranked 9th in the World in the QS World University Rankings 2024 The Times and The Sunday Times University of the Year 2024 30 Nobel Prize laureates among current or former staff and students Second in the UK for research power in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF) Leading position in third Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) In the Teaching Excellence Framework 2023 (TEF) UCL was awarded Gold for Student Outcomes, Silver for Student Experience, with an overall rating of Silver.
- Top-performing university in the initial year of Horizon 2020, the EU funding scheme (Research Professional)
- Four UCL academics awarded European Research Council Starting Grants in 2022, awarding €6 million to UCL projects.