Our History

 Newport Mechanics Institute

The Newport Mechanics Institute, founded in 1841 in Newport city centre, was established to provide further education for workers and tradesmen. Working men and women were able to attend a variety of lectures for two shillings per quarter, to study subjects such as ‘the pursuit of attainment and knowledge’ and ‘popular superstition’.

Newport Technical Institute

The Newport Technical Institute opened in 1910 and was known locally as the ‘School of Art’. The iconic red-brick building with a copper dome, which stands on the east bank of the River Usk, provided the ultimate expression of municipal enterprise and pride; a fully equipped and purpose-build institution that was a model technical institute and art school of its day.

South Wales and Monmouthshire School of Mines

Local industrial leaders came together in 1913 to form the South Wales and Monmouthshire School of Mines. The School served the coal mining industry that dominated the South Wales valleys, and was owned and funded by major Welsh coal owners. It was renamed the School of Mines and Technology in the 1940s, training young coal workers and army cadets.

Caerleon Training College 

The college (formerly named Monmouthshire Training College) opened in 1914 to train male students as teachers. It was not until 1962 that Caerleon College admitted female students, and a rapid expansion followed, with numbers going from 140 to 750.

Glamorgan Technical College

The School of Mines and Technology became Glamorgan Technical College in 1949, reflecting its expanding portfolio, and was re-named the Glamorgan College of Technology in 1958. By this time, the institution had expanded to offer a range of courses in science, technology and commerce, to which it added the first ever Welsh for Adults course in 1967.

Glamorgan Polytechnic

In 1970 the college became a polytechnic – a tertiary educational institution offering higher diplomas, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Glamorgan Polytechnic merged with the Glamorgan College of Education in Barry and was re-designated as the Polytechnic of Wales in 1975.

Gwent College of Higher Education

Caerleon College of Education, Newport College of Art and Design and Gwent College of Technology merged in 1975 to form the Gwent College of Higher Education. Between September 1975 and April 1992 the greater part of its Further Education portfolio was transferred to Further Education colleges, and it became firmly established as the only Higher Education institution in Gwent and one of the major providers of Higher Education in Wales.

The University of Glamorgan

The Polytechnic of Wales in Treforest achieved university status in 1992 and became the University of Glamorgan, with more than 11,500 students enrolled on just one campus. Having been granted University status, the institution was now able to award its own undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in a range of subjects.

The University of Wales College Newport

In 1996, the Gwent College of Higher Education was admitted into the University of Wales as the University of Wales College Newport. Delegated powers to supervise research degrees, including PhDs, were awarded to the college by the University of Wales. The College prepared for university status by expanding its curriculum, growing its international links and increasing its use of European funding to support regional development work.

The University of Wales, Newport

In May 2004 the University of Wales College, Newport secured Privy Council Approval to use the title University of Wales, Newport, as a full constituent of the federal university, with a community of students from more than 50 countries.

The College Merthyr Tydfil 

The College Merthyr Tydfil became part of the University of Glamorgan in 2006.

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, a conservatoire based in Cardiff, became a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Glamorgan in 2007.

Atrium Building, Cardiff Campus

The University of Glamorgan opened its ATRiuM building in Cardiff city centre in 2007, offering a dedicated learning facility for creative industries students. The state-of-the-art building brought together the creative disciplines of art and design, media and communication, and drama and music.

UHOVI

The Universities Heads of the Valleys Institute (UHOVI) was launched in 2009 as a partnership between the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport, with the aim of encouraging more people to consider higher education in some of the most deprived areas in Wales.

Newport Campus

The £35m Newport Campus opened in Newport city centre, housing 2,700 students from Newport Business School and much of the University’s School of Media and Design department. The iconic building, situated on the banks of the River Usk, was seen as an important feature of the city centre’s regeneration.

The University of South Wales

In April 2013, USW was formed following a merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport. Since its formation, the University has offered over 500 courses, welcoming students from more than 120 countries.

Enhanced Cardiff Campus

In November 2016, the enhanced Cardiff Campus was officially opened after a £15m extension was added to the existing Atrium building. The campus replicates industry workplaces across the creative industries sector, from film and television to animation, drama, photography and music.

USW Sport Park development

In January 2018, a £15m development to USW Sport Park was unveiled, including the first full-size indoor 3G football pitch at a Welsh university, which is built to the Fifa Pro and World Rugby 22 standard. The enhanced facility also features a new specialist centre for strength and conditioning.