Scroll down to see our 175 year journey1843 – 2018
1843
Birmingham Government School of Design is founded
1885
Our School of Art is expanded and becomes the Municipal School of Art based on Margaret Street
1890
Our School of Jewellery opens on Vittoria Street for training in jewellery, silversmithing and similar trades
1895
Construction of the Birmingham Municipal Technical School on Suffolk Street, providing industry-led technical education
1895
Suffolk Street home opens for the Municipal Technical School (a forerunner of BCU)
1896
Classes focused on steam engine and applied mechanics are dropped
1911
First ‘commercial classes’ begin in the newly formed School of Commerce, later to form part of Birmingham Polytechnic, forerunner to Birmingham City University
1934
Our first courses in law are taught at the College of Commerce
1957
First courses in Town Planning, above a Broad Street car showroom
1958
New Westbourne Road home for the City of Birmingham Training College
1964
Completion of new premises at Gosta Green to accommodate our new design departments
1966
North Birmingham Technical College opens, which will go on to become part of Birmingham Polytechnic
1967
Birmingham School of Speech Therapy opens (then part of Matthew Boulton Technical College) and moves to Birmingham Polytechnic in 1972
1971
Construction of Perry Barr campus begins
1975
Forerunners of BCU merge – Anstey College of PE, Bordesley College of Education and City of Birmingham College of Education
1988
Bournville College of Art becomes part of Birmingham Polytechnic, leading to the formation of Birmingham Institute of Art and Design
1992
Birmingham Polytechnic gains university status and becomes the University of Central England. Our department of Graphic Design changes to the Department of Visual Communication
1994
Our School of Law’s American Internship Programme begins, later to become the UK’s largest student internship programme in the USA
2000
The Technology Innovation Centre (TIC), part of BCU, opens at the new Millennium Point building
2007
Opening of the Seacole Building
2014
Our Faculty of Arts, Design and Media is established, with its hub being the £62 million Parkside Building on the institution’s City Centre Campus
2014
Our Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences is formed, and one year later moves into the purpose-built Curzon Building on the City Centre Campus
2017
First intake of students on our sports courses
2018
The new Royal Birmingham Conservatoire building at the City Centre Campus is officially opened by HRH The Earl of Wessex
