How is a university different from What is the difference between university and institute

The University of Glasgow is the largest and second oldest in Scotland and fourth in the United Kingdom. It was founded by the bull (order) of Pope Nicholas V.

It's the only one Scottish university, where the entire disciplinary spectrum is taught - i.e. categories of sciences such as:

• the medicine;
• natural science;
• jurisprudence;
• social;
• technical;
• Humanities.

And here is also the only pulpit in Scotland aerospace engineering, where students on test flights in a wind tunnel test the suitability aircraft.

The university is included in the Russell group (24 of the best research universities in the UK) and occupies a high position in international rankings. For example, at the level of the entire Kingdom in 2013, it became:

• 9th among all universities in the country (QS World university rankings) - thanks to which he entered the 1% best universities peace;
• 4th in terms of satisfaction foreign students(International Student Barometer).

In addition, in 2009 The Guardian ranked the University of Glasgow 9th in the UK for teaching accounting and finance, and 10th for teaching entrepreneurship and management.

Also at the forefront here is the teaching of technical disciplines, including information technologies. It says a lot that it was here in 1840 that the first in the UK degree of Doctor of Engineering was awarded, and in 1957, computers appeared in the first Scottish university. And the University of Glasgow still holds this bar as a leader in technological innovation.

Equipment and teaching

Thus, the equipment of university laboratories meets the latest requirements of advanced scientific thought - and therefore research on such complex operations like mass spectrometry, bioluminescent imaging and protein purification. university library- one of the richest in Scotland: it holds 2.5 million books, not counting periodicals, microfilms and multimedia. 2500 workplaces + 800 places with a computer and free WI FI are available to students.

The teaching methodology itself differs from the Russian one - there are a minimum of lectures, and a maximum of time for independent work. Even a separate day is allocated for it, which students devote to an independent search for material. What kind of material they will find and how they will work it out depends only on them (the main thing, of course, is that it matches the topic). But on the other hand, it forms one's own point of view and information search skills.

And the usual form of homework here - an essay on a given topic - further contributes to the formation of precisely these skills.

The structure and activities of the student community

The University of Glasgow has 4 colleges:

• arts,
• medicine, veterinary medicine and natural sciences,
• technology and engineering,
• social sciences,

which, in turn, consist of 20 schools (including the famous Adam Smith business school, named after the most famous graduate and teacher of the university - the great economist, ideologist of liberalism and the author of the theory of the "invisible hand of the market").

The University of Glasgow has a well-organized student community. There are as many as 2 student unions here - the Glasgow Student Union and the Queen Margaret Union - which both help students in various educational and organizational matters, and arrange their leisure time.

In the first case, the Career Service works very well, which cooperates with the personnel departments of more than 10,000 enterprises and organizations, and also oversees various student-employer interaction projects - for example, the JEM job site. Also, the club "21 business partnership programs" (organizations of practical internships) helps to develop practical skills and employment. And the right to a 20-hour working week (in addition to studying) and a 2-year work visa for graduates of local universities allow you to immediately consolidate the knowledge, skills and abilities acquired during your studies.

Free time

As for leisure, here it is organized more than perfectly. You can choose more than a hundred different clubs and communities for every taste - music, sports, theater, photography, cinema, fashion, exotic cultures, etc. develop themselves in their hobby under the guidance of more experienced teachers and older comrades, compete with each other, demonstrating their achievements. Almost every week, university activists organize excursions around Glasgow, Edinburgh and Scotland in general - the most restless get to the northern islands!

And by the way, do you know who officially holds the post of student rector of the university (i.e. student representative in contacts with superiors and teachers)? You can hardly guess ... Edward Snowden! Yes, yes, the same...

Accommodation

And if the university has something to do with students in free time, then, of course, here they are provided with comfortable housing. There are 2 options here:

1. Dormitory (3180 places),
2. Removable housing.

And each of them also offers its own alternatives.

Dormitory:

• 1-, 2- and 3-room apartments with separate bathroom, kitchen and living room (so-called family rooms)
• apartments with the same number of rooms - but with common facilities per block and corridor.

Rented accommodation:

• room, living room and kitchen;
• studio (room and kitchen);
• separate apartments (bedroom, kitchen, living room, bathroom, toilet);
• accommodation with the owners.

Students are provided with all the necessary amenities - furniture, necessary appliances and utensils, utilities, meals (if the student wishes to include it), laundry, telephone, Internet, personal insurance and conditions for independent work. Students should only bring bedding, pillows and blankets with them.

Admission

The University of Glasgow offers the following levels of study:

1) Pre-foundation - works specifically to adapt the level of preparation and skills of yesterday's schoolchildren (especially from Russia and the CIS countries) to the requirements of British education). In addition - programs of many specialties preparatory courses created in such a way that upon completion you can immediately be enrolled in the second and more senior courses not only of the University of Glasgow, but also of other Scottish universities - for example:

In addition, thanks to the close cooperation of the university with other universities (and from all over the world, including from the Russian Federation), you can study at the same time in two of them (optional) - and, accordingly, get both diplomas or degrees - but if you managed to enter on the:

1. Undergraduate
2. Master's degree
3. Doctorate.

Also, undergraduate and graduate students of the University of Glasgow can count on a scholarship (from £5,000 to cover living expenses) and more - under the following conditions:

• excellent academic results - at least 4.8 average mark of the previous study period;
• participation in the study of topical international problems (for example, the political and economic situation and development prospects of the countries of the former socialist camp);
• receiving grants (from the Skolkovo Foundation, the EU student exchange program, etc.);
• foreign citizenship (not GB or EU)
• timely submission of applications.

The requirements for applicants themselves are traditional - but can vary significantly depending on the faculties. In general, they are:

• document on education (certificate or diploma) - with an average score of at least 4 for preparatory courses and bachelor's degree, 4.5 - for master's degree;
• A-level diploma or programs International Baccalaureate;
• or - a gold medal / red diploma / other academic or professional merits, or confirmation of the experience of a profile work;
• IELTS tests: for Pre-Foundation - respectively 5.0 (5.5 for some specialties) for undergraduate - 6.5 (minimum 6.0 for each component), for master's - 7.0 (minimum 6.5 separately);
• BMAT and U-CAT tests for some medical specialties;
• when entering the college of art - portfolio creative works;
• GMAT test - for some business school programs
• for master's and doctoral studies - motivation letter for 600 - 700 words + 2 reviews on stamped paper - from the dean (head of department, supervisor, etc.) of the previous place of study and employer (if there is no employer - then from another employee of the previous university) - on an official letterhead with a seal, signatures and contacts;
• notarized translations of all documents into English (if the originals are in another language);
• a copy of the passport photo page - for non-EU citizens.

Acceptance of applications for undergraduate studies: a strict deadline is set - deadline accepting applications, after which he excluded:

• for medicine, veterinary medicine and dentistry - annually on October 15;
• for other specialties - annually on January 15.

Applications for master's and doctoral studies are accepted on the university's website. The deadline for submitting all documents for the academic year is June 30. But in order to book a place in a hostel, apply for a scholarship and get a visa on time, documents must be submitted in advance, starting in January. At the same time, you can first submit only part of the documents, and bring the rest later. The main thing is that your application is registered.

Dmitry Kosykh, was educated at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute ( Technical University). From the start of this school year studies at the University of Glasgow Master's program in management / engineering sciences. We bring to your attention an interview with Dmitry Kosykh.

Good afternoon, Dmitry. First, please tell our readers about yourself. And by the way, how did you pass your final exams?
Good afternoon, I am 23 years old, in the summer of 2007 I graduated from MEPhI as an engineer-physicist, and in September my management course started at the University of Glasgow. I passed the final exams shortly before the New Year, but their results will be known only in February.
Was your decision to choose this program driven by the desire to obtain a highly valued qualification, or is it part of an already planned career?
Probably both. The fact is that one engineering specialty is not enough to build a career, and then I wanted to gain knowledge in management in order to broaden my horizons, well, it was just interesting.
Do you think your choice was due to the fact that education abroad is of higher quality than Russian education, or were you more interested in the prestige of studying abroad?
First of all, I was interested in getting the experience of living abroad, but also the prestige of education, of course. After all, education received abroad speaks volumes and, of course, you acquire good language skills and useful life experience.
Our readers, both future students and their parents, are always interested in how student accommodation is organized in foreign universities. Could you tell us about your experience at the University of Glasgow?
I live in a so-called student hostel. In fact, this is an apartment building 20 minutes walk from the University, located in a quiet and picturesque place. I have a separate room in a five-room apartment with a shared kitchen. Guys from Singapore, Sri Lanka, Canada and Romania also live here.
We have breakfast and dinner "at home", and have lunch between classes in the university cafeteria.
How do you think Scotland compares favorably with other foreign educational destinations?
As far as I know, in Scotland they teach very strongly precisely master's programs, therefore, in fact, my choice fell on this country. Well, and besides, I wanted to study at a large and well-known University.
How difficult was it for you to adjust to teaching English language? Have you visited language classes?
I took IELTS courses back in Moscow and got a good test score. But all the same, for some time he was drawn into his studies, he did not catch everything. Of course, then gradually everything got better. I must say that after three weeks I could communicate quite freely. And I would like to advise other students to quickly adapt to a new language environment, you need to speak the language as much as possible and watch TV. By the way, basically, in all foreign educational institutions there are language courses for foreign students which are also very useful to attend.
The University of Glasgow is one of the oldest in Europe. In your opinion, has it managed to preserve the centuries-old traditions of education and at the same time develop dynamically? Are there any downsides in your opinion?
I would call the University of Glasgow a "strong average", it maintains a decent level and, as they say, keeps its mark in the UK.
By cons, I would attribute the slow feedback. Those. we rent a written exam, and the results are obtained only after a month. Perhaps this is a feature of the program, but while we are waiting for the results of one work, we manage to write the second, and we make the same mistakes in it as in the first. If we knew our grades earlier, we would have corrected something.
Recently, we talked with a student of one of the New Zealand universities, and he spoke in detail about the educational process, i.e. about how teaching is conducted, what methods are used, what equipment is used, etc. Could you tell us about your studies at the University of Glasgow so that our readers have something to compare with?
Most of the time is introductory lectures in the form of presentations. At the same time, the teacher comments on the slides being shown and answers questions. Each lecture lasts one hour.
The schedule is designed in such a way that there are lectures on one subject per day. Up to 100 students can attend such lectures. Seminars are also held on the material covered. Seminars usually involve three groups of students, four people each, we discuss various issues, while the teacher adds and corrects something, i.e. Students are expected to show initiative and independence in their studies.
For two final exams, we pass five disciplines, which are divided into three sections. Exams are taken within two days.
A big plus of the University of Glasgow, I would say good access to educational materials. This is both an excellent library and access to the Internet.
Do you plan to stay in Scotland on the "Fresh Talent" program after graduation?
Yes, I would like to try if I can find a good job.
More than 20 thousand students study at the University of Glasgow. Does your University have a community of Russian students? And what do you do outside of your studies?
There is no community as such, but the University has a community of Russian language lovers, where Russian students are always welcome. In general, there are few students from Russia, and we communicate mainly through studies.
After school, I usually go to the gym. The University has every opportunity to engage in any kind of sports, there is a swimming pool, sauna, etc.
How does the University help foreign students in their studies, as well as in solving other problems?
The university helps us a lot, there is the International Society, where you can contact with any questions. For example, I was issued a visa before October 2008 and the course ends in November. I asked for help, and everything was explained to me and promised to help. Here you will be told how, for example, to get a driver's license in the UK and much more.
Well, and finally. Are you satisfied with your choice and would you recommend the University of Glasgow to your friends?
Yes, I am satisfied with my choice, the impression of my studies is very good. Would definitely recommend to friends. The only thing is that in autumn the weather in Scotland is gray and rainy, but I think that for those who care about studying, and not the environment, the weather is not the most important thing.
Thank you, Dmitry, for an interesting conversation!

The University of Glasgow is one of the four oldest universities in English-speaking countries. For the past 5 centuries, since the distant 1451, the university has been opening the way to the future for talented students. Today the University is one of the most active research centers with a wide network of partners around the world.

In 1957, the University of Glasgow became the first computer-equipped university in Scotland. Today, the alma mater of Lord Kelvin, Adam Smith, James Watt, and Joseph Lister has 5,800 employees, nine departments, and about 23,600 students. If you want to achieve great things in life, we invite you to become one of our 18,000 undergraduate students. At our university you will find a huge selection of programs, each of which can be adapted to your interests and wishes. Our international reputation, high employment rates of graduates and excellent student reviews speak for themselves.

The University of Glasgow was founded in 1451 and is the fourth oldest university in the English speaking world. For five centuries we have been expanding the horizons of human knowledge. Among our graduates - 7 laureates Nobel Prize, one Prime Minister and one First Minister of Scotland. Within the walls of our university, Albert Einstein gave a lecture on the origin of the general theory of relativity.

The first Scottish women to graduate medical education, were our graduates who graduated from the university in 1894. The world's first ultrasound image of an embryo was taken by Glasgow University professor Ian Donald in 1958. In 1840 our university was the first in the United Kingdom to award the degree of Doctor of Engineering, and in 1957 we became the first computer-equipped university in Scotland. This means that by choosing our university as your place of work or study, you will follow the path of the world's greatest scientists, from the physicist Lord Kelvin and the economist Adam Smith to the creator of television, John Logie Byrd.

Our university is part of the Russell Group of 24 top research universities in the UK. In 2014, the University of Glasgow was ranked 55th on the list. top universities world (QS World University rankings). It also ranked fourth in the UK for international student satisfaction (according to the International Student Barometer Summer 2013). The University of Glasgow is one of the founding universities of the Universitas 21 group, which includes universities that advocate for the introduction of international standards for higher education. Our university is also a member of the "International Network research universities”, an international association of universities with research centers in various fields of science.

Description of the presentation on individual slides:

1 slide

Description of the slide:

2 slide

Description of the slide:

The largest city Scotland and the third most populous in the UK (after London and Birmingham). It is the administrative center of the Glasgow region. It is located in the west of the central part of Scotland, on the River Clyde, 32 km from its mouth. English Glasgow Gaelic. Glaschu scots. Glesga

3 slide

Description of the slide:

City - Glasgow Region - Scotland Region - Glasgow Internal division - 21 administrative. District Lord Mayor - Bob Winter Area - 175.5 km² Population - 580,690 (2006)

4 slide

Description of the slide:

The coat of arms was granted to the city by the Lord Lyon (head of the heraldic service of Scotland) on October 25, 1866.

5 slide

Description of the slide:

The symbols on the Coat of Arms illustrate 4 miracles attributed to the patron saint of the city - St. Mungo: The first miracle is the resurrection of a robin after Mungo's fellow students killed their mentor's favorite bird and accused the future saint of her death. The second miracle happened when the fire was lost in the Culross church, and Saint Mungo miraculously lit a hazel branch. The third miracle is the bell, which was a gift to the saint from the Pope. The story of the fourth miracle is connected with Queen Langeoreta. Her husband - King Ridderach - suspected his wife of infidelity and found out that she gave her "lover" her golden ring. The king stole this gift and threw it into the waves of the Clyde. Then he demanded that Langeoreta bring this ring. Saint Mungo - the confessor of her lover - knew about their connection and suggested to the poor fellow how to fulfill the order of the King. At the instigation of the Saint, he caught a salmon in the river with a ring in its mouth, and thus saved the honor of the queen.

6 slide

Description of the slide:

7 slide

Description of the slide:

At the time of the conquest of Britain by the Romans, the settlement on the site of Glasgow was called Cathures. The 1st version of the origin of the name: "Glasgow" has British roots and, going back to the Cumbrian language, means "green hollow". 2nd version: Saint Mungo gave the name to the city, naming the community he founded Glesgu, i.e. "beloved family" 3rd version: on the site of Glasgow there was a settlement called Deschu, which, due to an error of a medieval scribe, turned into Glaschu.

8 slide

Description of the slide:

Glasgow was founded in the middle of the VI century and in the Middle Ages was considered one of the important religious and educational centers Scotland. The Industrial Revolution of the 18th century turned the city into one of the major industrial centers of Great Britain (especially in the field of shipbuilding), and in the following century the city's economy flourished to such an extent that Glasgow was considered the second city of the Empire (after London) in those days.

9 slide

Description of the slide:

Glasgow is located in the north-west of Great Britain, in the central part of the Mid-Scottish Lowland in front of the North Scottish Highlands on the River Clyde, 32 km from its mouth. Altitudes above sea level range from 70 to 200 m. Vegetation in the city is represented by a large number of artificial plantations, alleys, parks (there are about 70 of them in Glasgow). This is mainly the flora of the coasts and the temperate zone - pines and larches.

10 slide

Description of the slide:

The climate is temperate maritime, characterized by the presence of fairly abundant rainfall. The weather in Glasgow is formed under the influence of warm air currents from the Atlantic, where it flows warm current Gulfstream. Therefore, temperatures in Glasgow are higher than in cities located at the same latitude (for example, Moscow). Winters are warm and humid, summers are cool (the maximum temperature in July, the warmest month, usually does not exceed +20°C). Glasgow is characterized by westerly winds and increased cloud cover. The lowest temperature (-17°C) was recorded on February 15, 1936. The highest temperature (+33.5°C) was recorded on July 31, 1900.

11 slide

Description of the slide:

According to the 2001 census, men make up 47.07% of the population of Glasgow, and women, respectively, 52.93%. The percentage of adult residents who are not married is significantly higher than the Scottish average at 40.98%. The percentage of residents who speak Gaelic is 0.94%.

12 slide

Description of the slide:

Glasgow is the most multinational city. 89.62% Scottish, 4.11% English, 1.59% Irish, 1.07% Continental European, 0.72% Indian, 0.67% Chinese, 0.31% Black, 0.17% Welsh , 0.04% Bangladeshi.

13 slide

Description of the slide:

2/3 of the population consider themselves Christians, with 31.5% of total number are adherents of the Church of Scotland, and 29.2% are Catholics. Slightly less than a quarter of the population are atheists (22.7%). 3.1% Muslim, 0.4% Sikh, 0.2% Buddhist, 0.2% Jewish and 0.2% Hindu. 7.8% of residents found it difficult to answer the question about religion.

14 slide

Description of the slide:

There are 4 Christians in the city cathedrals(St. Mungo's Cathedral, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Virgin Mary's Cathedral and St. Luke's Cathedral), 13 mosques, 7 synagogues. In addition, there is a Hindu temple, and in 2007 a temple was built for adherents of Sikhism.

15 slide

Description of the slide:

Among the population of Glasgow and nearby cities, a dialect based on the Anglo-Scottish language, the so-called Glasgow Patter, is widespread. Its distinguishing features are the abundance of local words, as well as the replacement or "swallowing" of some syllables and sounds. For example, the letter combination th at the beginning of a word is pronounced as h, the letter t is often replaced by r, the diphthong ʌu before k is replaced by o, etc.

16 slide

Description of the slide:

Glasgow is made up of 21 administrative district. 1.Linn 2.Newlands-Auldburn 3.Greater Pollok 4.Craigton 5.Govan 6.Pollokshields 7.Langside 8.Southside Central 9.Calton 10.Anderston-City 11.Hillhead

17 slide

Description of the slide:

The city's economic growth rate is 4.4% annually, second in the UK (after London). There is a sharp decline in the unemployment rate (by 45% over the past 9 years). The city's GDP in 2006 amounted to 12.8 billion pounds, and in terms of GDP per capita - £ 21,905 - Glasgow ranks 11th among European cities. Glasgow is considered the engine of the region's economy. The number of jobs provided by the city increased from 309 thousand in 1993 to 419 thousand in 2006, reaching the highest high level over the past 25 years.

18 slide

Description of the slide:

Tourism occupies an important place in the city's economy - Glasgow is considered the third most popular city in the UK (after London and Edinburgh) and annually receives about 4 million tourists. Over the past 20 years, Glasgow has experienced significant economic diversification. The traditional industries of shipbuilding and heavy engineering have given way to the service sector.

19 slide

Description of the slide:

20 slide

Description of the slide:

Glasgow City Center is an urban area on the north bank of the Clyde, bounded by the High Street to the east, the river bed to the south, and the M8 motorway to the north and west. The historic center is the area between St Mungo's Cathedral and Glasgow Cross, which are located respectively on the north and south of High Street, the city's oldest street. The heart of Glasgow is George Square, which adjoins the City Chambers, the seat of the City Council.

21 slide

Description of the slide:

In the XVIII - XIX centuries. Merchant City, which is located in the eastern sector of the city center, settled wealthy merchants who made a fortune in the trade in tobacco, sugar and other goods. The center of Merchant City is considered to be Glasgow Cross - the intersection of the five main streets of the quarter - and in the center of the square rises the Tolbooth Clock Tower, the only surviving part of the old municipality of Glasgow.

The University of Glasgow is the fourth oldest university in the m eEnglish speaking world and one of the four ancient universities in Scotland. It was founded in 1451. Along with the University of Edinburgh, the University was part of the Scottish Enlightenment in the 18th century. It is currently a member of Universitas 21, an international network of research universities, and the Russell Group.

Shared with universities until the modern era, Glasgow originally educated students mostly from wealthy backgrounds, however it became a pioneer in British higher education the 19th century also catered to the needs of students from the growing urban and commercial middle class. The University of Glasgow served all these students by preparing them for the professions: law, medicine, civil service, learning, and the church. He also coached smaller but increasing numbers for a career in science and technology.

Originally located in the city's High Street since 1870 the main campus was located on Gilmorehill in the city's west end. Additionally, a number of university buildings are located elsewhere, such as the University of Millporton Marine Biological Station Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde and the Crichton Campus in Dumfries.

Alumni or former staff of the university include philosopher Hutcheson, engineer James Watt, philosopher and economist Adam Smith, physicist Lord Kelvin, surgeon Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, seven Nobel laureates, and two British prime ministers.

University of Glasgow

• ranked 62nd in the world and is the first and only UK university to be rated 5 Stars Plus overall. (QS World University Rankings 2015)
• ranked third in the UK for international student satisfaction (among universities participating in the International Student Summer Barometer 2013)
• accepts students from over 140 countries around the world
• has over 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students
• is one of the largest employers in the city of Glasgow with over 6,000 employees, including 2,000 active researchers
• has an annual research income of over £181m
• is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of leading UK research universities
• ranked top in Scotland and third in the Russell Group in the National Student Survey 2015
• is a founding member of Universitas 21, an international grouping of universities dedicated to setting global standards in higher education
• includes among its alumni, father of economics Adam Smith, Scottish devolution architect Donald Dewar and renowned physicist and engineer Lord Kelvin.

History

Over the past five centuries and more, we have constantly worked to push the boundaries of what is possible. We have contributed to the talents of seven Nobel Prize winners, one Prime Minister and Scotland's inaugural First Minister. We welcomed Albert Einstein to give a lecture on the origins of general relativity. Scotland's first women's medical graduates completed their degrees here in 1894 and the world's first fetal ultrasound images were published by Glasgow Professor Ian Donald in 1958. In 1840 we became the first university in the UK to appoint a professor of engineering, and in 1957, the first in Scotland to have an electronic computer.

All this means that if you choose to work or study here, you will be walking in the footsteps of some of the world's most famous innovators, from scientist Lord Kelvin and economist Adam Smith to television pioneer John Logie Baird.

The University of Glasgow was founded in 1451 by a charter or bull of Pope Nicholas V, at the suggestion of King James II, giving Bishop William Turnbull, an alumnus of theUniversity of St. Andrews, permission to add the city's cathedral to the university. This is the second oldest university in Scotland after St. Andrews and the fourth oldest in the English-speaking world. The universities of St Andrews, Glasgow and Aberdeen had church foundations, while Edinburgh had a Community Foundation. As one of the ancient universities of the United Kingdom, the University of Glasgow is one of eight institutions in granting undergraduate degrees to masters in some disciplines.

The university has been without the original Bull since the middle of the sixteenth century. In 1560, during the political turmoil accompanying the Scottish Reformation, then chancellor, Archbishop James Beaton, a supporter of the Marian cause, fled to France. He took with him, for safe keeping, many of the archives and valuables of the cathedral and the university, including the Mace and the bull. Although Mace was sent back in 1590, the archives were not. Chief Doctor James Fall told the Parliamentary Commissioners on the Visitation of August 28, 1690, that he had seen a bull on the College of Scots in Paris, together with many statutes granted to the University by the Monarchs of Scotland from James II to Mary, Queen of Scots. The university questioned these documents in 1738 but was informed by Thomas Innesand by the abbots of the Scottish college that the original records of the founding of the university were not to be found. Had they not been lost by this time, they would certainly have gotten lost during the French Revolution when the Scots College was under threat. His records and valuables were moved for safe keeping from the city of Paris. The bull remains the power by which the university's degrees are awarded.

University education began at Glasgow Cathedral's Chapterhouse, then moving to nearby Rottenrow, in a building known as the "Auld of Pedagogy". The university was given 13 acres (5.3 he) of land owned by the Black Friars (Dominicans) in the High Street by Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1563. By the end of the 17th century, the university building was centered on two courtyards surrounded by gardens, a clock tower which was one of the most notable features of the Glasgow cityscape, and the chapel is adapted from the church of a former Dominican (Blackfriars) friary. The remains of this Scottish Revival building, mainly parts of the main façade, were taken over by the Gilmorehill campus and renamed "Pearce Lodge", after Sir William Pearce, a shipbuilding magnate, funded its preservation. The Lion and the Unicorn Staircase was also transferred from the old college site and is now attached to the main building.

John Anderson, while professor of natural philosophy at the university, and with some opposition from his colleagues, for the first time professional education for working men and women during the industrial revolution. To continue this work in his will he founded Anderson College, which was affiliated with the university before merging with other institutions to become the University of Strathclyde in 1964.

In 1973, Delphine Parrott became her first female professor, Gardiner, Professor of Immunology.