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Middlesex University London

Type	Public research university
Established	1878–1973 – founding institutions 1973–74 – as Middlesex Polytechnic 1992 – gained university status
Academic affiliations	ACU EUA MillionPlus Universities UK
Endowment	£0.577 million (2022)
Budget	£178.2 million (2021–22)
Chancellor	Janet Ritterman (appointed 2013)
Vice-Chancellor	Shân Wareing (appointed 2024)
Administrative staff	1,900
Students	19,110 (2015/16)
Undergraduates	14,810 (2015/16)
Postgraduates	4,700 (2015/16)
Location	The Burroughs, Hendon, London NW4 4BT , United Kingdom
Colours	White, red, black and grey

Middlesex University London (also known as MDX) is a public research university. It is located in Hendon, a part of northwest London, England. The university's name comes from the historic county of Middlesex, where it is located.

The university started in 1878 with St Katharine's College in Tottenham. This college trained women to become teachers. Over time, it joined with other schools. In 1992, it officially became Middlesex University. It is one of the newer universities in the UK, formed from older polytechnic colleges.

Middlesex University has many students. Over 19,000 students study in London. Globally, more than 37,000 students attend its campuses. The university has connections with over 100 universities worldwide. Students can even study abroad in 22 different countries. The main campus in Hendon has students from over 140 different countries.

Besides London, Middlesex University has campuses in Malta, Dubai, and Mauritius. It also has offices around the world. Students can study subjects like science, technology, arts, and social sciences. In 2023, the government gave it a Silver rating for its teaching quality. The university has also won the Queen's Anniversary Prize three times. It has twice received the Queen's Awards for Enterprise for its international work.

Discovering Middlesex University's History

Students learning technical drawing at Tottenham polytechnic in 1944

For over 140 years, the schools that became Middlesex University have been in north London. The university grew by combining different colleges. This started in 1878 with St. Katherine's College in Tottenham. Other schools joined later, like Hornsey College of Art (1882) and Hendon Technical Institute (1939).

In 1973, these colleges formed Middlesex Polytechnic. Then, in 1992, it officially became Middlesex University. More schools joined as the university grew even bigger.

Since the 1990s, Middlesex University has expanded globally. It opened its first overseas office in Kuala Lumpur in 1992. In 2005, it opened its first campus abroad in Dubai. Later, campuses opened in Mauritius (2009) and Malta (2013). The university also works with other schools worldwide.

Today, all of Middlesex University's London teaching happens at its Hendon campus. This campus has been updated to bring all students together.

Key Moments in University History

1878 – St Katherine's College, Tottenham was founded.
1882 – Hornsey College of Art was founded.
1901 – Ponders End Technical Institute began.
1939 – Hendon Technical Institute opened.
1973 – Middlesex Polytechnic was formed.
1992 – Middlesex University was officially created. The first overseas office opened in Kuala Lumpur.
1996 – Middlesex won its first Queen's Anniversary Prize.
2000 – The Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture opened. Middlesex won its third Queen's Anniversary Prize.
2005 – The first overseas campus opened in Dubai.
2009 – The second overseas campus opened in Mauritius.
2011 – Middlesex won its second Queen's Award for Enterprise.
2012 – The Trent Park campus closed, and programs moved to Hendon.
2013 – The Archway campus closed. All UK teaching moved to Hendon. The third international campus opened in Malta.
2017 – The new Ritterman building opened, home to the UK's first cyber factory.
2018 – Middlesex University's Students’ Union won "Students’ Union of the Year".

University Changes and Growth

Middlesex's old logo

In 2003, the university changed its logo. The new logo was a red wavy line. It was meant to show that the university is flexible and responsive to students.

To save money, the university made some changes in 2005–2006. It stopped offering history courses. This decision was not popular with students. The university also reduced staff to save money.

Since 2000, Middlesex has focused on having "fewer, better campuses." This meant closing smaller campuses like Bounds Green, Enfield, and Tottenham. Most of the university's activities moved to the Hendon campus. The goal was to bring all London-based teaching to one main location.

In 2010, the university decided to close its Philosophy department. This caused a lot of discussion and protests. Eventually, the postgraduate part of the program moved to Kingston University.

Exploring Middlesex University Campuses

The university has brought most of its activities to the Hendon campus in London. All teaching has been at Hendon since autumn 2013. Older campuses like Bounds Green (2003), Tottenham (2005), Enfield (2008), Cat Hill (2011), Trent Park (2012), and Archway (2013) were closed. Hendon received a lot of investment to improve its facilities for new students.

Since 2004, the university has also had an overseas campus in Dubai. Another opened in Mauritius in October 2009. In September 2013, Middlesex opened its third international campus in Malta.

Current Campuses

London: Hendon Campus

The College Building at Hendon

The Hendon campus is in northwest London, close to Hendon Central Underground station. The main College Building was built in 1939. It was part of the Hendon Technical Institute. The building was expanded in 1955 and 1969.

The Sheppard Library

Over £200 million has been spent to make the Hendon campus one of London's largest. The main College Building was renovated for £40 million. This included adding a glass-covered courtyard called Ricketts Quadrangle. In 2004, the new Sheppard Library opened. It offers 24/7 access to over 1,000 study areas. It also has special facilities like a Financial Markets Suite.

The Ritterman Building is one of the newest additions. It opened in February 2017. It provides over 3,300 square meters of teaching space. It is home to the UK's first 'Cyber Factory'. This building uses solar panels and a green roof to be eco-friendly.

The Hendon campus also has sports facilities. These include a fitness studio, football pitches, and a bouldering wall. In 2013, a new sports science facility opened at Allianz Park. The university gym, Fitness Pod, opened in 2017.

Dubai Campus

In 2005, the university opened a campus in the Dubai Knowledge Village. This was the first Middlesex campus outside London. It offers courses in business, computing, law, psychology, and more.

The Dubai campus is approved by the Dubai Knowledge and Human Authority (KHDA). In 2009, the KHDA praised the quality of the university's programs. As of 2020, the Dubai campus had over 3,200 students from 100 different countries.

Mauritius Campus

The Mauritius campus opened in 2010 in Bonne Terre. It was the first British university to open in the country. It has a Learning Resource Centre, computer suites, and dining areas. Teachers from the Mauritius campus work with London staff. This ensures the quality of programs is the same as in the UK.

In October 2017, Middlesex opened a new campus at Cascavelle. This new campus has labs for biology and psychology. It also has a student house for clubs. Over 1,000 students from 25 countries study here.

Malta Campus

In 2013, Middlesex opened its newest campus in Malta. It is located in Pembroke, on Malta's northeast coast. The campus is shared with STC Training. It offers business, science, and technology courses. In February 2019, it was announced that the Malta campus would close by September 2022.

Former Campuses

Archway and Hospitals Campus

Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead

This campus closed in 2013. It was mainly used by the School of Health and Social Sciences. It operated from four hospital sites: Royal Free Hospital, Whittington Hospital, Chase Farm Hospital, and North Middlesex University Hospital.

In 2007, a new Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) for Mental Health and Social Work opened here. This center received significant funding to create new teaching facilities.

Trent Park Campus

Mansion at Trent Park

The Trent Park campus closed in 2012. All its departments moved to the Hendon campus. The campus was located in a large country park. The main building was a mansion designed in the 18th century. After World War II, it became a teacher training college. In 1974, it joined Middlesex Polytechnic.

The university had plans to rebuild the site, but they were not approved. The Trent Park site was later sold to a developer. The university buildings were removed.

Tottenham Campus

This campus closed in summer 2005. Its programs moved to other university campuses. The Tottenham campus started as St Katharine's College in 1878. It was one of the first teacher training colleges in Britain. Later, it became the College of All Saints.

After the college closed and joined Middlesex Polytechnic, the 'All Saints' campus housed humanities, business, and law studies. These programs have since moved. The old university buildings were torn down. The site is now home to the Haringey Sixth Form College.

Bounds Green Campus

The Bounds Green campus was home to the Engineering and Information Technology schools. It was sold in December 2003.

Enfield Campus

Broadbent building

The Enfield Campus has a history linked to electric light. In 1901, the Ediswan Institute was founded. It later became the Ponders End Technical Institute. By 1937, a new college building was planned. It was finished in 1953 and became Enfield Technical College. In 1962, it was renamed Enfield College of Technology. In 1973, this college became part of Middlesex Polytechnic.

The campus had four main buildings: Broadbent, Roberts, McCrae, and Pascal. They were named after important people who helped create the college. The Enfield campus closed in July 2008. Most departments moved to the Hendon campus.

Cat Hill Campus

The Cat Hill campus was sold in March 2011. This was part of the university's plan to bring all courses to Hendon. The campus closed in September 2011. Students moved to a new building called 'Grove' at the Hendon campus.

Cat Hill Campus was in Cockfosters. It was originally the Hornsey College of Art, founded in 1880. It later became the Faculty of Art & Design for Middlesex Polytechnic.

How Middlesex University is Organized

The university is divided into three main groups of subjects, called faculties:

Faculty of Arts and Creative Industries

This faculty includes subjects like media, performing arts, design, and visual arts.

Faculty of Professional and Social Sciences

This faculty covers subjects from the Business School, Law School, and School of Health and Education.

Faculty of Science and Technology

This faculty includes subjects like biomedical science, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and psychology. It is also home to the London Sports Institute.

University Leadership

Middlesex University has a Board of Governors and an Executive Team. Both are led by the Vice-Chancellor.

Chancellors

1992–2000 – Beryl Platt, Baroness Platt of Writtle
2000–2013 – Allen Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Didgemere
2013–present – Janet Ritterman

Vice-Chancellors

1972–1991 – Raymond Rickett
1992–1996 – David Melville
1992–2015 – Michael Driscoll
2015–2019 – Tim Blackman
2019-2023- Nic Beech
2023-present- Sean Wellington (Interim)

University Research

Middlesex University does research in many areas. These include Art and Design, Education, Law, Music, and Software Engineering.

In 2014, a UK review of university research found that 58% of Middlesex's research was considered world and internationally excellent. The same review also said that 90% of Middlesex's research was recognized internationally.

In 2011, the university's research on age diversity was chosen for a special report. This report highlights leading research projects in UK universities.

Student Life at Middlesex

The university has about 19,000 students in London. Globally, it has over 37,000 students. Students can exchange with over 100 universities in 22 countries.

The number of students at the university has grown. In 2010, applications to Middlesex increased by more than 30%. This demand continued to grow in 2011.

Students' Union

Middlesex Students' Union (MDXSU) is a group separate from the university. It represents students and supports them. The Union offers social activities and helps students build skills. This includes clubs, events, volunteering, and student-run media. MDX Student Media has a magazine, radio station, TV channel, and online blog. The Students' Union is led by four Student Officers. Students at Middlesex elect these officers each spring.

University Reputation and Rankings

Rankings
National rankings
Complete (2021)	114
Guardian (2021)	115
Times / Sunday Times (2021)	121
Global rankings
ARWU (2020)	901–1000
QS (2021)	721–730
THE (2021)	501–600
British Government assessment
Teaching Excellence Framework	Silver

In 2018, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed Middlesex University among the top 500 global universities. It was the only modern university in London to achieve this. In 2017, it was named the top modern university in London for younger universities.

The Guardian University Guide 2018 ranked the university's Film Production and Photography course as the best in London. In The Complete University Guide 2018, its Sports Science and Social Work courses were named the best in London. In 2017/18, 77% of students reported overall satisfaction in the National Student Survey.

In 2020, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed Middlesex's psychology degrees among the top 201–250 worldwide. In 2022, ARWU ranked its psychology degrees in the top 301–400 globally.

Middlesex has won the Queen's Anniversary Prize three times. It has also received the Queen's Award for Enterprise twice for its international work.

Famous People Who Studied Here

Helen Mirren, a famous actress
Sir Ray Davies, a musician
Dermot O'Leary, a TV presenter
Alan Carr, a comedian
Nick Harvey, a politician
Marina Diamandis, a singer
Roger Glover, a musician
Freema Agyeman, an actress
Milton Jones, a comedian
Kim Howells, a politician

Middlesex University has an alumni association. This group helps former students stay in touch with the university. It offers benefits and organizes events.

Even though he wasn't a graduate, Tommy Flowers received a basic computing certificate from Hendon College. He was a British engineer who helped create the Colossus computer. This computer was used to break codes during World War II.