Sheffield Hallam University facts for kids
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Former names
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Sheffield Polytechnic Sheffield City Polytechnic |
|---|---|
| Motto | Learn and Serve |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1843 – founded 1992 – university status |
| Endowment | £0.19 million (2022) |
| Budget | £311.2 million (2021–22) |
| Chancellor | Vacant |
| Vice-Chancellor | Liz Mossop |
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Academic staff
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2,114 |
| Students | (2015/16) |
| Undergraduates | (2015/16) |
| Postgraduates | (2015/16) |
| Location |
,
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England
53°22′45″N 1°27′53″W / 53.379105°N 1.464706°W |
| Campus | City Campus and Collegiate Crescent Campus |
| Colours | Maroon, Grey, Black and White |
| Affiliations |
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Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is a big public university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It is a place where students learn and also do important research.
The university has two main locations. The City Campus is right in the city centre, close to the Sheffield railway station. The Collegiate Crescent Campus is about two miles away. A new campus in London is planned to open for students in the 2025–26 school year.
SHU is one of the largest universities in the UK. It has many students, including thousands from other countries. The university offers hundreds of different courses.
Contents
History of Sheffield Hallam University
How the University Started and Grew
In 1843, during the Industrial Revolution, Sheffield was becoming famous for making steel and tools. That year, the Sheffield School of Design was created. It was started by artist Benjamin Haydon. The school taught art and design. In 1850, its name changed to Sheffield School of Art.
In 1905, the City of Sheffield Training College opened. It later became Sheffield City College of Education. This college welcomed its first 90 students. During the First World War, one of its buildings was used as a hospital for soldiers.
A new campus was built in the city centre in the 1960s. The Owen Building was finished in 1967. It has been updated and now connects to other buildings. In 1969, the Sheffield School of Design joined with the College of Technology. They formed Sheffield Polytechnic. Later, in 1976, it merged with two teacher training colleges. It was then called Sheffield City Polytechnic.
Becoming a University and Modern Changes
In 1992, Sheffield City Polytechnic became Sheffield Hallam University (SHU). This meant it could give out its own degrees.
In 2005, SHU changed how it was organised. It created four main groups called faculties. For example, the Faculty of Development and Society focused on subjects like education and law. A new group for health and wellbeing was also started. The building that used to be the National Centre for Popular Music became the university's student union building.
In 2007, SHU took over teaching nursing and midwifery from the University of Sheffield. These courses are now at the Collegiate Crescent Campus. In 2008, the Psalter Lane campus closed. Its activities moved to the City Campus. A new building, the Furnival Building (now called Cantor Building), opened in September 2008. It has teaching rooms and an art gallery.
How the University is Organised
University Colleges and Departments
In 2020, the university changed its structure. It moved from four faculties to new groups called colleges.
- College of Business, Technology and Engineering (BTE)
- Sheffield Business School
- School of Computing and Digital Technologies
- School of Engineering and Built Environment
- College of Social Sciences and Arts (SSA)
- Sheffield Creative Industries Institute
- Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences
- Sheffield Institute of Law and Justice
- Sheffield Institute of Education
- College of Health, Wellbeing and Life Sciences (HWLS)
- School of Biosciences and Chemistry
- School of Health and Social Care
- School of Sport and Physical Activity
University Research Work
SHU has many centres and groups where experts do important research. This research helps us understand more about different topics.
Research Centres
- Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre (AWRC)
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre (BMRC)
- Centre for Behavioural Science and Applied Psychology (CeBSAP)
- Centre for Development and Research in Education (CDARE)
- Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR)
- Centre for Sport and Exercise Science (CSES)
- Centre for Sports Engineering Research (CSER)
- Design Futures Centre for Industrial Collaboration (Design Futures)
- Humanities Research Centre (HRC)
- Lab4Living
- National Centre of Excellence for Food Engineering (NCEFE)
- Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC)
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre (SPARC)
Research Institutes
- Cultural, Communication and Computing Research Institute (C3RI)
- Materials and Engineering Research Institute (MERI)
- Sheffield Business School Research Institute (SBSRI)
- Sheffield Institute for Policy Studies (SIPS)
- Sheffield Institute of Education (SIoE)
Research Groups and Networks
- Voluntary Action Research Group
- Film, Television, Theatre and Performance Research Network
- Health and Social Care Research
- Law Research Group
- Natural and Built Environment Research Group
- Outdoor Recreation Research Group
- Physical Activity, Wellness and Public Health Research Group (PAWPH)
- Sheffield Addiction Research Recovery Group
- Sport and Human Performance Research Group
- Sports Engineering Research Group
- Sports Industry Research Group
Some companies have even started from the research done at SHU. These include Sheaf Solutions, Hallam Biotech, and Design Futures.
University Leaders (Chancellors)
The Chancellor is a special leader of the university. The position is currently empty. The last Chancellor was Uriah Rennie, who passed away in June 2025.
- Bryan Nicholson (1992–2001)
- Robert Winston (2001–2018)
- Helena Kennedy (2018–2025)
- Uriah Rennie (May–June 2025)
University Rankings and Reputation
| National rankings | |
|---|---|
| Complete (2021) | 84 |
| Guardian (2021) | 75 |
| Times / Sunday Times (2021) | 84= |
| Global rankings | |
| QS (2021) |
1001–1200 |
| THE (2021) | 801–1000 |
| British Government assessment | |
| Teaching Excellence Framework | Silver |
Student Satisfaction and Awards
Students at SHU are very happy with many of their courses. For example, architecture and geography courses have been ranked first for student satisfaction. Planning courses have been ranked second.
In university rankings, Sheffield Hallam University often scores well. For example, in 2021, The Guardian University Guide placed it 47th out of 121 UK universities. In 2020, The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide ranked it 65th.
SHU also cares about the environment. In 2015, it received a First Class award for its environmental efforts. In 2020, the university won an award for its excellent teaching quality.
Famous People Who Studied Here
Many successful people have studied at Sheffield Hallam University.
- Nazir Ahmed, a member of the Labour Party in Parliament.
- Andy Akinwolere, a TV presenter known for Blue Peter.
- Richard Caborn, a former Member of Parliament and Minister of Sport.
- Andy Carthy, also known as Mr. Scruff, a British DJ and artist.
- Dame Kelly Holmes, a double Olympic medal winner in 2004.
- David Mellor CBE, a famous designer.
- Nick Park CBE, the animator who created Wallace and Gromit. He has won an Oscar!
- Steve Peat, a World Champion mountain biker.
- Leon Taylor, an Olympic diver who won a silver medal.
- Andy Whitfield, an actor known for his role in the TV show Spartacus.
- Howard Wilkinson, a famous football manager.
Notable Staff Who Taught Here
Many talented people have also worked as staff at Sheffield Hallam University.
- Marina Lewycka, an author who wrote A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian.
- Jane Rogers, a novelist who won an award for her science fiction book The Testament of Jessie Lamb.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad Sheffield Hallam para niños
- List of universities in the United Kingdom
- University of Sheffield
