Leeds Metropolitan University (Leeds Beckett University)

The origin of Leeds Beckett University (LBU) dates back to the establishment of Leeds Mechanics Institute in 1824. The institute originally had two rooms, a classroom and a library, located at a site on Park Row. It moved to South Parade in 1841 and merged with the Leeds Literary Society the next year. The Leeds Mechanics' Institute and Literary Society moved to a new building on Cookridge Street in 1968. The institute was renamed as the Leeds Institute of Science, Art and Literature in 1897. In 1970, it merged with three former institutions to form Leeds Polytechnic. In 1976, the City of Leeds and Carnegie College and the James Graham College joined Leeds Polytechnic. It became Leeds Metropolitan University and began granting degrees in 1989. It was given its current name in 2013.

The university's City Campus is situated near the Leeds city centre in England and includes a number of academic and administrative buildings. It houses Broadcasting Place which offers courses in design, art, architecture and environment. Situated at the City Campus, Rose Bowl features academic spaces like spacious classrooms, modern lecture halls and conference facilities. The campus is also home to specialist health facilities like £1 million clinical skills suite and hi-tech environmental and biomedical laboratories. Leeds Beckett University also has a 100-acre campus in Beckett Park, Headingley, at a distance of 3 miles from City Campus. This campus houses first-rate sport science labs, music and animation studios and modern computing labs along with sports facilities like pitches, a running track and outdoor and indoor tennis courts.

Leeds Beckett University consists of 13 academic schools that offer various undergraduate, postgraduate and distance-learning programmes along with short courses and degree apprenticeships. The university provides education in numerous fields of study like arts, design, architecture, business, engineering, psychology, film, law, journalism, nursing, health, sports and hospitality. It houses more than 2,900 staff members and over 28,000 students belonging to 100 countries across the world. The research-intensive institution has 14 research centres and has collaborations with many educational and professional organizations that help in offering all-round education to students. Also, 97.7% of its graduates find employment or indulge in higher studies within six months of graduating from the university.

Leeds Beckett University has produced several distinguished and successful graduates. Ricky Wilson is a popular singer and a member of the band, Kaiser Chiefs. Alexander Skarsgård is an award-winning actor who is known for starring in True Blood, a very famous HBO series. Kevin Sinfield is a professional rugby league player. Sarah Storey holds 14 gold medals in Paralympic Games for track race cycling and swimming. Peter Cattaneo is a successful filmmaker who directed The Full Monty. Sam Quek is a professional field hockey player who bagged a win for the British team at the Summer Olympics in 2016.