University

University of Birmingham

University
#136
Global Influence
University in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom

About University of Birmingham

By James Barham, PhD

The University of Birmingham has a rather involved history. The oldest entity to which the modern university can trace its roots is the Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery, founded in 1825. This medical-training college was officially recognized by the crown in 1836, becoming the Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery, which developed into Queen’s College, Birmingham, in 1843.

A separate institution of higher learning, Mason Science College, was founded in Birmingham in 1875, upgrading to Mason University College in 1898.

Two years later, in 1900, the Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery and Mason University College merged to become the new University of Birmingham, operating under a royal charter.

Birmingham was one of the first of the so-called “red-brick” universities, operating under the auspices of the crown as public institutions in provincial English cities. The red bricks were not only closer to home for many English people, they were also far less exclusive in their admission criteria and general ambience, as well as representing a less expensive higher education option, than Oxford or Cambridge.

Birmingham has always been strong in the natural sciences. Some 11 Nobel Prize recipients have called the university home, including:

  • John M. Kosterlitz, John Schrieffer & David Thouless — physics
  • Norman Haworth & Fraser Stoddart — chemistry
  • Maurice Wilkins, Peter Medawar, John Vane & Paul Nurse — physiology or medicine

Other Birmingham-connected notables include:

  • Physicists Rudolf Peierls, Otto Frisch, Mark Oliphant & John S. Bell
  • Biologist and organ transplantation pioneer, Rupert Billingham
  • Ethologist and popular science writer, Desmond Morris
  • Philosopher, Michael Dummett
  • Philosopher and theologian, William Lane Craig
  • Novelist and screenwriter, James Clavell
  • Actors Madeleine Carroll, George Takei & Isaac Hempstead Wright
  • German billionaire heiress, Susanne Klatten
  • Chemical engineer and industrialist, Jim Ratcliffe
  • Economist and current member of the Greek Parliament, Yanis Varoufakis
  • Former British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain

According to Wikipedia, The University of Birmingham is a public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham , and Mason Science College , making it the first English civic or 'red brick' university to receive its own royal charter, and the first English unitary university. It is a founding member of both the Russell Group of British research universities and the international network of research universities, Universitas 21.

University of Birmingham's Online Degrees

What Is University of Birmingham Known For?

University of Birmingham is known for it's academic work in the following disciplines:

University of Birmingham's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Physics
#79
World Rank
#81
Historical Rank
Nuclear Physics
#34
World Rank
#31
Historical Rank
Astronomy
#109
World Rank
#143
Historical Rank
Astrophysics
#83
World Rank
#83
Historical Rank
physics Degrees
Biology
#110
World Rank
#125
Historical Rank
Molecular Biology
#56
World Rank
#56
Historical Rank
Physiology
#130
World Rank
#128
Historical Rank
Botany
#90
World Rank
#90
Historical Rank
biology Degrees
Communications
#103
World Rank
#115
Historical Rank
Grammar
#26
World Rank
#26
Historical Rank
Linguistics
#211
World Rank
#190
Historical Rank
Journalism
#326
World Rank
#330
Historical Rank
communications Degrees
Philosophy
#111
World Rank
#147
Historical Rank
Logic
#107
World Rank
#138
Historical Rank
Philosophy of Religion
#17
World Rank
#17
Historical Rank
Marxism
#48
World Rank
#48
Historical Rank
philosophy Degrees
Medical
#128
World Rank
#136
Historical Rank
Surgery
#126
World Rank
#130
Historical Rank
Public Health
#142
World Rank
#144
Historical Rank
Dentistry
#115
World Rank
#117
Historical Rank
medicine Degrees
Education
#152
World Rank
#150
Historical Rank
Higher Education
#164
World Rank
#164
Historical Rank
Adult Education
#23
World Rank
#23
Historical Rank
Secondary Education
#213
World Rank
#213
Historical Rank
education Degrees
Business
#185
World Rank
#186
Historical Rank
Management
#177
World Rank
#177
Historical Rank
Finance
#208
World Rank
#208
Historical Rank
Marketing
#197
World Rank
#197
Historical Rank
business Degrees
Mathematics
#179
World Rank
#214
Historical Rank
Mathematical Physics
#35
World Rank
#37
Historical Rank
Statistics
#192
World Rank
#203
Historical Rank
Measure Theory
#135
World Rank
#166
Historical Rank
math Degrees
Engineering
#218
World Rank
#218
Historical Rank
Electrical Engineering
#121
World Rank
#112
Historical Rank
Architecture
#381
World Rank
#347
Historical Rank
Metallurgy
#16
World Rank
#13
Historical Rank
engineering Degrees
Political Science
#169
World Rank
#176
Historical Rank
Government
#137
World Rank
#137
Historical Rank
Human Rights
#223
World Rank
#223
Historical Rank
Political Economy
#114
World Rank
#115
Historical Rank
political-science Degrees
Literature
#172
World Rank
#197
Historical Rank
Writing
#137
World Rank
#142
Historical Rank
Literary Criticism
#83
World Rank
#94
Historical Rank
Etymology
#63
World Rank
#64
Historical Rank
literature Degrees
History
#111
World Rank
#119
Historical Rank
Economic History
#49
World Rank
#42
Historical Rank
Modern History
#62
World Rank
#62
Historical Rank
Ancient History
#98
World Rank
#110
Historical Rank
history Degrees
Religious Studies
#93
World Rank
#116
Historical Rank
Theology
#96
World Rank
#119
Historical Rank
Ministry
#185
World Rank
#185
Historical Rank
Islamic Studies
#50
World Rank
#50
Historical Rank
religious-studies-hub Degrees
Chemistry
#135
World Rank
#130
Historical Rank
Organic Chemistry
#89
World Rank
#102
Historical Rank
Chemical Engineering
#138
World Rank
#136
Historical Rank
Physical Chemistry
#109
World Rank
#119
Historical Rank
chemistry Degrees
Computer Science
#224
World Rank
#226
Historical Rank
Artificial Intelligence
#178
World Rank
#178
Historical Rank
Database
#206
World Rank
#207
Historical Rank
Programming
#195
World Rank
#196
Historical Rank
computer-science Degrees
Economics
#185
World Rank
#193
Historical Rank
Macroeconomics
#156
World Rank
#159
Historical Rank
Taxation
#281
World Rank
#281
Historical Rank
Econometrics
#207
World Rank
#207
Historical Rank
economics Degrees
Law
#248
World Rank
#252
Historical Rank
Common Law
#68
World Rank
#68
Historical Rank
Jurisprudence
#210
World Rank
#216
Historical Rank
Civil Law
#201
World Rank
#201
Historical Rank
Sociology
#89
World Rank
#97
Historical Rank
Cultural Sociology
#7
World Rank
#7
Historical Rank
Ethnic Studies
#46
World Rank
#46
Historical Rank
Women's Studies
#253
World Rank
#253
Historical Rank
sociology Degrees
Psychology
#231
World Rank
#249
Historical Rank
Cognitive Science
#113
World Rank
#113
Historical Rank
Psychoanalysis
#140
World Rank
#147
Historical Rank
Social Psychology
#222
World Rank
#222
Historical Rank
psychology Degrees
Earth Sciences
#238
World Rank
#217
Historical Rank
Geography
#146
World Rank
#156
Historical Rank
Mineralogy
#210
World Rank
#223
Historical Rank
Crystallography
#168
World Rank
#171
Historical Rank
earth-science Degrees
Anthropology
#187
World Rank
#211
Historical Rank
Cultural Anthropology
#82
World Rank
#88
Historical Rank
Ethnography
#118
World Rank
#120
Historical Rank
Archeology
#261
World Rank
#277
Historical Rank
anthropology Degrees
Criminal Justice
#166
World Rank
#171
Historical Rank
Policing
#18
World Rank
#18
Historical Rank
Law Enforcement
#356
World Rank
#356
Historical Rank
Forensic Science
#138
World Rank
#140
Historical Rank
criminal-justice Degrees
Nursing
#172
World Rank
#172
Historical Rank
Psychiatric Nursing
#55
World Rank
#55
Historical Rank
Critical Care Nursing
#83
World Rank
#83
Historical Rank
Neonatal Nursing
#37
World Rank
#37
Historical Rank
nursing Degrees
Social Work
#150
World Rank
#152
Historical Rank
Child Protection
#15
World Rank
#15
Historical Rank
Empowerment
#260
World Rank
#260
Historical Rank
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
#133
World Rank
#133
Historical Rank
social-work Degrees

Who Are University of Birmingham's Most Influential Alumni?

University of Birmingham's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Physics, Sociology, and Communications. Here are some of University of Birmingham's most famous alumni:

Maurice Wilkins
Maurice Wilkins
A New Zealand-born English physicist and biologist.
William Lane Craig
William Lane Craig
An American Christian philosopher and theologian..
Desmond Morris
Desmond Morris
A British zoologist, ethologist and surrealist painter.
John Stewart Bell
John Stewart Bell
A Northern Irish physicist.
Stanley Baldwin
A British statesman .
Alfred J. Lotka
Alfred J. Lotka
An American mathematician.
Paul Nurse
Paul Nurse
A Nobel prize winning British biochemist.
Jonathan Miller
Jonathan Miller
A British theatre director .
David Lodge
An English author and literary critic.
Stanley Mandelstam
An American physicist .
Elliott H. Lieb
Elliott H. Lieb
An American mathematical physicist and professor of mathematics and physics at Princeton University.
Paul Gilroy
Paul Gilroy
A Scholar of the Black diaspora and culture.

Who Are University of Birmingham's Most Influential Faculty?

University of Birmingham's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Physics, Sociology, and Communications. Here are some of University of Birmingham's most famous alumni:

Candida Moss
A British bible scholar.
Rorden Wilkinson
A British academic and author.
Leroy Cronin
Leroy Cronin
A British chemist.
Deryk Osthus
A Mathematician.
Daniela Kühn
A German mathematician.
Helen Stokes-Lampard
A British medical academic and general practitioner.
Mark D. Griffiths
A British psychologist.
Rahul Potluri
Rahul Potluri
An Indo-British scientist.
Damian Milton
A British sociologist and social psychologist.
Gordon Dougan
Gordon Dougan
An English microbiologist, Principal Research Scientist at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge.
David Nicholl
A Northern Irish doctor.
Alice Roberts
Alice Roberts
An English physician, anatomist, physical anthropologist, television presenter, author.