[6] It is home to four faculties (Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Education and Science and Engineering)[7] and is one of the largest universities in the UK, measured by the size of its student population in 2020/21.

[8] Manchester Metropolitan University was developed from mergers of various colleges with various specialisms, including technology, art and design.

The painter L. S. Lowry attended in the years after the First World War, where he was taught by the noted impressionist Adolphe Valette.

The Manchester College of Science and Technology, which had originally been the Mechanics Institute and would then become UMIST, transferred its non-degree courses to the School of Art by 1966.

In 1987, the institution became a founding member of the Northern Consortium, and became a corporate body on 1 April 1989 as allowed by the terms of the Education Reform Act.

MSOP was previously affiliated with the Victoria University of Manchester, which conferred degree-level courses by extension until the final class of 2005.

The Crewe campus closed in summer 2019, a decision taken following a review conducted by financial advisory firm Deloitte.

It offers a range of subjects, from design to fashion, creative writing to architecture, linguistics to languages, digital arts to journalism, and history to sociology, across 9 departments and schools.

[21] Campus investment The university's 10-year Estate Masterplan 2017–2027 was complemented by a £379m commitment to the Estates Investment Programme until 2024, delivering a range of projects including: the Arts and Humanities development, the Science and Engineering development, the School of Digital Arts (SODA), Manchester Metropolitan Institute of Sport, and the Student Residential portfolio.

[22] In common with most universities in the United Kingdom, Manchester Met is headed formally by the chancellor, currently Lord Mandelson[23] but led by the vice-chancellor, currently Malcolm Press.