Leeds Beckett University (LBU), formerly known as Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) and before that as Leeds Polytechnic, is a public university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has campuses in the city centre and Headingley. The university’s origins can be traced to 1824, with the foundation of the Leeds Mechanics Institute. Leeds Polytechnic was formed in 1970, and was part of the Leeds Local Education Authority until it became an independent Higher Education Corporation on 1 April 1989. In 1992, the institution gained university status. The current name was adopted in September 2014.
The annual income of the institution for 2016–17 was £221.4 million of which £3.4 million was from grants and contracts, with an expenditure of £217.1 million.
Organisation and Governance
Peter Slee joined the university as Vice-Chancellor in September 2015, succeeding Susan Price, who had been in post since January 2010.
The current Deputy Vice-Chancellors are Paul Smith (Strategic Development), Andrew Slade (Research & Enterprise) and Phil Cardew (Academic).
Schools
The schools which constitute the University are:
- Art, Architecture and Design
- Built Environment & Engineering
- Business
- Clinical & Applied Sciences
- Computing, creating technologies & engineering
- Cultural studies and humanities
- Education
- Events, Tourism & Hospitality management
- Film, music & performing arts
- Health & community studies
- Law
- Department of Languages
- Social Sciences
- Sport
Law
Leeds Law School offers undergraduate, postgraduate and professional law courses, as well as having a Law Research Unit. Postgraduate law courses include the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and the conversion course, the Graduate Diploma in Law. Undergraduate courses include the LLB (Hons) Law. The Dean of Leeds Law School is Deveral Capps, who joined Leeds Beckett in February 2015.
Leeds Law School is based at Portland (53.7968°N 1.5487°W), in the Leeds city centre. Facilities include a Mock Courtroom, a Hydra Foundation Suite, study spaces and a Postgraduate Resource Room.