BPP University

BPP University
Former names
BPP University College of Professional Studies (2010)
BPP College of Professional Studies (2005)
BPP Law School (1992)
Motto Your Ambition Realised
Established 1992
Type Private
Parent institution
BPP Holdings
President Baroness Cohen of Pimlico
CEO & Vice Chancellor Carl Lygo[1]
Students 9,000
Location Abingdon, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Liverpool, London and Manchester, United Kingdom
Website bpp.com/university

BPP University is a private university based in London dedicated to the study of business and the professions. The university is owned and run by BPP Holdings, part of the American higher education company Apollo Group.

The university is a UK degree-awarding body with four schools: BPP Business School, BPP Law School, BPP School of Health[2] and BPP School of Foundation and English Language Studies.

Since 2009 BPP has been owned by the Apollo Group, the leading for-profit educational corporation in the US, that has had a history of controversy. It is also one of eight members of the newly formed Independent Universities Group, whose objective is to differentiate their academic credentials from what they consider the more commercial elements of the alternative sector.

History

The university was founded by Alan Brierley, Richard Price and Charles Prior in 1976 as Brierley Price Prior to provide exam training to accountancy students.[3] In 1992 BPP Law School was founded and in 2005 joined forces with the newly formed BPP Business School under the name BPP College.[3]

In 2007 BPP College obtained degree-awarding powers,[4] the first publicly owned private company in the UK to do so, based on examination by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). In July 2010 BPP College was granted university college status and the name became BPP University College.[5]

In August 2013 BPP University College was awarded university status and changed its name to BPP University.[6]

In November 2013 BPP won Education Investor magazine's "Higher/Professional Education Provider of the Year 2013" award.[7]

Locations

BPP University has study centres in Abingdon, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Leeds, Liverpool, London and Manchester[8]

Organisation and administration

BPP University is one of six private degree awarding bodies in the UK. It receives no direct funding from the higher education funding council and can set tuition fees at the level of its choice..[5] In 2011, BPP set its fees for 2012 undergraduate courses at £5,000.[9]

Academic programmes

The university offers degree programmes in law,[10] business (management, marketing, human resources, entrepreneurship, leadership) accounting, finance, psychology and health studies. In 2011, it had 6,780 students taking courses in its Business School, Law School, School of Health and School of Foundation & English Language Studies. A further 30,000 took accountancy qualifications with BPP's professional training organisation BPP Professional Education. The university also manages and operates McTimoney College of Chiropractic[11] and through that partnership offers four year Master's degrees in Chiropractic.[5]

Other programmes

"Pathway programmes" are non-degree programmes.[12]

The university also provides a number of Professional Education courses, leading to exams taken with professional bodies such as The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).[13]

References

  1. Janet Murray (9 May 2011). "BPP University College chief leads a university 'that is different'". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  2. "Private university expands into health sector". BBC News. 4 July 2012.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "BPP FAQs: A little bit of history". BPP Website. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  4. Marcus Leroux (25 September 2007). "FTSE company wins right to give degrees". The Times. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Sean Coughlan (25 July 2010). "First private university in decades to be created". BBC News. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  6. "For-profit college gains full university status". BBC News. 8 August 2013.
  7. http://www.educationinvestor.co.uk/awards/awardsWinners2013.aspx
  8. http://www.bpp.com/university-college/l/about-bpp-university-college
  9. "Private university's £5,000 tuition fees". BBC News. 6 September 2011.
  10. Melanie Newman, "For-profit college to offer two-year law degree," 17 January 2008, The Times Higher Education, found at The Times Higher Education website. Retrieved March 4, 2009.
  11. http://undergraduate.bpp.com/
  12. BPP website pathway programmes list
  13. http://www.bpp.com/postgraduate-course-details/d/postgraduate/PGCIMPGDip/10672

External links

Coordinates: 51°30′18″N 0°13′23″W / 51.50500°N 0.22306°W