Created in 1993 by the merger of the former Glasgow Polytechnic and The Queen's College, Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University is Scotland's fourth largest university. It is a major provider of professional and vocational higher education within Glasgow and West Central Scotland. Glasgow Polytechnic was established in 1991 having been founded as Glasgow College of Technology in 1971. The Queen's College was founded as the Glasgow School of Cookery in 1875 when it had 110 students. By 2009, Glasgow Caledonian University had more than 18,000 students attending courses which lead to a range of qualifications at undergraduate, postgraduate and professional levels. It has over 1500 teaching and support staff, who work within nine teaching departments which are organised in the three schools of Business and Society, Engineering and Built Environment, Health and Life Sciences.
The University has three campuses within Glasgow: the City Campus on Cowcaddens Road, in the city centre; and the Park and Southbrae campuses in the West End. It also operates a campus in London which includes the British School of Fashion - founded in 2013 - and the same year was the first UK university to open a campus in New York. Courses are also offered through partners in Oman and Bangladesh.
Glasgow College of Technology was initially run by Glasgow Corporation, but transferred to the newly formed Strathclyde Regional Council in 1975 and became a Scottish Central Institution in 1985. Glasgow School of Cookery merged with the West End School of Cookery in 1908 to become the Glasgow and West of Scotland College of Domestic Science, affectionately known as the 'Dough School', and was recognised as a Scottish Central Institution the following year. In 1975, in celebration its centenary, it was given the name The Queen's College by Queen Elizabeth II, who had served as its patron since 1944.
