Canterbury Christ Church University was founded by the Church of England as a college for teaching training in 1962. It achieved public university status in 2005, but remains affiliated to the Anglican faith. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the head of the Church of England, is the institution’s Chancellor.
The university has three campuses across Kent and Medway, one campus in Canterbury, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and others spread out across the English county of Kent in Medway and Tunbridge Wells.
There remains a strong focus on courses for teachers, nurses, allied health practitioners and the police, as well as those working in social care. However, it also offers a range of academic programmes across the arts, humanities, social sciences, business, science and engineering.
In 2020, in partnership with the University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University opened the Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS), the first medical school for the county.
The university is currently being updated as part of a £150 million investment programme. A new arts building was completed in September 2016, which was followed in 2020 by the opening of the Verena Holmes Building, the home for courses in science, engineering, technology and health and KMMS. In 2014, the university acquired Canterbury’s 19th century prison, which is in the process of being renovated to extend the city’s campus by five acres.
Student life in Canterbury is undoubtedly picturesque, filled with medieval architecture and gardens. Fans of old fashioned English pubs are well catered for and the city’s history is easily accessible through the Canterbury Heritage Museum.
The university's student union has 60 different clubs and societies that students can take part in. Graduation ceremonies take place at both Canterbury and Rochester Cathedral, providing a stunning backdrop for the students’ big day.
