Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) and professional programmes

We offer expert-led, free MOOCs and paid continued professional development courses in a wide range of subject areas, including civil engineering, business and management, healthcare ethics and law.

This includes a free Prometheus programme to support executive-level learning and development for UK third-sector professionals.

Inclusive, sustainable and equitable education

Alongside our conventional course units, we offer a range of interdisciplinary units open to all students that ensure inclusive, sustainable and equitable education.

These include Creating a Sustainable World: 21st Century Challenges and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Your Role in Shaping a Fairer World.

Humanising Healthcare

Our Humanising Healthcare initiative embeds community service and engagement within dentistry, pharmacy and optometry programmes.

It supports students to deliver essential healthcare and education to communities as part of the curriculum.

It also encourages global volunteering and the development of civic values and skills in the future health workforce.

Antibiotic guardians

Our Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health has successfully established the Action on Antibiotic Drug Resistance: One Student. One Campus. One World programme.

We’re now working to create a wider student-led network with other universities in the north-west and across Africa.

Study programmes

We have the UK’s largest medical school and are the biggest provider of graduate healthcare professionals to the NHS in England’s north-west.

We also offer pioneering professional programmes in areas including global health, humanitarianism and international healthcare leadership.

Manchester Central Foodbank

Since its inception in 2013, the UK’s first student-led and campus-based foodbank, Manchester Central Foodbank, has helped thousands of local citizens with food insecurity.

This included developing an online store and delivery system for vulnerable and isolated people, and providing 70,000 meals during the pandemic in 2020.

Study programmes

Our BA Geography students undertake a Food and Farming unit covering hunger, ethical consumerism, environmental sustainability, animal rights and social equity.

Biosciences undergraduates take a Plants for the Future unit exploring how plant biology can address social and environmental challenges.

Through a Green Biotechnology unit, students engage with the latest developments in sustainable food production, energy generation and pharmaceutical production.

Student action

Our student community work on a range of projects to tackle extreme poverty and inequality.

Love for the Streets was established by two Manchester students to use youth events, content and social media marketing to tackle homelessness in partnership with local charities.

Once a Month fights period poverty through public campaigns and providing sanitary products to vulnerable women across Manchester.

Homeless Healthcare Society

The Homeless Healthcare Society helps improve the healthcare of Manchester’s homeless population by raising awareness of the medical inequalities and stigmas faced by homeless patients when accessing healthcare.

The aim is to ultimately improve the care provided by tomorrow’s healthcare professionals.

Team Rwanda

Team Rwanda is a partnership between The University of Manchester, the University of Rwanda and Azizi Life.

Students volunteer their time assisting several schemes to alleviate poverty and aid community development.

Study programmes

Our Global Development Institute is the UK’s largest university-based postgraduate centre specialising in international development.

More than 5,000 students have completed master’s programmes in international development since 2012.