The University of Manchester can trace its roots back to the formation, in 1824, of both the Mechanics' Institute (later the Institute of Science and Technology) and the Royal School of Medicine and Surgery (Victoria University of Manchester, from 1880). These two institutions collaborated closely through the 20thC, before being formally united as the University of Manchester in 2004. 

The School of Architecture was established in 1903 and a five-year hours degree course introduced, recognised by the RIBA. A Town and Country Planning programme began in 1935, which later transformed into a seperate department. In 1968-9, the five-year Diploma course was replaced with a 1-year B.Arch degree being taken after an initial 4-year B.A degree. In turn, this was replaced in 1973 by a 3-year B.A. degree, with an additional 2-year B.Arch degree. Today, the University jointly administers (with Manchester Metropolitan University) the Manchester School of Architecture (MSA), a school formed by the merger of the two universities' architecture departments in 1996.