Birkbeck, University of London, is a world-class research and teaching institution and a vibrant centre of academic excellence. Birkbeck provides the highest quality teaching by academics engaged in cutting-edge research. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, more than 80 per cent of the research carried out at Birkbeck was rated as being of international importance.

In addition, Birkbeck beat such prestigious universities as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and University College London (UCL) to become the top higher education institution in a league table of research funding success (April 2006. Research Fortnight analysis comparing Birkbeck with other higher education institutions – excludes research institutes). At Birkbeck we believe that higher education teaching cannot - and should not - be separated from university research.

Over 90 percent of our academics are research active – the highest participation rate for any multi-faculty institution in London. On a scale of 1 – 5* (5* being the highest), the RAE rated two-thirds of Birkbeck’s academic departments as carrying out research of international importance. Rated 5* were English, History and Spanish, 5 ratings were awarded to Crystallography (Structural Biology), Earth Sciences, Economics, German, History of Art, Law, Philosophy, Politics and Psychology – denoting research of significant international importance. In addition, Archaeology, Computer Science, French and Management were deemed to be carrying out nationally excellent research, some with international importance.