A federated university which provides both further and higher education, the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) was founded in 1992 as the UHI Millennium Institute. UHI Millennium Institute was designated as a higher education institution in 2001, granted taught degree-awarding powers in 2008 and gained full university status in 2011. UHI comprises thirteen independent colleges and research centres, together with seventy local learning centres, distributed across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The largest sites are in Inverness (which is also the location of the UHI head office and the students' association office), Perth and Elgin, with the university offering both diploma and degree-level qualifications. In 2018, the income of the university was £132 million and there are 39,704 students; 9,703 undertaking higher education degrees (60% full-time and 40% part-time) and 30,001 students in further education (14% full-time and 86% part-time). The university is governed by a Court and an Academic Council. The University Chancellor is HRH The Princess Royal, who was formally installed in a ceremony held in Inverness Cathedral in 2012.
The university has two subject-based faculties; namely Arts, Humanities & Business, and Science, Health & Engineering. It offers 130 undergraduate and 48 postgraduate degree courses and over 120 higher national awards and other vocational qualifications in subjects as diverse as archaeology, Scottish history, Gaelic studies, creative and cultural industries, education, leisure and tourism studies, literature, music, philosophy, politics, sociology, accounting, management, counselling and psychotherapy, health science, sports therapy, computing, agriculture, environmental studies, forestry, geography, marine science, psychology, energy and construction. Courses are offered as traditional classroom-based study and online for access from home or work.
The thirteen constituent colleges are: Argyll College UHI, the Highland Theological College UHI in Dingwall, Inverness College UHI, Lews Castle College UHI in Stornoway, Moray College UHI in Elgin, NAFC Marine Centre UHI in Scalloway, North Highland College UHI in Thurso, Orkney College UHI in Kirkwall, Perth College UHI, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI in Sleat (Skye), the Scottish Association for Marine Science in Dunstaffnage (Oban), Shetland College UHI in Lerwick and the West Highland College UHI in Fort William. The oldest of these colleges is the Scottish Association for Marine Science, which was founded as the Scottish Marine Station in 1884.
