On 1 April 1993, the two institutions amalgamated to form Glasgow Caledonian University. Glasgow Polytechnic, which was one of the largest central institutions in Scotland, offered externally validated degrees and diplomas in engineering, science, and the humanities: the first of which was a BA in Optics, followed by degrees in Social Sciences (1973) and Nursing (1977). Queen Elizabeth was, herself, patron of the college since 1944.
The Queen's College, which specialised in providing training in domestic science, received the royal accolade of being named after Queen Elizabeth in its centenary celebrations in 1975. The university traces its origin from The Queen's College, Glasgow (founded 1875), and the Glasgow College of Technology (founded 1971).
