The University of Portsmouth can trace its history back to 1869 and the formation of the Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and the Arts. Portsmouth is a coastal town, and its dependence on shipping meant that the principal focus of this college was the training of engineers and dock workers. As the city developed after the Second World War, maritime industry became less prominent in the area and the college diversified. It was renamed Portsmouth Polytechnic in the 1960s, and grew to be one of the biggest such institutions in the country. University status was granted to Portsmouth in 1992, when the institution began to validate its own degrees (degrees had previously been validated by the Council for National Academic Awards).