St Mary’s University College is a small and specialist institution of higher education with an ethos that is welcoming to all, where values-education is actively promoted, and respect is intrinsic.
The College has had a long-standing academic partnership with Queen’s University Belfast whereby it has a sufficiently high degree of autonomy to offer a distinctive educational experience for its students while also engaging in collaborative provision with a world-class university. The academic programmes at St Mary’s are validated by Queen’s. In addition, the College has an exceptionally high profile of both community engagement and international study opportunities as well as a strong commitment to widening access and participation in higher education.
St Mary’s University College joins an initiative which gives recognition to our great school teachers. pic.twitter.com/Aun7OpFDMf
— Peter Finn (@Anorthosis87) February 4, 2021
The College advances a faith-based approach to education which emphasises the desire to build a dynamic community of learners, united through the fusion of Christian faith, reason and scholarship. Most observers agree that St Mary’s has been successful in creating such a community, one that is remarkably student friendly. St Mary’s is fortunate to be able to recruit students who are highly engaged in the life of the College. The Students’ Union, as well as the clubs and societies, play an important role in College life by promoting a stimulating and fulfilling student experience through sport as well as cultural and social activities. Recently, most of the College’s academic provision has been online due to the pandemic, and the students have responded with resilience to this form of tuition.
The student body is supported by members of the academic staff who are committed to providing pastoral care for students, when they require it, as well as developing the transferrable skills that lead to graduate employment. Likewise, members of the support staff provide the necessary professional services to ensure that students can make the most of their educational experience. The excellent relationships that exist between staff and students are a key factor in enabling St Mary’s to be a warm and welcoming place.
Undergraduate Student Experience
A recent survey of the BEd (Hons) Primary and Post-primary degree programmes by the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) identified important strengths in the College’s educational provision, including a very good level of retention and modules that are well designed to ensure student teachers are prepared for their school-based work.
The most recent report on the BA (Hons) Liberal Arts degree programme was received from external examiner, Dr Thomas Nörgaard, University of Winchester, who provided this summary assessment of the programme: “I continue to be impressed by the programme. It is thoughtful and well-designed. The learning outcomes make good sense in the light of the liberal arts ideals that inform the programme and the local context in which the programme is implemented.”
Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES)
The annual PTES covers students on the College’s MEd and PGCE programmes, and for the second successive year, St Mary’s had an exceptional outcome.
The programmes placed either first or second in each of the seven evaluative categories, which covered the full range of the educational experience including the quality of the teaching, skills development and learner experience.
Irish Medium Teacher Training
St Mary's University College has pioneered an Irish medium PGCE course for teachers — the first in Ireland. There are still places on this highly-regarded course for next intake but applications must be made by 26 Feb.
