St Mary's University College - Belfast

Congratulations to all the young Antrim All-Stars. Delighted to welcome so many future stars to St Mary's.🌟

St Mary’s University College was delighted to host the 16th Annual INTO Vere Foster Lecture. The event was opened by INTO Northern Committee Chairperson Mr Marty Lavery, who introduced Professor Peter Finn KSG, Principal of St Mary’s as the keynote speaker. Professor Finn delivered a compelling and thought-provoking lecture on ‘Initial Teacher Education in an Era of TransformED’.
As the College celebrates its 125th anniversary year, the lecture offered an engaging and thought-provoking reflection on the evolving landscape of education and Initial Teacher Education.
Irish National Teachers' Organisation NI

Celebrating 25 Years of the Liberal Arts degree at St Mary's
Congratulations to our BA (Hons) Liberal Arts students on their Commencement Ceremony - Class of 2026:
♦️Business Studies
♦️English
♦️History
♦️Irish
♦️Physical Education
♦️Religious Studies
Wishing them every success in their future careers.

St Mary's Principal Prof. Peter Finn and Board of Governors Chair Bishop Alan McGuckian were delighted to welcome students from the University of Notre Dame Australia to our College Commencement ceremony. The students are currently on a 6 week immersion with St Mary's.

St Mary's Commencement Ceremony - Class of 2026
Congratulations to our Bachelor of Education (Hons) students:
♦️English
♦️History
♦️Irish
♦️Music
♦️Physical Education
♦️Science
Wishing them every success in their future careers.

Aisling Education Bursaries OPEN for applications
St Mary's were delighted to attend the launch of the Aisling Education Bursaries were Cllr Rois-Máire Donnelly, Belfast Lord Mayor and Paul Maskey MP, MP for West Belfast spoke passionately about the support that they offer students.
Cllr Donnelly said: “The Aisling Education Bursaries are quite incredible, with sponsors donated over one million pounds
to support 1640 students over the last 26 years. Over the years, the Aisling Education Bursaries have supported students who are going to study vocational courses, Degrees such as Law, Engineering and teaching, right up to Masters and PhD level. The Bursaries showcase the fantastic community in west Belfast.”
Managed and delivered by West Belfast Partnership Board, the Aisling Education Bursaries are a unique education scheme for students from west Belfast and Shankill, which highlight the importance the business community attaches to education in
developing West Belfast. The initiative is a community and private sector partnership through which businesses, community enterprises, families and individuals contribute to the Aisling Education Bursary fund and make a firm commitment to developing the skills of the local community.
Angie Mervyn, Education Manager in West Belfast
Partnership Board said: “The donations are not only an incredible gesture of generosity, of “giving back” and sharing from businesses and local people, but also a vote of confidence in the recipients of the Bursaries and a real investment in our community, one family, one person at a time.”
Since the Aisling Education Bursaries were launched in 2000, 1640 students from west Belfast - of all ages - have benefitted from donations amounting to £1,168,500 which really is exceptional, and a credit to all involved.
In 2025 £124,000 was raised to award Bursaries to 174 students.
The Aisling Education Bursary on-line applications are open and have been extended to close on Friday 10th July.
Please visit the West Belfast Partnership Board website to apply:
Link:
https://westbelfast-partnership.com/aisling-bursaries-2026/

St Mary's University College Commencement Ceremony for Irish-Medium Teacher Education - Guest Speaker Caoimhin MacUilliam, Principal, Scoil na Fuiseoige.

St Mary's University College Commencement Ceremony for Irish-Medium Teacher Education St Mary's University College Commencement Ceremony for Irish-Medium...

St Mary's Commencement Ceremony - Class of 2026
Congratulations to our Bachelor of Education (Hons) students:
♦️Business Studies
♦️Mathematics Primary
♦️Mathematics Post-Primacy
♦️Religious Studies Primary
♦️Religious Studies Post-Primary
♦️Technology & Design
Wishing them every success in their future careers.

Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) Summer School 📚
📅 Wed 01- Tue 07 July 2026
➡️ What’s on Offer?
We are offering one and two-day courses tailored for learning support in the modern classroom. Whether you are a teacher or a school leader, the sessions are crafted to address development needs across all sectors in a friendly and relaxed College campus environment.
➡️ Programme of Courses
The programme provides a range of courses across the following themes:
🔹 Leadership
🔹 Inclusion
🔹 Pedagogy
🔹 Gaeloideachas/ Irish-medium education
➡️ Fees and Bursaries One-day courses: £175 / Two-day course: £200
The Department of Education (DENI) is offering bursaries of £150 to the first 300 applicants. Such applicants will pay a net fee of £25 (or £50 in the case of the two-day course) to the College.
Full details online https://www.stmarys-belfast.ac.uk/teacher-professional-learning-summer-school/

📢ANNOUNCEMENT | Education Minister, Paul Givan, has announced the reintroduction of a professional learning summer school for teachers.

The summer school will be delivered by the Higher Education Institutions on behalf of the Department. The Department will be providing bursaries for up to 1,200 teachers to attend.

For more information, visit: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/news/givan-announces-transformed-teacher-professional-learning-summer-school

St Mary's University College - Belfast, Queen's University Belfast Stranmillis University College Ulster University