Our History The University College has a history to be proud of. It was founded in 1922 to provide state-funded teacher education in the northern portion of the recently partitioned island. The new Northern Ireland government decided to open its own non-denominational College and purchased Stranmillis House, with its very attractive and historic campus of 18 hectares only three kilometres from the centre of Belfast. The Colleges track record in teacher education since 1922 has been second to none. The Courses We Offer To complement our teacher education courses at BEd, PGCE and MEd level, a new BA (Early Childhood Studies) degree was launched in September 1996. A BSc (Health and Leisure Studies) degree was then introduced in September 1998, along with a part-time MA (Arts in the Community). A part-time Master of Teaching degree and a part-time MA (Early Childhood Studies) are now also available. We also offer an innovative Certificate in Working with Schools and the Community. However, teacher education at pre-service and in-service levels remains our core activity. Our four year, full-time BEd degree prepares students to teach in nursery, primary and special schools. There is also a more restricted full-time BEd provision for those wishing to teach Business Studies, Mathematics/Science, Religious Studies and Technology and Design in the post-primary and further education sectors. A one year, full-time PGCE course is available for Early Years specialists. Curriculum Development and Research In recent years the University College has hosted a number of curriculum development and research projects in various subject areas, for example in Early Years education, and has produced a range of publications. There is also a significant commitment by individual staff to academic research. Some Benchmarks In 2001, the Education teaching provision at Stranmillis was judged by the Quality Assurance Agency to merit a maximum score