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Studying at St Mary’s University College

BEd Primary Degree Programme

The Bachelor of Education is a four-year honours degree programme designed to equip students for successful careers in the teaching profession.

Initial Teacher Education at St Mary’s follows a competence based model.

It seeks to prepare educators who will promote social justice in partnership with learners, their families and communities, through a process of critical reflection and action rooted in inclusive pedagogies.

Katrina

The BEd Primary at St Mary’s

In our initial teacher education courses, we are dedicated to the formation of teachers who demonstrate:

  • A genuine fondness and compassion for children, coupled with a keen sensitivity to their needs;
  • Enthusiasm for teaching and a steadfast commitment to the educational process;
  • Belief in the promotion of equal opportunities, acknowledging differences based on race, religion, sex, class, or disability, and a commitment to adopting non-discriminatory practices in all these aspects;
  • Willingness to learn, coupled with openness to change and innovation;
  • A vibrant intellect and a diverse range of cultural and other interests.

Subject Study Options

A St Mary’s BEd Primary degree programme enables you to study an academic specialism alongside the core activity of learning how to teach across the curriculum of a school and support the learning needs of each pupil.

The value of the teaching profession

Children and young people will always need and deserve excellent teachers. It is their right as individuals, it is the expectation of their parents and it is necessary for the future well-being of our society.

A Nurturing Environment

St Mary’s is well-known for the quality of pastoral care it provides for its students. As a relatively small institution, lecturers know their students very well and are accessible and approachable.

High quality learning experience

As a specialist institution, St Mary’s has a long-established reputation for delivering a high-quality learning experience. Our lecturers are passionate about the liberating power of education, and are committed to seeing our students flourish.

Subject Study

At St Mary’s students can study a subject specialism that they love whilst attaining a professional teaching qualification.

School Experience

School experience is an integral element of the BEd programme which provides  extensive opportunities for students to develop their teaching competences.

Irish Medium Education

St Mary’s is a leading provider of Irish-medium teacher education. BEd Primary students can choose to take the BEd course bilingually (Irish and English) and to gain meaningful insights into educational issues relevant to immersion teaching.

Emphasis is placed on developing competence in both spoken and written Irish and there are placements in Irish-medium schools.

Religious Education Certificate

The Religious Education Certificate course, which is optional, seeks to enable student teachers to be well prepared for their role in Catholic schools. Teaching in Religious Education is based on both sacred scripture and the tradition of the Church.

Shared Education

BEd students at St Mary’s and Stranmillis University Colleges engage in joint learning activities on the themes of diversity and mutual understanding.  Some of the activities are led by school principals.

We wish our graduates in teacher education to be advocates for collaboration and sharing between schools.

Join us for an Open Day

Explore the campus and meet the students and lecturers to experience first-hand the quality of education St Mary’s can offer.

View upcoming open days
The Principal Jarlath Burns with students from St Pauls High School
Open Days Student in the Science department