Our purpose is to make a distinctive contribution of service and excellence, in the Catholic tradition, to higher education in Northern Ireland. St Mary’s is an academic community committed to the search for meaning and value in the intellectual life, to academic excellence and to individual attention for students. We work for the development of the whole person in a Christian, values-sensitive environment in preparation for a lifetime of learning, leadership and service. We want the College to be a religious, educational, cultural and social resource for the local community and to show concern for the poor and powerless. We provide degree programmes in teacher education – with the option to learn through Irish as well as English – and in Liberal Arts. We offer our students high-quality teaching and extensive support to foster effective learning. We aim to reduce traditional obstacles that prevent access to higher education, and to enable participation from a broad spectrum of society. We support economic regeneration and social development initiatives which facilitate peacebuilding and the resolution of conflict. We are committed to a rich international dimension in College life. To further our mission, we work with a wide range of partners and seek to build fruitful and enduring relationships. St. Mary's is a constituent college of Queen's University Belfast.