Mary Immaculate College

Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick

Irish: Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál
Crest of Mary Immaculate College
Latin: Collegium Mariae Immaculatae
Motto	Briathar Dé Mo Lóchrann
Motto in English	The Word of God as my light
Type	College of Education
Established	1898
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
President	Professor Michael Hayes
Students	3,500
Address	South Circular Road, Limerick, Ireland, Limerick, Ireland
Partner university	University of Limerick
Colours	Blue and Orange
Nickname	Mary I
Affiliations	ACCU ICUSTA
Website	www.mic.ul.ie

Mary Immaculate College (Irish: Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál), also known as Mary I or MIC, is a College of Education and Liberal Arts, founded in 1898. It is located on South Circular Road in Limerick, Ireland. It became academically linked to the University of Limerick in 1991 and all degrees, certificates and other educational awards offered at the college are accredited by the university. The college has approximately 3,500 students and 300 staff.

The College was established as a dedicated primary teacher training college in 1898 by Bishop Edward Thomas O'Dwyer, Roman Catholic Bishop of Limerick and the Sisters of Mercy. Its foundation stone was laid on 8 December 1898 and the college officially opened in 1902, accepting in female students from Munster. In 1969, the college accepted male students for the first time. From 1974 to 1991, Mary Immaculate College was a recognised college of the National University of Ireland. 1974 saw the commencement of the B.Ed. degree with first graduates in 1977 (the course was previously a two-year National Teachers Diploma). Since 1991, degrees have been accredited by the University of Limerick.

The role of the College was expanded in 1992 to offer a Liberal Arts programme, while continuing to run both undergraduate and, more recently, postgraduate courses leading to primary education practice. The college also offers an Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) degree. The College's flagship programme is the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) with an intake of approximately 400 per year. Students may also pursue a Bachelor of Education and Psychology. The output of qualified primary teachers over a four-year period is approximately 1720, from a combination of the four-year B.Ed. programme and the Professional Masters in Education programme (which takes 2 years to complete).

In 2012, the B. Ed programme was lengthened from three years to four years in duration for incoming students. Bachelor of Education students study a combination of practical pedagogy, educational theory, and subject content in order to qualify to teach at primary level, which encompasses children aged between four and twelve years. A series of school placements take place during the course in order to build practical experience.