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St Patrick's College, Maynooth opened its doors as an educational institution in 1795 as the National Seminary, becoming a Pontifical University in 1896. In the intervening two centuries, it has established for itself an impressive reputation for scholarship and learning. The Pontifical University and National Seminary are often referred to as Maynooth College. Today, as a Pontifical University, the College specializes in the study of theology and philosophy and related areas, in one of the most beautiful campuses in Ireland, and the support of Ireland's newest University, Maynooth University. The College is justly proud of its long-standing tradition of commitment to high-quality instruction and student service provided by a responsive faculty, formation team, and administrative staff. Many of our alumni and current students alike cite close interaction with faculty members as hallmarks of their educational experience at Maynooth. The Pontifical University, on foot of its ongoing professional quality assurance process, is redoubling its efforts to put in place an environment of excellence for undergraduates and postgraduates in every dimension of student life and learning. Our commitment to each student is to deliver a high quality third and fourth level educational experience that is at once academically challenging and personally supportive. The College seeks to provide its students and seminarians with a solid academic foundation, a strong spiritual base, and value-added research and recreational environment capable of generating graduates equipped with the requisite knowledge and leadership skills to excel in their career fields or vocational callings. Studying at Maynooth, whether for several years or just a semester, is truly a time of rich intellectual, personal, spiritual, and human development opportunities. As we work and study, all of us faculty and staff, seminarians and students, are on a journey of faith, discovery, leadership, and community. Our common goal is the education and formation of leaders: for the church, our country, our communities, the professions, and many different walks of life. Let us make the most of this piece of the road that we will share! With an original foundation in 1795, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, is, since 1896, a Pontifical University dedicated to the disciplines of philosophy and theology. Drawing on its Catholic tradition, the College is committed to the highest level in teaching and learning, research, and publication. As an institution, it promotes the intellectual, human, and professional development of its students within an environment that respects autonomy and diversity. The Faculty of Theology further strives to communicate, conserve, and innovate from within the Christian theological tradition and contribute creatively to the broader church, society, and culture. St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, was founded in 1795 as the National Seminary for all of Ireland. In addition to the courses in philosophy and theology required for the education of candidates for the priesthood, its' curriculum included courses in the Humanities (Classics, English, Irish and Modern Languages) and Natural Philosophy (including mathematics and experimental science). At the time of the celebration of the College's first centenary, permission was sought from Rome to confer canonical degrees in Philosophy, Theology, and Canon Law. This was achieved in 1896 with the grant of a Charter as a Pontifical University. The history of University Education in nineteenth-century Ireland is a complex one and was only finally resolved by the foundation of the National University of Ireland (NUI) in 1908, with constituent colleges in Dublin, Cork, and Galway. The terms of the Act of Parliament establishing the University excluded the teaching of and granting degrees in theology. It gave the new University, however, the right to recognize other institutions for teaching and granting of degrees. Under these terms, the Trustees of Maynooth applied for recognition of the College's non-theological courses in 1909. The following year, Saint Patrick's College Maynooth became a Recognised College of the National University of Ireland, with Faculties of Arts, Philosophy and Celtic Studies. After an initial experimental period of four years, the status of Recognised College was granted in perpetuity and extended to include a Faculty of Science. Maynooth was accordingly both a Pontifical University for the ecclesiastical sciences and a Recognised College of the National University of Ireland in Arts, Philosophy, Celtic Studies, and Science. The President of St Patrick's College was head of both institutions, and the staff of the College held professorships and lectureships within the National University of Ireland. The College's student body remained exclusively clerical until 1966, when lay students were admitted to NUI courses of the College. In time, these courses became the predominant dimension of Maynooth's curriculum. With the increasing number of students, the NUI's teaching staff became more numerous and varied in background. An Act of Dáil Éireann in 1997 restructured the National University of Ireland. By its terms, the Recognised College at Maynooth became the National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM), independent of St Patrick's College. NUIM now has more than 8,000 students. Its traditional Faculties of Arts, Philosophy, Celtic Studies, and Science, includes courses in Finance, Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Electronic Engineering. Today, the Pontifical University at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, offers both undergraduate and postgraduate courses open to all qualifying candidates. View full university

Maynooth University is an internationally recognized institution located 25 kilometers outside of Dublin, Ireland, and is the nation’s fastest-growing University. One of four constituent universities of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth University, in 2017 placed in the global top 50 universities under 50 years old in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. On 16 June 2017, Maynooth University celebrated its 20th birthday, formally established as an autonomous university in 1997. Yet, it traces its origins to the foundation of the Royal College of St. Patrick in 1795, drawing inspiration from a heritage that includes over 200 years of education and scholarship. Today, Maynooth University is a place of lively contrasts–a modern institution, dynamic, rapidly-growing, research-led and engaged, yet grounded in historic academic strengths and scholarly traditions. With more than 12,000 students from more than 90 countries, Maynooth offers a range of programs at undergraduate, Master’s, and Ph.D. levels in the humanities, science, engineering, and social sciences, including business, law, and education. The University also offers a range of international programs and partnerships. Maynooth’s unique collegial culture fosters an interdisciplinary approach to research, which its world-class academics bring to bear in tackling some of the most fundamental challenges facing society today. The University’s research institutes and centers consolidate and deliver this impact as vibrant communities of learning, discovery, and creation. Research at Maynooth is also very central to its teaching, and the University prides itself on placing equal value on its research and teaching missions. In addition to being named in THE’s Top 50 Under 50, Maynooth University is recognized among the top 400 universities globally, the top 200 European universities, and one of the top 200 universities for international connections and outlook. Maynooth University is a thriving research enterprise, a vibrant and exciting place to learn, and importantly, it is a university that places equal value on research and teaching. We are an engaged university with extensive research and teaching partnerships with enterprises, public bodies, civil society, and community organizations. We are conscious that our work as an academic institution is at the service of scholarship, students, and society. Maynooth University is a diverse and international community: people come from many different backgrounds and countries to work together, learning with and from each other, and bringing an intellectual and cultural vibrancy to the University and the region. Maynooth University boasts innovative degree programs and world-class teaching facilities. Through our three academic faculties – Arts, Celtic Studies and Philosophy Social Sciences Science and Engineering – students can choose programs from undergraduate to doctorate level in a broad range of disciplines including the humanities, music, education, social sciences, law, business, accounting, digital media, science, and engineering. Maynooth University is fully committed to the support of life-long learning, and our programs offer many options to those seeking a new educational challenge or a continuation of professional development. Time spent as a student at Maynooth is extraordinary. Simultaneously highly collegiate and very personal, you will find it challenging and exciting as your boundaries expand and develop new knowledge. You will be part of a community of lecturers who are passionate about their subject. You will work alongside fellow students from across the globe. You will have the academic, personal, and professional support you need to complete your studies successfully. ‘We pride ourselves on our dynamism and our strong sense of community. We offer innovative degree programs delivered by high-caliber staff, access to world-class research laboratories, and the benefits of strong links with local industry. On top of this, our students enjoy active yet intimate campus life, supported by a thriving community spirit’. View full university

Welcome to Maynooth University, a research university of international standing and a scholarly community of over 11,000 students and 800 staff. Maynooth University is a thriving research enterprise, a vibrant and exciting place to learn, and importantly, it is a university that places equal value on research and teaching. We are an engaged university with extensive research and teaching partnerships with enterprises, public bodies, civil society, and community organizations. We are conscious that our work as an academic institution is at the service of scholarship, students, and society. Maynooth University is a diverse and international community: people come from many different backgrounds and countries to work together, learning with and from each other, and bringing an intellectual and cultural vibrancy to the University and the region. Whether you are a prospective student or staff member, a current student or staff member, a graduate, parent, visitor or friend, or an academic or institutional partner, I invite you to enjoy and be part of the unique, collaborative and collegial academic experience that is Maynooth University. Maynooth University is a very distinctive university and a collegial institution firmly focused on the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and equally committed to research, teaching, and engagement. Its distinctive features and character owe much to its unique history and heritage. Maynooth University was formally established as an autonomous university as recently as 1997, yet traces its origins to the foundation of the Royal College of St. Patrick in 1795, making it, simultaneously, Ireland's youngest University and one of its oldest educational institutions founded in 1795 as a seminary for the education of priests, and by 1850 had become the largest seminary in the world. For 200 years before that, Irish Catholic priests had been educated in the Irish colleges in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the Netherlands. Under the Penal Laws, it would have been illegal to educate them at home. Several factors paved the way for the establishment of Maynooth College. The French Revolution had confiscated the Irish Colleges in France. Enlightenment thinking and the fact that Britain was at war with France led the government to seek to appease Irish Catholics by relaxing the Penal Laws. Simultaneously, both the Irish bishops and the English government feared that Irish priests might be influenced by the 'contagion of sedition and infidelity' of the French Revolution. The bishops asked permission to endow 'academies or seminaries' to educate candidates for the priesthood. Their political advisers persuaded them to extend the project to include laypeople. So the Irish parliament passed an 'Act for the Better Education of Persons professing the Popish or Roman Catholic Religion,' which lead to the foundation of Maynooth College in 1795. Among the first staff at the College were several French scholars who were refugees from the Revolution. Lay students were admitted in 1800, but the lay College survived only until 1817. The Strategic Plan sets out the direction of the University and its contribution to education and research until 2017. It focuses on critical areas such as a radical enhancement of undergraduate education, developing centers of excellence for research, doubling international student mobility, and collaborating with other institutions domestically and internationally. Developing new subject combinations across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities to prepare graduates for emerging roles in the economy and society, Ensuring students are highly competent in their subject areas, but also giving students structured opportunities to broaden their education so they can appreciate different perspectives and operate in interdisciplinary teams, A strong emphasis on the critical intellectual skills of reflection, analysis, critical thinking and problem-solving. Maynooth University will consolidate its international reputation as a university known for outstanding teaching, excellent research, global outlook, effective engagement with the society it serves, and its distinctive approach to modern higher education challenges. Maynooth University will further enhance its international reputation for: The exceptional and distinctive education it offers to students The quality and impact of its research and scholarship The connection between its research and teaching The diversity of its student body and the quality of its student experience The global scope of teaching and research Effective engagement with enterprise, the community, civil society, and the state Commitment to excellence, innovation, and collegiality Its unique and collaborative contribution to the national system of higher education and the economic, social, and cultural life of the region, the nation, and the world Maynooth University has established seven strategic goals for the period 2012–2017, To offer students an outstanding university education, the best available in Ireland, an education which challenges and supports all students to achieve their full potential, and prepares students for life, work, and citizenship, and for complexity, diversity, and change. To be recognized by 2017 as playing a leading international role and being the clear national leader in several thematic areas of research that address the significant societal challenges of the 21st century. To achieve a step-change in international activities, doubling the number of international students on campus and doubling the number of domestic students spending time abroad to create a genuinely intercultural and multilingual institution. To strengthen engagement with all stakeholders through sustained partnerships with enterprises, communities, civil society, and public bodies build support for the University's mission, serve society's needs, and open new opportunities for research and learning. To maximize its unique and distinctive contribution to higher education's national system through a set of purposeful and sustained strategic partnerships at the regional and national level, and to extend its international reach through a network of global partnerships. To be an excellent place to work, known for a collegial ethos that empowers all staff to contribute fully to the University's development. To enable ambitious strategic objectives in challenging circumstances through careful planning, excellent services and infrastructure, and sound governance and management. View full university