Belfast Institute for Further and Higher Education
Encyclopedia
Belfast Metropolitan College (previously known as Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education or BIFHE) is a further
and higher education
institution in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
. The college offers both vocational education
and academic
qualifications. With over 50,000 enrolments and an annual budget in the region of £45 million, it is Northern Ireland's largest college.
The college encompasses a number of different campuses around the city. The largest are the Millfield Campus and Titanic Quarter
building which opened in September 2011 and resulted in the closure of Brunswick Street and the College square East campus. . College Square East was formally known colloquially as the 'Black Man Tech
'. This is because of the statue of Dr Henry Cooke
, a leading 19th century Presbyterian, which stands outside the building. The statue of Cooke is not marble, but copper, like most other architecture around the city of Belfast around the same time. Due to exposure to the elements, most of these statues and domes around the city have oxidised, producing a green colour of copper oxide, especially noticeable on the nearby City Hall
building.
The College Square East campus specialised in courses involving computing, technology and the three traditional sciences (Biology
, Chemistry
and Physics
). Millfield specialises in sports and social sciences
. The college offers courses from GCSE level to GNVQ and undergraduate courses. The college also has main campuses in Brunswick Street, Whiterock and Tower Street. It also incorporates Castlereagh Campus (formerly Castlereagh College
) which specialises in "Media" and "Business" courses.
The Belfast Institute was formed in 1991 with the amalgamation of Belfast College of Technology (founded 1907), Belfast College of Business Studies and Rupert Stanley College of Further Education. The Institute then merged with Castlereagh College in 2007 to form Belfast Metropolitan College.
Past students include newsreader
John Irvine
, actor Colin Morgan
and TV personality Eamonn Holmes
.
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
and higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
institution in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The college offers both vocational education
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
and academic
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
qualifications. With over 50,000 enrolments and an annual budget in the region of £45 million, it is Northern Ireland's largest college.
The college encompasses a number of different campuses around the city. The largest are the Millfield Campus and Titanic Quarter
Titanic Quarter, Belfast
The Titanic Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland is a waterfront regeneration project, including apartments, a riverside entertainment district, and a major Titanic-themed attraction under development on reclaimed land in Belfast Harbour, known until recently as Queen's Island...
building which opened in September 2011 and resulted in the closure of Brunswick Street and the College square East campus. . College Square East was formally known colloquially as the 'Black Man Tech
Institute of technology
Institute of technology is a designation employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable levels of the educational system...
'. This is because of the statue of Dr Henry Cooke
Henry Cooke (minister)
Henry Cooke D.D. was an Irish presbyterian leader of the early and mid-nineteenth century.-Upbringing:Henry Cooke came of a family of puritan settlers in County Down from Devonshire. He was the youngest son of John Cooke, tenant farmer of Grillagh, near Maghera, County Londonderry, by his second...
, a leading 19th century Presbyterian, which stands outside the building. The statue of Cooke is not marble, but copper, like most other architecture around the city of Belfast around the same time. Due to exposure to the elements, most of these statues and domes around the city have oxidised, producing a green colour of copper oxide, especially noticeable on the nearby City Hall
Belfast City Hall
Belfast City Hall is the civic building of the Belfast City Council. Located in Donegall Square, Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, it faces north and effectively divides the commercial and business areas of the city centre.-History:...
building.
The College Square East campus specialised in courses involving computing, technology and the three traditional sciences (Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
). Millfield specialises in sports and social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
. The college offers courses from GCSE level to GNVQ and undergraduate courses. The college also has main campuses in Brunswick Street, Whiterock and Tower Street. It also incorporates Castlereagh Campus (formerly Castlereagh College
Castlereagh College
Castlereagh College is a further and higher education college in east Belfast. It is the largest further education college in East Belfast. In 2007 it merged with BIFHE to become Belfast Metropolitan College. The college specialises in vocational education, but also offers academic qualifications....
) which specialises in "Media" and "Business" courses.
The Belfast Institute was formed in 1991 with the amalgamation of Belfast College of Technology (founded 1907), Belfast College of Business Studies and Rupert Stanley College of Further Education. The Institute then merged with Castlereagh College in 2007 to form Belfast Metropolitan College.
Past students include newsreader
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
John Irvine
John Irvine (journalist)
John Irvine is the principal ITV News overseas journalist. He is Northern Irish television news journalist. He is always the correspondent that ITV prefer to use....
, actor Colin Morgan
Colin Morgan
Colin Morgan is an actor from Armagh, Northern Ireland, best known for playing the title character in the BBC TV series Merlin. Morgan went to Integrated College Dungannon and, during his third year, won the 'Denis Rooney Associates' Cup awarded to the best overall student of that academic year...
and TV personality Eamonn Holmes
Eamonn Holmes
Eamonn Holmes is an Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster. He is known for his work on UK and Irish television, notably presenting GMTV and This Morning. He is married to TV presenter Ruth Langsford.-Education:...
.
External links
- Belfast Metropolitan College – official website