The Mico University College

The Mico was founded in 1835 through the Lady Mico Charity, one of four teacher training institutions established during this period in the British colonies and the only one to survive to the present. The oldest teacher training institution in the Western Hemisphere and English-speaking world.The Mico University College was established as a nondenominational Christian institution that caters both to male and female students. Over the years the institution has undergone expansion and development, both physically and in its academic programmes.

In the 1970’s the Government started training teachers for children with special needs, as well as funding for the training of teachers in these schools. Consequently, The Mico was selected by the Government as the college to offer this training. By the 1980s, The Mico was not only providing such teachers for schools in Jamaica, but for the entire English-speaking Caribbean.

In addition, through assistance from the Government of the Netherlands, the College established The Mico University College Diagnostic and Therapeutic Centre (the CARE Centre) to diagnose the learning challenges of multiple handicapped children and design individualised instructional techniques for these students. This Centre is the only one of its kind in the Commonwealth Caribbean and has gained international recognition.

Degree Programmes

The Mico over the years has offered Certificate, Diploma and

Degree programmes in:

Early Childhood Education
Primary Education
Secondary Education
Special Education
Education Administration

Some of the programmes that the institution now offers include Bachelors and Masters degree programmes in Language and Literacy, Information Studies, Literature and Literacy, Guidance and Counselling, Physical Education, Social Studies, School Management and Leadership, Special Education, Early Childhood Education, Geography And Environmental Studies, Heritage Studies, History and Culture, Arts in Education, Science Education, Mathematics Education, Industrial Technology and Family and Consumer Science.

The Mico University College is managed by a Board of Directors and The Mico Foundation which has a 12 member Board. The President is a member of each board. He is the Managing Director of the Foundation.

The University College offers undergraduate degree programmes through three faculties: the Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts, the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Science and Technology. Each faculty is managed by a dean.

Additionally, further studies are being offered through the School of Continuing Studies which supports students in upgrading their qualifications to enable them to matriculate into undergraduate and graduate programme.