Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is dedicated to advancing the educational and career goals of today’s students. Its mission is to "awaken, nurture and empower learners to ethical lives of service and leadership." Founded in 1912, Saint Mary’s is a private, Lasallian Catholic, comprehensive institution, guided by the De La Salle Christian Brothers since 1933. A U.S. News and World Report "national" university, Saint Mary's is also listed in the "Colleges of Distinction" guidebook for excelling in key areas of educational quality. Saint Mary’s offers undergraduate, graduate and professional programs at locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and select programs in Jamaica and Kenya. The university enrolled nearly 5,700 students in fall, 2008 including 1,400 Winona campus traditional undergraduates, and more than 4,300 adult learners in the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs. At the coeducational, residential Winona campus, the undergraduate College combines traditional liberal arts and sciences with career preparation in a student-centered environment. The Winona campus comprises 400 acres and 47 buildings, with excellent facilities for living, learning and recreation. The bachelor of arts program offers 60 majors. The Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs (SGPP) is one of the largest graduate schools in Minnesota. The SGPP is comprised of the Graduate School of Business & Technology, the Graduate School of Education, the Graduate School of Health & Human Services, and the School of Professional Programs. A pioneer in outreach education since 1984, SGPP offers certificate, bachelor completion, master’s, specialist, and doctoral programs at the university’s Twin Cities and Winona campuses, and centers in Rochester, Apple Valley and Minnetonka. Courses are also offered in greater Minnesota and Wisconsin. At the Nairobi campus, Christ the Teacher Institute for Education offers two undergraduate education programs, and the Maryknoll Institute of African Studies offers two graduate programs in African studies. Saint Mary's offers a graduate program in education in collaboration with the Catholic College of Mandeville in Jamaica.
