The University of Belize (UB) is an English-speaking multi-locational institute for higher education, and the national university of

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

. The institution offers certificates, diplomas, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and a graduate degree. The UB Central Campus is in Belmopan City. The university's colors are

purple Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters, ...

and

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

; its mascot is the "Black Jaguar" and its motto is "Education Empowers a Nation".

History

The evolution of the Belizean university can be traced over a 23-year period beginning in 1977 with the establishment of the Committee for Sixth Form Studies in response to emerging concerns regarding the relevance of existing tertiary education, and ending in the year 2000 with a second attempt to coordinate and rationalize Belizean higher or tertiary education. During this time, the evolution of the university resulted in the establishment of three institutions: the Belize College of Arts, Sciences and Technology, the University College of Belize, and the University of Belize.

Previous attempts at national universities

Belizean nationalists long wished to decolonize the educational system and rely less on foreign academic institutions. In 1979 the ruling

People's United Party The People's United Party (PUP) is one of two major political parties in Belize. It is currently the governing party of Belize after success in the 2020 Belizean general election, winning a majority of 26 seats out of 31 in the Belizean House ...

(PUP) established the Belize College of Arts, Science, and Technology (BELCAST) as a state institution free of church involvement. The government secured funds from the European Economic Community for construction of a campus in Belmopan, but the campus was never built. On February 24, 1986, it was announced at a meeting of the National Council on Education that BELCAST would be closed. The rival United Democratic Party assumed power in December 1984 and later established an alternative college—the University College of Belize—in July 1986, created and maintained by Ferris State College of Big Rapids, Michigan. Nationalists were dismayed that the new University College of Belize would be administered by non-Belizeans. Intense political controversy arose in 1991 when it was discovered that the university had not been properly accredited, calling into question the value of its degrees. A new PUP government severed its agreement with Ferris State College, and the state of Belize assumed full control over the university.

Amalgamation

The University of Belize was established in August 2000 as an amalgamation of five tertiary-level institutions: Bliss School of Nursing, Belize Technical College, Belize Teachers' College, University College of Belize, and Belize School of Agriculture. Except for the last one, all institutions forming UB were located in Belize City; UCB had established a college affiliate in Belmopan.

Campuses

Many of the campuses functional today were once their own individual schools until their merger into today's University of Belize.

Central Campus, Belmopan

Located at Stann Creek Street and University Drive in Belmopan, Central Campus is where most programs and the university's administrative offices are located. It is the location of the Information Technology Department, the science labs, and the Regional Language Center, where students from Latin American countries learn English.

Central Farm (Agriculture Campus)

The Central Farm is the location of the Department of Agriculture. It is located in Central Farm, Cayo, on the George Price Highway in the Cayo District. It is the former site of the Belize School of Agriculture, which offered two-year programs in Applied Sciences/Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Belize City Campuses

The Management and Social Sciences Campus is the location of the business programs and the Belize City administrative offices for UB. It is located at Graduate Crescent and College Street in West Landivar, Belize City. It is the former site of University College of Belize (UCB).

=Education and Arts Campus

= The Education and Arts Campus is where the faculties of Education and Arts and Nursing, Allied Health, and Social Work are located. It is located on University Drive in West Landivar, Belize City. It is the former site of Belize Teachers' College.

=Science and Technology Campus

= The Science and Technology Campus shares space with Belize District Institute of Vocational and Technical Education and Training (ITVET). It is located on Freetown Road in Belize City. It is the former site of Belize Technical College.

University of Belize, Punta Gorda Campus

The University of Belize, in collaboration with San Pedro Junior College, offers a B.Sc. in Tourism Management. Marine field stations: Hunting Caye and Calabash Caye field station.

Admissions policy

Associate's: High School Diploma (minimum GPA 2.5 and 2.5 or above in English and Math). Four passes in CXC subjects, which must include English and Mathematics. ATLIB English and Math general test pass, or combined score of 890 on the SAT or 18 on the ACT. Bachelor's: Associate Degree from recognized institutions, scores same as above. Transfer credits allowed for courses graded C+ or higher. Credit transferability is subject to the university's criteria. Diploma: Bachelor's Degree from a recognized institution.

Divisions of study

The university has four main faculties, each with departments. Each department offers degrees from associate degrees (1st undergraduate degree) to bachelor's degrees (undergraduate degree). The master's degree (graduate) program in Biodiversity Conservation & Sustainable Development is offered in partnership with the University of the West Indies,

Saint Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago Saint Augustine is a town in the northwest of Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago. Town It is the site of the University of the West Indies at St. Augustine (UWI-STA). In the 2019-2020 school year, there were 16,571 students enrolled in the universi ...

, the

University of Guyana The University of Guyana, in Georgetown, Guyana, is Guyana's national higher education institution. It was established in April 1963 with the following Mission: "To discover, generate, disseminate, and apply knowledge of the highest standard for ...

and Anton de Kom University of Suriname. Education and Arts * The Regional Language Center * Department of Arts * Department of Education * History &

Anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...

Center Management and Social Sciences * Department of Business and Accounting * Department of

Social Science Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...

s Science and Technology * Department of

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

* Department of

Engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

* Department of

Information Technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of Data (computing), data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information te ...

* Department of Science Nursing, Allied Health, and Social Work * Department of Allied Health * Department of Nursing * Department of Social Work Students are able to get hands-on experience in the field of

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

Zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...

, Marine Biology,

and Archeology (among others) at the university's field stations.

Environmental Research Institute

The Environmental Research Institute (ERI), the newest department of the university, was inaugurated in January 2010. Belize has a wealth of natural resources, including the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, which supports the country's most important industries, including tourism and agriculture. Recognizing this, the work of the ERI is focused on producing results that are relevant to the sustainable management of Belize's natural resources.

Energy

solar photovoltaic A photovoltaic system, also PV system or solar power system, is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics. It consists of an arrangement of several components, including solar panels to absorb and c ...

system owned by the University of Belize provides 0.1% of the nation's supply of

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as describ ...

Presidents

Athletics

The university is affiliated with the Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize (ATLIB) and participates in that organization's sporting tournaments. The university men's

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

team is known as the Black Jaguars. The team has participated in local and international tournaments for several years, and it was the former national semi-professional champion in the local tournament. The university participates annually in the Ruta Maya River Challenge, a four-day race. Local and foreign individuals participate in the Ruta Maya River Challenge. The university organizes

intramural Intramural sports are recreational sports organized within a particular institution, usually an educational institution, or a set geographic region. The term, which is chiefly North American, derives from the Latin words ''intra muros'' meaning " ...

activities in

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

, football,

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

, canoeing, karate,

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

, and

aerobics Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness ( flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). ...

. Students may contact the Coordinator of Recreation and Sport on the Central Campus or the Coordinators of Student Affairs on the other campuses for details on participating in university sports.

Statistics

Miscellaneous

* The university has international programs with 45 other institutions. * Students can live both on and off campus. * There is Writing Center on the central campus. It assists students in developing their writing skills.University of Belize Writing Center (2013). Writing Center Q&A amphlet Belmopan, Belize

References

External links

University of Belize websiteUniversity of Belize student servicesUniversity of Belize campus locationsUniversity of Belize accommodation costs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belize, University Of Education in Belize Educational organisations based in Belize Educational institutions established in 2000 Universities in Belize University of Belize University of Belize 2000 establishments in Belize