In 1949 a separate male department was established at Trench House on the Stewartstown Road, Andersonstown, which became known as St Joseph's Training College.
The two colleges amalgamated in 1985 and was renamed St Mary's University College, in acknowledgement of the college's long association with Queen's University Belfast, which has offered accredited degree-level courses at the college since 1968.
St Mary's currently offers undergraduate and postgraduate teacher training in both English and Irish in the Catholic education tradition.
See St Mary's University College website for further information on the history of St Mary's and the current courses available there.