The original St. Mary’s College was founded on September 18, 1986. On June 16, 2004, St. Mary’s College officially became St. Mary’s University and was authorized to grant its own Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees. Since then St. Mary’s University (StMU) has become a innovative teaching and research university that provides affordable, accredited and highly valued degrees in Liberal Arts, Sciences and Education. St. Mary's University is located on a historic site in Calgary, Alberta, StMU inspires students to combine academics with a passionate commitment to ethics, social justice and respect for diversity of opinion and belief.

St. Mary’s University, a post-secondary institution that is firmly in the tradition of Catholic scholarship, and values this rich heritage of academic freedom, rigorous intellectual inquiry, respect for diversity of opinion and belief, and social responsibility. The University welcomes students of diverse traditions and cultures, the University recognizes that the intellectual interchange essential to a vibrant university-level education requires and is enriched by the presence and voices of diverse scholars and students in a community of critical thinkers. St. Mary’s University proceeds on the assumption that individuals are not merely consumers or producers