Originally founded in 1845 as "Queen's College Cork", UCC is one of Ireland's oldest institutions of higher education. Established in 1905, the School of Education has a proud history of shaping and responding to education research, policy and practice in the region, nationally and internationally. A range of offerings include: Early Years and Childhood education, Science Education, Sports Studies and Physical Education and the Professional Masters in Education and the long standing Masters in Education and PhD Cohort. The flagship programme is the B Ed (Hons) Sports Studies and Physical Education degree programme, which began in UCC in 2006.  Current graduates are teaching/coaching and promoting physical activity in a range of contexts on every continent.

The School of Education (SoE), from University College Cork, is a beneficiary of EuPEO project with responsibilities on the Irish and Europe-wide data, outputs and dissemination. SoE research team comprises its Head of School Dr. Fiona Chambers as the partner coordinator and Dr. Wesley O’Brien.