The Faculty of Education, University of Colombo performs a distinctive function in the training of graduates as professionals in education and in the initiation of undergraduate to the field of Education. Its contribution specifically in the field of teacher education and in the field of higher education is of much significance to national educational advancement.

Although the Faculty of Education is the smallest Faculty in the University of Colombo in terms of undergraduate enrolment, it is the largest Faculty in terms of Full time postgraduate studies.

The Ministry of Education sends untrained graduate teachers in the system to the Faculty of Education to obtain their professional qualification. Obtaining the Post Graduate Diploma is mandatory for the teachers. At present the Faculty conducts several Full time Post Graduate Diploma programmes which include the Post Graduate Diploma in Education (Sinhala and Tamil medium), Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching of English as a Second Language, and the Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching of Drama and Theatre. Teachers who follow these courses are selected through a competitive test and are granted full pay study leave by the Ministry of Education. In addition, the Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling and the Post Graduate Diploma in Community Development is offered as part time courses.

The post Graduate programmes are of one year’s duration taken full time, or two years on a part time basis. Each programme consists of theoretical knowledge and a practical component of a teaching practicum in a school which is of ten weeks duration. A part time Post Graduate Course is offered during the week end for those teachers who are unable to obtain study leave. Currently, more than 1000 teachers serving in different parts of Sri Lanka follow this programme.

In addition to the Post graduate Diploma courses the faculty also conducts three Higher Degree programmes in Education. Master of Education, Master of Philosophy in Education and Doctor of Philosophy in Education.

The Bachelor of Education Special Degree offered by the Faculty is a joint Arts/Education Degree. The undergraduates join the Faculty of Education after they complete their first year of studies in the Faculty of Arts. They continue to study two academic subject areas in the Faculty of Arts for the following two years, while studying several professional subjects in the Faculty of Education. In the fourth year they read for the professional subjects in the Faculty of Education, undertake ten weeks of pratical teaching in a school and submit an extended essay.