To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning whether he will promote other courses of potential economic benefit to fill spaces left by the withdrawal of full-time and part-time undergraduate courses from the Ulster University prospectus.

While my Department sets the strategic direction for the higher education sector, each university is responsible for its own course provision and curriculum.

Ulster University has advised that the decision to withdraw a number of full-time and part-time courses in 2015/16 is part of the normal annual cycle. In making the decision the University has taken account of a number of factors including the needs of the economy, student demand and my Department’s priorities, in addition to potential budget constraints.

I have also received assurance from the University that it has followed a request from my Department to protect STEM numbers, so where a STEM related course may close, the numbers will increase in other relevant STEM courses.

The University has advised that the course closures do not equate to subject closures and that a decision on final student numbers has not yet been made. This decision will be made when the university has had the opportunity to consider the final budget allocation.