The University of Providence was founded in 1932 as "Great Falls Junior College for Women" by
Edwin Vincent O'Hara, the
Catholic Bishop of
Great Falls, in collaboration with the
Sisters of Charity of Providence and the
Ursuline Sisters. It became coeducational in 1937. A year later, Lucia Sullivan established the "Great Falls Normal School" to educate teachers. At the time there were two schools, each operating under a different Catholic religious community. The union of the two schools was one of convenience and legality. In 1942, the institution was a single entity under the direction of the Sisters of Providence, and was renamed the Great Falls College of Education. By the early 1950s it became simply the "College of Great Falls", and in 1995 was renamed the "University of Great Falls". It was renamed "University of Providence" in July 2017. Over the years UP has been involved in several outreach education efforts. For many years, it has had a resident center on the
Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, and in Lewistown, as well as a continuing education program at
Malmstrom Air Force Base. In addition to its campus offerings, UP serves 31 sites in
Montana, southern
Alberta and
Wyoming through its Telecom Distance Learning Program, and is able to serve students around the world. The University of Providence offers undergraduate degrees in more than 20 programs and several master's degree programs. ==Athletics==