The predecessor of the University of Miskolc was the school of mining and metallurgy in Selmecbánya in 1735, which was the world’s first higher education institution giving instruction in these fields (preceding Freiberg, Berlin and St Petersburg). In 1762, Maria Theresia gave the school academy status. From 1846, foresters were also trained in the institution. Later, the Selmec school served as a model for the establishment of European technical colleges. In 1920, as a result of the Trianon peace treaties, the academy had to move to Sopron, then since 1949 it settled down in Miskolc, where it became a university of heavy industry, consisting of the Faculties of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, and of the newly founded Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Law courses started in 1981, and an independent Faculty of Law was established in 1983. The Faculty of Economics was established in 1990, the Faculty of Arts followed in 1997. The technical faculties continue their activities as Faculties of Earth Science and Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering and Informatics. The first bachelor programme of the Institute of Healthcare was launched in 2001 to train district nurses, and in September 2004, the instruction of physiotherapists was also started here. In 2005, the institute was given faculty status therefore its present name is Faculty of Healthcare.