Concordia University College of Alberta is a Canadian private university in Edmonton, Alberta. The enabling legislation is the Post-secondary Learning Act. Concordia was founded in 1921 by the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod to prepare young men for preaching and teaching Christian ministries. It introduced co-education in 1939, offering general courses of study, and an accredited high school program. In 1967, Concordia began offering first-year university courses in affiliation with the University of Alberta. Concordia College is a denominational college previously affiliated with the public sector. The Province of Alberta allowed Concordia College to operate as a private degree-granting university in the 1987. The affiliation with the University of Alberta officially ended in 1991 by mutual agreement. In order to better reflect what Concordia offers, in 1995 Concordia was renamed from Concordia College to Concordia University College of Alberta. Throughout its history, Concordia has remained grounded in the belief that the Christian faith gives purpose to life and that success depends upon spiritual maturity.