University of Mindanao

Mindanao University is a large private university in the southern Philippines, with nine campuses with a academic focus on ten separate branches of study. The institution is based on the island of the same name, which is the second largest and southernmost island in the Philippines. 

Opened in 1946, Mindanao was devised by a group of lawyers who wished to provide tertiary education for local residents, and move higher learning away from its position as the preserve of an upper class. 

A range of administrative courses and humanities are taught at the institution, such as those in the College of Architecture and College of Criminal Justice. As the university expanded over the years, the four-storey Business and Engineering Building was constructed, which houses the university’s Library and its Museum on the top floor. 

The Filipino Commission of Higher Education has recognised Mindanao as a centre of excellence in teaching Education and Criminology, and a centre of development in Mechanical Engineering and Information Technology. In 2012 the university received certified status from the International Organisation for Standardisation, and commemorative stamps were printed by the Philippine postal service for this honour. 

Numerous courses are taught in English, such as the masters of arts in education and a bachelor’s in secondary education from the College of Teacher Education. The university is taught on a term system, with a student expected to complete four to five courses in each period. 

The university also has maintained a number of facilities across all faculties, such as laboratories, auditoriums, computerised language centres, and even a mini-hotel.