Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University (Filipino: "Pamantasang Ateneo de Manila;" Spanish:" Universidad Ateneo de Manila") is a private Roman Catholic research university in Quezon City, Philippines. Founded in 1859 by the Society of Jesus, Ateneo is the third-oldest university in the Philippines. Ateneo offers elementary and secondary education exclusively to male students (and has recently opened the Senior High School to girls). The undergraduate and graduate programmes are coeducational and organised into four schools, collectively known as the Loyola Schools, which are located at its main campus at Loyola Heights. Four professional schools occupy campuses in different parts of Metro Manila.
Education in the Philippines during Spanish rule
The Jesuits also founded the Colegio de San José (1601) and took over the management of a school that became the Escuela Municipal (1859, later renamed Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1865, now the Ateneo de Manila University). The Dominicans on their part had the Colegio de San Juan de Letrán (1620) in Manila. All of them provided courses leading to different prestigious degrees, like the Bachiller en Artes, that by the 19th century included science subjects such as physics, chemistry, natural history and mathematics. The University of Santo Tomás, for example, started by teaching theology, philosophy and humanities. During the 18th century, the Faculty of Jurisprudence and Canonical Law was established.