Known for its stellar track record of producing the country’s top architects and engineers, Mapua University is among the most sought-after schools for college applicants. For those who long to walk the halls of Mapua’s Makati or Manila campuses, get to know the institution, its top courses, and application process before signing up to be a Red Cardinal.
History of Mapua University
Mapua University gets its name from its founder, the esteemed architect Don Tomas Mapúa, who graduated from Cornell University and became the first registered architect of the Philippines. (Fun fact: He designed iconic structures we still see today such as the Manila Central Post Office in Ermita, Manila, and the façade of the St. La Salle Hall).
The architect and institute’s namesake established what is now the country’s premier engineering and technological school in 1925. The school educated around 70 students in architecture and civil engineering. In 1929, the government recognized Mapua for its full courses in these same areas and two years after, the Mapua Institute of Technology, which it was formerly known as, saw the graduation of its first batch of college students with a degree in Civil Engineering.
The university makes its home in Intramuros, which houses the School of Civil, Environmental, and Geological Engineering (CEGE), and another campus in Makati. It now offers a wide range of programs, from doctorates to bachelor’s degrees to running the Malayan High School of Science, as it nearly reaches its centennial year.
Top Courses at Mapua University
Mapua University is widely known for its engineering courses. In 2010, it became the first school in East Asia to gain accreditation for its Electronics, Electrical, and Computer Engineering programs from the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The same body granted accreditation to five more of its programs the following year, which are Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental and Sanity Engineering, Industrial Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
After the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) granted Mapua a Center of Excellence (COE) status to the aforementioned programs in 2016, Mapua then held the highest number of programs with this status in engineering. A COE granted by CHED is a distinguishing status that is awarded to a department within an institution that displays constant shows of excellent performance in its instruction, research and publication, and institutional qualifications.
In 2018, Mapua joined the list of QS Asia Top 500 Universities, making it at the 401-450 bracket. It was also recognized by the Times Higher Education list as part of the Impact Rankings in 2019 and 2020, placing 601+ out of 766 colleges globally.
Mapua University Application
In order to apply to become a Mapuan Red Cardinal, one would just need to follow these five easy steps:
- Accomplish the online application form here, before you receive log-in credentials for the MPASS Applicant Portal. The application will also require a current school ID and an application fee. The fee for A.Y. 2021-2022 is at P300 per application for applicants coming from schools in the Philippines, P550 for transferees, and P2,500 for foreign applicants. View the full list of requirements here.
- Provide payment for the Mapua Program Placement Assessment (MPASS) and schedule when you will be taking the entrance exam, which will be administered online. The MPASS takes the place of the usual Mapua Scholastic Aptitude Exam (MSAE).
- Through the Cardinal EDGE platform, take the MPASS and then later access the MPASS applicant portal to know your results after taking the assessment.
- Those who have passed may then confirm their slot for enrollment by paying a non-refundable and non-transferrable reservation fee of P5,000.
- Take note of the enrollment period, and once this is open, submit the enrollment requirements, check your schedule of classes, and pay the tuition and other fees at the applicant portal.
Mapua University Tuition and Admission Fees
After being accepted and passing the MPASS, applicants can choose to reserve their slot for enrollment, if they are still weighing their options. This will incur a non-refundable P5,000 reservation fee which can be dedicated from the first term, should the applicant push through with enrollment. Those who enroll or reserve earlier may avail of an early bird discount of P5,000.
Once enrolled, tuition fees are charged and for A.Y. 2021 to 2022, this means shelling out a range of P29,000 to P50,800 quarterly, depending on the class setup that you choose and your course of study. Applicants can choose from online programs to blended programs for now. Here is the full list of tuition fees per course.
Tuition Fees of Online Degree Programs
Engineering: P29,600 - P35,900
Information Technology: P34,700 - P36,800
Famous Alumni
Mapua has produced many award-winning and acclaimed architects, engineers, athletes, businessmen and government officials. Applicants considering this institution might find themselves rubbing elbows with these famous Mapuan alumni: National Artist for Architecture Pablo Antonio, Lor Calma, Gerardo Magat, Jose Mañosa, Jaime Marquez, Rogelio Villarosa, and Paulino Lim. The college has also produced many in the academe that went on to be deans of engineering at FEU, Adamson University, University of the East, University of Northern Philippines, as well as professors in international institutions like the University of California at Berkeley or the National University of Singapore.
Other notable alumni and students include entrepreneur and engineer Dado Banatao, actor Ricky Davao, celebrities Jerome Ponce, and Mccoy De Leon.
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