Mapua University kicked off its centennial celebration countdown at its Makati campus by highlighting its achievements, programs and initiatives from its establishment in 1925 to where it is now, providing top-tier education not only in engineering but in a wide range of fields.
From just 75 students in 1925, Mapua has grown into a thriving institution with thousands of learners today. Its presence in the country also expanded from its main campus in Intramuros to other campuses in Makati, Laguna, and Davao.
Program offerings of the university grew from two engineering and architecture courses at the start, to over 70 undergraduate degrees, more than 50 graduate programs, a senior high school, and a wide selection of short courses for working adults. It also offers courses in business, health sciences, and media studies.
Raul Victor Tan, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Mapua University, said Mapua produces not just topnotchers in Board exams but more important, graduates who are not just thinkers but doers and builders. “Mapua will continue to transform to produce world-class builders of the future.”
Mapua also introduced new programs that ensure students are equipped with specialized skills and knowledge necessary to launch successful careers anywhere in the world. These programs include energy engineering, data science, game development, financial technology, and business intelligence and analytics.
For this endeavor, Mapua University, along with its sister schools Mapua Malayan Colleges Laguna and Mapua Malayan Colleges Mindanao, became the first school system in the country to receive Quality Matters (QM) certification for select online courses that have met the highest standards of quality and innovation.
These new programs are designed to grow the technically competent and agile workforce that industries need, and ensures students develop future-proof skills that can be easily applied to any work site, according to Dr. Lilibeth Sabino, Mapua’s executive vice president for academic affairs. “This strategy is why Mapua graduates are highly preferred by employers and excel in Board exams.”
Mapua produced two philanthropic learning resources to make quality education accessible to all in 2022. These were the Mapua Snippets, a channel containing free interactive micro-videos to enrich English and Math for elementary students, and STEMTeach, a free and fully online professional development initiative designed for junior and senior high school STEM teachers. Both Snippets and STEMTeach are on the new MapuaX platform that houses various online courses and micro credentials for lifelong learners.
Mapua also branched out into programs in the fields of medicine, health sciences and business in 2022 in collaboration with Arizona State University (ASU). Launched in this partnership include courses in Health Sciences, Nursing and Business in 2023, Master in Business Administration, Master of Arts in Psychology, and Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Management in 2024.
The ASU-Mapua partnership enabled the university to utilize OpenAI to enhance student success, streamline processes, and open new research opportunities. Sabino added that students are trained to maximize AI through cutting-edge modules like Basic Prompt Engineering with ChatGPT, and Scripting ChatGPT with Python for them to be competent in creating their own AI tools.
