Mapúa University Admission Guide

An engineering-first university, not a general campus

Mapúa University was founded in 1925 by Tomás Mapúa, the first registered Filipino architect and a Cornell University graduate. That origin still shapes the institution: its programme mix, laboratories and industry links are concentrated in engineering, information technology, architecture and applied sciences rather than spread across a broad liberal-arts profile.

If you want a technical degree taught in English in Metro Manila, this focus is the point of difference. If you want medicine, nursing or a humanities degree, Mapúa is the wrong shortlist — look instead at comprehensive universities.

• Main campus in Intramuros, Manila; a second campus in Makati (the former RCBC building on Gil Puyat Avenue, acquired in 2002)
• Concentrated in engineering, IT and computing, architecture, design and applied sciences
• Instruction is in English

ABET accreditation — and how to check it yourself

Mapúa's most distinctive claim for international applicants is accreditation by ABET, the US-based accrediting body for engineering and computing programmes. Mapúa states that it was the first university in Southeast Asia to earn ABET accreditation, and that programmes across both ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission and its Computing Accreditation Commission are covered.

Accreditation is granted programme by programme, not to a whole university, and the list is revised as reviews expire and renew. So do not take the count from any guide, agent or brochure — including this one. Search the institution directly in ABET's own official accreditation database, and confirm that the exact programme you intend to enrol in is currently listed.

The entrance route: the MSAE, or the grade-average alternative

Mapúa's published route for foreign applicants runs through the Mapúa Scholastic Aptitude Examination (MSAE). There is also an alternative route based on a minimum general weighted average together with final grades in English, Mathematics and Science.

The qualifying average and the grades that count are set by the university and are revised, so this guide does not reproduce the numbers — read the current thresholds on Mapúa's official foreign-students page before you assume you qualify by either route.

English evidence: TOEFL or IELTS, or Mapúa's own MELT

Applicants who are not native English speakers are asked to submit a TOEFL or IELTS result against cut-off scores that Mapúa sets. If you have not taken either test when you apply, Mapúa's published alternative is to pass the Mapúa English Language Test (MELT), administered by its English Language Center.

That internal route matters if test dates or fees are a barrier for you. Cut-off scores and the availability of the MELT are university decisions and change — verify both on the official admissions pages rather than relying on a third-party summary.

Documents foreign applicants need that locals do not

Alongside academic records, Mapúa's foreign-student guidance lists documents specific to non-Filipino applicants — including a photocopy of the passport bio-page showing your latest admission and authorised stay, and a clearance from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

The exact document set, the required validity of your stay at filing, and any authentication or apostille of academic records are set by the university and by Philippine agencies, and are revised. Treat every item as verify-before-you-act, and read the current official list.

Student visa, fees and next steps

Foreign nationals studying a degree in the Philippines generally hold a 9(f) student visa, handled through the Bureau of Immigration and Philippine consular channels, on the basis of admission to an institution whose programmes are recognised by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). This is general information, not immigration advice — confirm the current process, documents and eligibility on the official Bureau of Immigration and CHED sources before you act.

Tuition and deadlines are set by Mapúa and revised each cycle, so no figures are quoted here; check the current tuition and academic calendar on the official website. As next steps: confirm your exact programme's ABET status in ABET's database, decide between the MSAE and grade-average routes, and start the NICA clearance and document authentication early, since these are the slowest items.