The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
. It offers
undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
s,
postgraduate
Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree.
The organization and stru ...
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. s and postgraduate
doctorate
A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
s. It is a member of the
European University Association
The European University Association (EUA) represents more than 800 institutions of higher education in 48 countries, providing them with a forum for cooperation and exchange of information on higher education and research policies. Members of th ...
, the European Access Network,
Association of Commonwealth Universities
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) was established in 1913, and has over 500 member institutions in over 50 countries across the Commonwealth. The ACU is the world's oldest international network of universities. Its mission is ...
, the
Utrecht Network
The Utrecht Network is a network of European universities. Founded in 1987, the network promotes the internationalisation of tertiary education through summer schools, student and staff exchanges and joint degrees.
Utrecht Network member univer ...
, the
Santander Network, the
Compostela Group, the European Association for University Lifelong Learning (EUCEN) and the International Student Exchange Programme (ISEP).
In
post-nominals
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, academic degree, accreditation, ...
the university's name is abbreviated as ''Melit''; a shortened form of ''Melita'' (a
Latinised form of the Greek ''Μελίτη'').
History
![Valletta VLT 07](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Valletta_VLT_07.jpg)
The precursor to the University of Malta was the ''
Collegium Melitense'', a
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
college which was set up on 12 November 1592.
This was originally located in an old house in Valletta,
but a purpose-built college was constructed between 1595 and 1597. This building is now known as the
Old University Building or the Valletta Campus.
The Jesuits were expelled from Malta in 1768, and although their property was taken over by the Treasury of the
Order of St. John, the college remained open and professors retained their posts.
The University of Malta officially came to existence on 22 November 1769, when Grand Master
Manuel Pinto da Fonseca
Manuel Pinto da Fonseca (also ''Emmanuel Pinto de Fonseca''; 24 May 1681 – 23 January 1773) was a Portuguese nobleman, the 68th Grand Master of the Order of Saint John, from 1741 until his death.
He undertook many building projects, introduc ...
signed a decree constituting a ''Pubblica Università di Studi Generali''. The university was briefly suspended during the magistracy of
Francisco Ximénez de Tejada in the 1770s, but it was reconstituted by his successor
Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc
Fra' Emmanuel Marie des Neiges de Rohan-Polduc (18 April 1725, in La Mancha, Spain – 14 July 1797, in Valletta, Malta) was a member of the wealthy and influential Rohan family of France, and Prince and 70th Grand Master of the Order of St. Joh ...
in 1779.
The university was replaced by the ''École Centrale'' during the
French occupation of Malta from 1798 to 1800, but was once again reopened by the British in the early 19th century. From 1937 to 1974, the institution was known as the Royal University of Malta.
Over time, the Valletta campus became too small and Evans Laboratories (now known as Evans Building) was built in 1959 to house the Faculty of Science. In 1968, the Medical School moved to a building near
St. Luke's Hospital in
Gwardamanġa. The university opened a much larger campus at Tal-Qroqq in
Msida
Msida ( mt, L-Imsida, it, Misida) is a harbour town in the Central Region of Malta with a population of 7, 623 (2021).
Location
The town is located just west of Valletta on the northeast coast of Malta.
The neighbouring towns of Msida are ...
in the late 1960s, but it retained the Valletta building which is still used for some lectures and conferences.
The university is a member of the
European University Association
The European University Association (EUA) represents more than 800 institutions of higher education in 48 countries, providing them with a forum for cooperation and exchange of information on higher education and research policies. Members of th ...
, the European Access Network, the
Association of Commonwealth Universities
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) was established in 1913, and has over 500 member institutions in over 50 countries across the Commonwealth. The ACU is the world's oldest international network of universities. Its mission is ...
, the
Utrecht Network
The Utrecht Network is a network of European universities. Founded in 1987, the network promotes the internationalisation of tertiary education through summer schools, student and staff exchanges and joint degrees.
Utrecht Network member univer ...
, the
Santander Network, the
Compostela Group, the European Association for University Lifelong Learning (
EUCEN) the International Student Exchange Programme (ISEP) and the Excellence Network of Island Universities
ETI The university has participated in EU programmes and has won several projects in collaboration with partner universities. University of Malta staff and students participate in programmes such as Erasmus and
Leonardo
Leonardo is a masculine given name, the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese equivalent of the English, German, and Dutch name, Leonard
Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common English masculine given name and a surname.
The given name and surname originate ...
.
The university acts as a partner with other institutions. Links have been forged with the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise & Industry and the Employment & Training Corporation in order to determine how the university, industry, business and the public sector can develop links.
Campuses
Msida campus
![Uni-20malta](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Uni-20malta.jpg)
The main campus of the University of Malta is located in an area known as ''Tal-Qroqq'' in
Msida
Msida ( mt, L-Imsida, it, Misida) is a harbour town in the Central Region of Malta with a population of 7, 623 (2021).
Location
The town is located just west of Valletta on the northeast coast of Malta.
The neighbouring towns of Msida are ...
. It has a total area of , and it houses most of the university's faculties, centres and institutions.
Plans to construct this campus began in the late 1950s after the university's original premises in Valletta were deemed too small. Designs for the new campus were prepared by the British architectural practice
Norman and Dawbarn
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
in 1961, and the Maltese architectural firm
Mortimer and de Giorgio was also involved in the project.
The foundation stone of the campus was laid down on 22 September 1964, a day after Malta's independence, by Commonwealth Secretary
Duncan Sandys
Edwin Duncan Sandys, Baron Duncan-Sandys (; 24 January 1908 – 26 November 1987), was a British politician and minister in successive Conservative governments in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a son-in-law of Winston Churchill and played a key r ...
and construction was completed by 1970.
The design was inspired by
American college campuses, and it contains separate buildings for each faculty, along with a library and a University House, surrounded by a ring road. One of the most significant buildings in the university campus is the former Department of Architecture Building (now known as the Ġużè Cassar Pullicino Building), a
Brutalist building designed by the British architect Peter Richardson and built in 1969–70.
The university campus has been extended several times since its original construction in the late 1960s. A Catholic chapel dedicated to St
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VIII as Lord ...
was added in 1977–78, and it was built to designs of the architect Lino Gatt, with the architect William Micallef supervising its construction. In the late 1980s the architect
Richard England was commissioned to design a new masterplan for the university, and he designed a number of new
Postmodern buildings, many of which are linked together with colonnades, arcades, stairs or ramps. This extension was built between 1989 and 1999, and its most significant component is the Gateway Building which serves as the university's main entrance.
The Faculty of ICT is housed in a steel-and-glass building which was constructed between 2009 and 2013. A masterplan for future development of the campus has been prepared, and it includes a proposed Sustainable Living Complex which would house the Faculty for the Built Environment. A building which will serve as accommodation for university students is currently under construction in an area between the main campus and
Mater Dei Hospital
Mater Dei Hospital (MDH; mt, Sptar Mater Dei), also known simply as ''Mater Dei'', is an acute general and teaching hospital in Msida, Malta. It was opened in 2007, replacing St. Luke's Hospital. It is a public hospital affiliated to the Univers ...
, after it was approved by the
Planning Authority
A local planning authority (LPA) is the local government body that is empowered by law to exercise urban planning functions for a particular area. They exist in the United Kingdom and India.
United Kingdom
Mineral planning authorities
The role ...
in 2018.
The
International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI) is located within the grounds of the university's Msida campus even though it is a separate educational institution.
Valletta campus
The Valletta campus is the university's original campus, located in
Malta's capital city. It is housed in the
Old University Building, which was constructed between 1595 and 1602 to house the university's predecessor, the ''
Collegium Melitense''.
The Valletta campus incorporates an ''Aula Magna'' ("Great Hall").
The campus is used to host events such as international conferences and seminars, along with a number of short courses and summer schools. It currently houses the Research, Innovation & Development Trust (RIDT), the Conferences & Events Unit and the Centre for the Study & Practice of Conflict Resolution.
Marsaxlokk campus
The
Marsaxlokk
Marsaxlokk () is a small, traditional fishing village in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It has a harbour, and is a tourist attraction known for its views, fishermen and history. As at March 2014, the village had a population of 3,534. The ...
campus houses the university's Institute for Sustainable Energy. It has an area of about and it includes two laboratories and a lecture room.
Gozo campus
The University of Malta Gozo Campus, formerly known as the University of Malta Gozo Centre, is located in
Xewkija
Xewkija ( mt, Ix-Xewkija, it, Casal Xeuchia, pronounced and written as Casal Sceuchia) is an administrative unit of Malta, on the island of Gozo. The population of Xewkija is 3,300 as of March 2014.
History
Xewkija, which is situated between ...
on the island of
Gozo and it was established in 1992.
It is used for part-time degrees, diplomas and short-term courses, and it also serves as a centre for assisting Gozitan students who are enrolled in courses at the university's campuses on Malta.
The Gozo campus also houses the Güsten Atmospheric Research Centre, which forms part of the within the Faculty of Science's Department of Geosciences.
Lectures, seminars and other social or cultural activities for the general public are also held at the campus.
Organisation and administration
![University_of_Malta_Quad_or_main_area](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/University_of_Malta_Quad_or_main_area.jpeg)
The administrative set up of the university comprises academic and administrative and technical staff members who are appointed or elected to the governing bodies of the university. The principal officers of the university are the Chancellor, the Pro-Chancellor, the
Rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
, the Pro-Rectors, the Secretary, the Registrar, the Deans of the Faculties as well as the Finance Officer and the Librarian. The main governing bodies are the council, the Senate and the Faculty Boards.
As the supreme governing body of the university, the council is responsible for the administration of the university. Faculties group together departments concerned with a major area of knowledge, while institutes are of an interdisciplinary nature. The council is also responsible for appointing staff members to academic posts.
The senate is largely responsible for the academic matters of the university primarily regulating studies, research, documentation and examinations at the university. The senate also establishes the entry regulations. The faculty board directs the academic tasks of the faculty. The board presents plans and proposals to the senate and the council. Besides, it determines the studies, teaching and research within the faculty.
In March 2016, it was announced that Professor Alfred J. Vella was elected by the members of the University Council as the next Rector of the University of Malta. He took up the post in July 2016, when the term of the previous Rector, Professor Juanito Camilleri, expired.
The administration rebranded the university for the fall semester of 2017 with a stylized version of the logo that removed the Latin motto ''Ut Fructificemus Deo'' (“We should bring forth fruit unto God”) for daily use and retained it in a version to be used in ceremonial contexts; some faculty objected to removing the motto.
Malta University Holding Company
The Malta University Holding Company Ltd (MUHC) embodies the commercial interests of the University of Malta. The companies comprised in the Holding Company serve as the commercial interface between the University of Malta and the business community, brokering the resources and assets of the university to provide added value through commercial activity.
Companies within the group are:
*Malta University Broadcasting
*Malta University Consulting Ltd
*Malta University Laboratory Services
*Malta University Language School
*Malta University Publishing
*Malta University Residence
*Malta University Sports & Leisure
*Hotel Kappara
Academic profile
The university has fourteen
Faculties, a number of institutes and centres and three schools. The floor area occupied by the library building is between 5,000 and 6,000 square metres. A collection of one million volumes is housed throughout the Main Library, branches and institutes. The library subscribes to 60,000 e-journals, 308 print journal titles and a collection of e-books.
The university has fourteen faculties: Arts; Built Environment; Dental Surgery; Economics, Management & Accountancy; Education; Engineering; Health Sciences; Information & Communication Technology; Laws; Media & Knowledge Sciences; Medicine & Surgery; Science; Social Wellbeing and Theology.
Interdisciplinary institutes and centres have been set up. The institutes include Aerospace Technologies; Anglo-Italian Studies; Baroque Studies; Climate Change & Sustainable Development; Confucius; Digital Games; Earth Systems; the
Edward de Bono Institute for the Design & Development of Thinking; European Studies; Islands & Small States; Linguistics; Maltese Studies; Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies; Mediterranean Institute; Physical Education & Sport; Public Administration & Management; Space Sciences & Astronomy; Sustainable Energy; Tourism, Travel & Culture.
The centres comprise the Centre for Biomedical Cybernetics; Centre for English Language Proficiency; Centre for Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation; Centre for Environmental Education and Research; Centre for Labour Studies; Centre for Literacy; Centre for the Liberal Arts & Sciences; Centre for Molecular Medicine & Biobanking; Centre for Resilience & Socio-Emotional Health and the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Educational Research.
The University of Malta has also set up a School of Performing Arts.
The Cottonera Resource Centre acts as a hub that co-ordinates links between communities in the inner harbour area and the university, facilitating resource-transfer and capacity building.
There is a
University of the Third Age
The University of the Third Age (U3A) is an international movement whose aims are the education and stimulation of mainly retired members of the community—those in their third 'age' of life.
There is no universally accepted model for the U3A. I ...
.
Student body and admissions
Student population is about 11,500 (1074 are international students), following full-time or part-time degree and diploma courses, many of them run on the modular or credit system. The university hosts
Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' wa ...
and other
exchange student
A student exchange program is a program in which students from a secondary school (high school) or university study abroad at one of their institution's partner institutions.
A student exchange program may involve international travel, but d ...
s. A basic Foundation Studies Course enables international high school students who have completed their secondary or high school education overseas but who do not have the necessary entry requirements, to qualify for admission to an undergraduate degree course. Over 3,000 students graduate annually.
Admission to the university is based on
matriculation examination
A matriculation examination or matriculation exam is a university entrance examination, which is typically held towards the end of secondary school. After passing the examination, a student receives a school leaving certificate recognising academi ...
results (A levels). Grades are awarded on a seven-point scale: Grade 1 is awarded for the highest level of achievement, whereas Grade 7 indicates the minimum satisfactory performance. However, entry on basis of maturity and experience is granted for certain courses in the arts and sciences. The Faculty of Dental Surgery allows for a maximum of six European students per year chosen according to merit and only after the students have passed an admissions interview.
Full-time undergraduate courses are free-of-charge to citizens of
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
and the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
.
Maltese students enrolled in higher education in Malta are entitled to a
stipend
A stipend is a regular fixed sum of money paid for services or to defray expenses, such as for scholarship, internship, or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from an income or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work pe ...
. Fees are charged in the case of higher courses and to nationals from non-EU states. There are 600 international students studying at the university, comprising around 7% of the student population.
There are a further 2,500 pre-tertiary students at the
Ġ. F. Abela Junior College, which is also managed by the university.
Student life
Student societies
![Voluntary experience in Bucharest, July 2014](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Voluntary_experience_in_Bucharest%2C_July_2014.jpg)
Student societies include the
University Students' Council ( mt, Kunsill Studenti Universitarji, KSU), the Malta Medical Students' Association (MMSA), an association of students in the faculty of Medicine and Surgery, and the Society of Architects and Civil Engineering Students (SACES), an association of students in the faculty of the Built Environment.
Notable people
Alumni
Faculty
See also
*
List of rectors of the University of Malta
The following is a list of Rector (academia), rectors of the University of Malta since 1771. Rectors are currently elected by the University Council by secret ballot, for a 5-year term.
18th century
1771–1773: Roberto Ranieri Costaguti
1773– ...
*
Malta University Historical Society
The Malta University Historical Society (MUHS) is an undergraduate and graduate student organisation based at the University of Malta with one of MUHS's principal activities is to publish the academic journal Storja. It was founded by Andrew P. Ve ...
*
Ġ. F. Abela Junior College
*
List of early modern universities in Europe
The list of early modern universities in Europe comprises all universities that existed in the early modern age (1501–1800) in Europe. It also includes short-lived foundations and educational institutions whose university status is a matter o ...
References
Further reading
Lectures on the Statutes of the Sacred Order of St. John of Jerusalem - KIT p. 20-24.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malta, University of
1769 establishments in Malta
Educational institutions established in 1769
Educational institutions established in the 1590s
Msida
Public universities
Universities in Malta