2.1 UNIVERSITIES:

Universidad Santo Tomás (USTA) – Colombia

The Universidad Santo Tomás is a private, non-profit Roman Catholic Institution of Higher Education, known as the First University Cloister of Colombia, founded by the Order of Preachers on June 13, 1580.  In 1608 the Santo Tomás College was founded and later merged with the University of General Studies.

Thus, the Colegio Universitario de Santo Tomás was established, and later called the Thomistic University, Universidad Tomista.  It was restored in Santafé de Bogotá on March 7, 1965 by the Province of San Luis Bertrán of Colombia, and renamed Universidad Santo Tomás de Colombia, with legal status on August 6, 1965.

They have headquarters and sections in Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Medellín, Tunja and Villavicencio for the face-to-face learning and 23 CAU University Attention Centers in Open and Distance learning. The USTA offers the following faculties: Economic Sciences, Health Sciences, Social Science, Engineering and Architecture, Legal Sciences and Government, Science and Technology, Education, Philosophy and Theology. In January 29, 2016, USTA received Multicampus Institutional Accreditation by the Ministry of National Education (MEN), for six years and in 2019, the Institute for Quality Assurance (IAC) granted the University International Institutional Accreditation, for a period of five years.

University of Santo Tomas (UST) – Manila, Philippines

The University of Santo Tomas (UST), the Pontifical, Royal, and Catholic University of the Philippines, is the oldest existing university in Asia located in the City of Manila. UST is a Dominican institution of learning founded in 1611. In terms of student population, it is the largest Catholic university in the world in a single campus. The institution was established through the initiative of Bishop Miguel de Benavides, OP, the third Archbishop of Manila. UST was first called Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario, and later renamed Colegio de Santo Tomas, in memory of the foremost Dominican Theologian, St. Thomas Aquinas. While UST holds the distinction of being Asia’s oldest existing university, its age is coupled with its preeminence in Philippine education, receiving international recognition, including the QS Four-Star University since 2015. Not only does it boast of several firsts in the different realms of education, but it also has administrators and faculty members who are holding leadership positions in the Philippines’ policy-making bodies (e.g., Commission on Higher Education) and professional organizations, helping influence policies for the betterment of the society in general. It consists of three Ecclesiastical Faculties, eighteen Civil Faculties, Colleges, and Institutes, and three Secondary Education Schools.

Colegio de San Juan de Letran – Manila, Philippines

Colegio de San Juan de Letran emerged from the fusion of two similar institutions both located in Intramuros. 

The first was founded in 1620 by Don Juan Geronimo Guerrero, a retired Spanish Officer, who transformed his hermitage home into an orphanage called the Colegio de Niños Huerfanos de San Juan de Letran. Its purpose was to educate and mold orphans into good Christian citizens. 

At about the same time, another institution by the name of Colegio de Huerfanos de San Pedro y San Pablo was established by the Dominican brother Diego de Santa Maria at the Convent of Santo Domingo. The founders of these two institutions with identical origin and purpose did not only share a common concern for the children of Intramuros but they were also linked by strong bonds of friendship. It was not surprising therefore that their institutions were merged into one even in their lifetime in 1630 and became known simply as the Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

The name San Juan de Letran was inspired from the major basilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome, mother of all Christian churches. Early in the history of the College, its chapel was granted many of the privileges enjoyed by the major Basilica. Saint John the Baptist for whom the Basilica is named, is also the patron saint of the College.

In 1690, Letran was declared as an ecclesiastical college. In 1738, six scholarships were granted by the King of Spain for Chinese, Japanese, and Tongkinese (Vietnamese) students. St. Vicente Liem de la Paz was among the students who enjoyed this scholarship.

A royal decree of May 1865 pronounced Letran as a College of the First Class. The school’s curriculum was reviewed and revised according to European and American patterns in 1886. Further expansion took place in 1894 and adjustments were made with the arrival of the Americans in 1900.

Providence College – Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Providence College (PC) is a Catholic, Dominican, liberal arts institution of higher education and a community committed to academic excellence in pursuit of the truth, growth in virtue, and service of God and neighbor.  PC was founded in 1917 by the Dominican Friars at the invitation of Bishop Harkins to provide a Catholic education in the arts and sciences. Located in Rhode Island, PC is committed to academic excellence, and holds itself to the highest standards in teaching, learning, and scholarship.

Its core curriculum addresses key questions of human existence, including life’s meaning and purpose, and stresses the importance of moral and ethical reasoning, aesthetic appreciation, and understanding the natural world, other cultures, and diverse traditions.

Providence College brings the eight-hundred-year-old Dominican ideal of veritas to the issues and challenges of today. It seeks to share the fruits of contemplation in an increasingly global and diverse society, and to praise and bless all that is good and vital in human endeavors. Providence College supports the Dominican mission of preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to a new generation of students and helping them discover God’s providence in their lives. Providence College comprises four schools, namely: School of Arts & Sciences, School of Business, School of Professional Studies and School of Continuing Education.

University of Santo Tomas – Legazpi, Albay, Philippines

University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi, until recently the Aquinas University of Legazpi, is a Catholic higher educational institution in Legazpi City, Albay. Known as the Dominican University of Bicol, UST-Legazpi can trace her beginning on June 8, 1948 when Don Buenaventura de Erquiaga opened the portals of Legazpi Junior Colleges at a modest site with a two-story building on corner Rizal and Mabini Streets in the port district of Legazpi City. About two years later, the school had already expanded to what is now the Peñaranda Campus along Peñaranda and Gov. Forbes Streets, this time renamed Legazpi College and offered elementary, secondary, vocational, tertiary, and graduate studies.

On July 1, 1965, Legazpi College became a Dominican educational institution; Rev. Fr. Ramon C. Salinas, O.P. was the first Rector. With a Dominican brand of education made available locally, enrollment grew; thus, to accommodate an increasing population, the College had to acquire a 32-hectare site in Rawis, two kilometers from the Peñaranda Campus. On March 7, 1966, the cornerstone of the first building in Rawis was laid. On March 8, 1968, the Honorable Secretary of Education Carlos P. Romulo elevated Legazpi College to the status of a university. On August 30, 1968, Honorable Acting Secretary of Education Onofre D. Corpuz signed the University Charter: Legazpi College would henceforth be known as Aquinas University, the first Catholic university in Southern Luzon.

Father Salinas was installed as the first Rector and President on February 3, 1969 and held the position until 1978. He was succeeded by seven rectors and presidents: Rev. Fr. Dr. Manuel T. Piñon, O.P. (1978–1984); Rev. Fr. Dr. Pedro V. Salgado, O.P. (1985–1988); Rev. Fr. Dr. Patricio A. Apa, O.P. (1988–1992); Rev. Fr. Dr. Orlando C. Aceron, O.P. (1992–1995); Rev. Fr. Dr. Virgilio A. Ojoy, O.P. (1995–1999); Rev. Fr. Dr. Ramonclaro G. Mendez, O.P. (1999–2011); and Rev. Fr. Dr. Ernesto M. Arceo, O.P. (2011–present).

Aquinas University of Legazpi or AUL was a household name not only in the city that bears her name but also in Albay and even in the neighboring provinces and regions since the late sixties. However, during the 10th Chapter of the Dominican Province of the Philippines in April 2012, a plan to integrate Dominican educational institutions to follow only two “traditions”, namely, Santo Tomas and Letran, led to the change of name such that during the Baccalaureate Mass in April 2014, the announcement made by Fr. Ernesto Arceo was received with warm anticipation. On September 12, 2017, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Region V Director Marylou Duka-Castillo signed the Certificate of Amendment: the revered name AUL has to be retired to the archives to give way to UST-Legazpi.

Universidad Central de Bayamón – Puerto Rico

The first Dominican friars who came to the New World from the Convent of San Esteban in Salamanca (Spain) arrived in 1510 on the Island of Hispaniola. These pioneers were Fray Pedro de Córdova, Vicar of the mission; Fray Antonio de Montesinos, Fray Bernardo de Santo Domingo and Fray Domingo, brother cooperator. On the island of Hispaniola these intrepid friars were distinguished by their Thomistic training, deep apostolic zeal, and their feverish defense of the Indians against the abuses of the Spanish conquerors. It was there that in December 1511, Fray Antonio de Montesinos delivered his prophetic sermon in defense of the Indians from the pulpit of the convent in the city of Santo Domingo.

In 1521 Fray Antonio de Montesinos and Fray Luis Cáncer founded the Santo Tomás de Aquino Convent on the islet of San Juan de Puerto Rico. In 1530 the Province of the Holy Cross of the Indies was established, of which the Dominican friars in Puerto Rico were part. During the first half of the 16th century, the distinguished Dominican friar Bartolomé de las Casas (1484-1566) was in Puerto Rico on several occasions in evangelizing work and defending the Indians and black slaves. Pope Clement VII, by the brief “In splendide die” of January 9, 1532, gave apostolic authority to the General Study of the convents of San Juan and Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. In this second, the primate university of America will be founded in 1538.  Thus, the Santo Tomás de San Juan Convent, current National Gallery of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, became the first center for university studies in Puerto Rico. By the middle of the seventeenth century it was already an important Higher Education Center under the provincial leadership of the Puerto Rican Fray Jorge Cambero. Distinguished Puerto Rican heroes such as José Campeche (1751-1809), the first national painter of Puerto Rico, and a member of the Venerable Third Order of Santo Domingo, studied at the General Study of the Dominicans.

Universidad Internacional Antonio de Valdivieso – Rivas, Nicaragua

The Universidad Internacional Antonio de Valdivieso  (UNIAV) was founded in 1950 by the Dominican Friars. Its main campus is located in the city of Rivas, south of Nicaragua, and it has a university branch in Chinandega, in the western part of the country. Its academic programs are mainly oriented to agropecuary science and education. It offers careers in Associate degrees, Bachelors’s degrees, Master’s and Doctorate degrees. Since its inception, it has experienced a continuous dynamic of transformation. Nowadays, assuming itself as a learning community, it fosters the collective construction of knowledge based on an ecology of knowledge. Based on a systemic vision of life, it promotes access to science and technology, developing academic processes of research, extension and production under the pedagogical principle “Learning by doing”. Inspired by the Earth Charter, the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si and the Dominican Spirituality, opens up possibilities for the gestation of a planetary society.

Universidad del Norte Santo Tomás de Aquino (UNSTA) – Tucumán, Argentina

The origins of the Universidad Norte de Santo Tomás de Aquino (UNSTA) begin in 1949, when the Dominican friars of the Santo Domingo de Tucumán Convent formed a group of intellectuals and artists who began to create a multitude of philosophical, doctrinal and aesthetic subjects, which were shared in courses, seminars, published articles, and conferences. The result of this institute of higher learning produced widespread fruitful repercussions. Thus began the Thomist philosophy courses, which continued and eventually constituted the Saint Thomas Aquinas University Institute. In 1959, the Institute was annexed to the Catholic University of Córdoba with achievements and foundations that allowed the Institute to become the Universidad Norte de Santo Tomás de Aquino, officially recognized on 6 August 1965. The UNSTA, is specifically designed to promote an intellectual space where interdisciplinary dialog develops, where research and teaching are better integrated, and where general education gives more fullness to the varied disciplines offered. There are faculties of economics and administration, legal, political and social sciences, health sciences, engineering and human sciences. The degrees offered are undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate, and include distance learning. The Universidad Norte de Santo Tomás de Aquino responds to the challenges inherent in society, making possible opportunities to better ourselves as a society while ensuring a quality academic institution that helps in ensuring the fulfillment of our roles in society. The University’s objective is to provide excellence of training in the sciences and the arts. This development of knowledge contributes to the promotion of culture by encouraging the necessary attitudes and values in living responsibly, while endowed with an ethical core of informed conscience and solidarity. Thus, this improves the quality of life, and consolidates and promotes respect for the institutions of the Republic, the value of the democratic order, and the protection of the environment. (See UNSTA Statutes, article #3.)

Dominican University (DU) – Ibadan, Nigeria

In April 1976, the Inter-African Order of Preachers (IAOP) decided to establish the Dominican Institute in Ibadan as a center of philosophical studies for Dominicans in Africa, and later became the embryo out of which the Dominican University was born. From 1993, before it became a university, the Institute was an affiliate school to other universities (including the Angelicum) for the award of degrees in Philosophy and Theology. In 2016, the federal government of Nigeria approved a provisional license for the Dominican University which marked the official birth of the university. In October 2017, the university opened its doors to her pioneer students and in June 2020, the university obtained its full statutory license.

Dominican University currently has two faculties with seven departments. The Faculty of Sciences with the Departments of Physical & Mathematical Science; Chemical Sciences and Biological Sciences. The Faculty of Humanities, Social & Management Science with the Departments of Philosophy & Religious Studies; Mass Communication; Accountancy & Business Administration and Economics. Dominican University is envisioned to provide high quality education to help form a new generation of leaders at the service of Nigeria, Africa and the global community.  Its mission is to assist Nigeria to achieve the greatness her potential warrants by bringing together peoples of ethnic, religious and cultural diversity, into an academic community conducive to research, teaching and learning, to become a driving force for solidarity and authentic development of a new humanity.

Université Saint Dominique d’Afrique de l‘Ouest (USDAO) – Doulougou, Burkina Faso

The Université Saint-Dominique d’Afrique de l’Ouest (USDAO) is a private, non-profit university belonging to the Province of Saint-Augustin in West Africa and located 40 km southwest of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.  It was established by the Provincial Chapter in July 2015 and approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Innovation of Burkina Faso.

The USDAO‘s mission is entirely oriented towards the search for truth and for integral development, by forming people to become responsible of themselves and of addressing the present challenges of Africa. To this end, the USDAO is committed to developing the academic and research axis, the axis of the well-being of students and university members, and the axis of citizen and social engagement. The USDAO‘s objective is to train awakeners and people of action capable of building the Africa of tomorrow and whose study already has an impact in their living environment through social and citizen action.

The USDAO currently has three Training and Research Units (UFR). These are the UFR of Science and Technology (UFR/ST) with the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, the UFR of Legal, Political and Administrative Sciences (UFR/SJPA) with the Departments of Law and Political Science, and the UFR of Health Sciences and Professions (UFR/SMS) with the Departments of Biology, Pharmacy and Medicine.

Université de l’Uélé – Democratic Republic of Congo

Founded in 1998, Université de l’Uélé (University of Uélé) is a non-profit public higher-education institution located in the suburban setting of the medium city of Isiro (population range of 250,000-499,999 inhabitants), Haut-Uele. Officially recognized by the Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et Universitaire, République Démocratique du Congo (Ministry of Higher and University Education of the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Université de l’Uélé (UNIUELE) is a very small (uniRank enrollment range: 250-499 students) coeducational Congolese higher education institution formally affiliated with the Christian-Catholic religion. Université de l’Uélé (UNIUELE) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 22 years old Congolese higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on students’ past academic record and grades. The admission rate range is 40-50% making this Congolese higher education organization a averagely selective institution. UNIUELE also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, as well as administrative services.

2.2 DOMUNI UNIVERSITAS – Dominican worldwide academic presence online

Domuni Universitas

Domuni Universitas is a higher education institution founded by the Dominican Order (Order of Preachers). Domuni offers degrees and vocational programs in theology, philosophy, and social sciences. All programs and courses are delivered entirely online. Domuni is a university without borders, present on all continents. Domuni Universitasoffers a variety of programs, from undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate degrees to short courses (certificates and diplomas) and single modules. Three types of training are offered by Domuni Universitas: European Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, short programs (Certificates of Advanced Studies and Diplomas) and individual course modules.

Education is provided 100% online, with supervision through a strong teaching community. Domuni Universitas is the perfect solution for students who need flexibility for professional and family reasons. For those who aren’t looking for a particular degree, but simply wish to discover a new subject, Domuni offers over 850 individual courses. Domuni is an active and international research community including a research institute, more than 250 teachers, a publishing house, a journal (“Telos”), and access to Dominican libraries worldwide. Education is available in five languages (French, English, Spanish, Italian and Arabic) creating an exceptional intercultural dimension. Domuni Universitasthereby fully honors its basic vocation of universality, as the word itself primarily suggests. The Dominican Order has a tradition of philosophical and theological education going back eight centuries. Domuni is currently the only university giving access to these ancestral fields leading to diplomas recognized at European level. Domuni Universitas brings the possibility of theological and philosophical education to all. The teaching methods are designed for students of all backgrounds, with or without previous academic education, all over the world.

2.3 FACULTIES AND UNIVERSITY CENTERS OF STUDIES:

Blackfriars Hall – University of Oxford – England

Blackfriars Hall - University of Oxford - Oxford, England

Founded by Friars of the English Province of he Order of Preachers in 1221, suppressed during the Reformation and re-founded in 1921, Blackfriars houses three distinct institutions: (i)the Priory of the Holy Spirit, the religious house of the friars; (ii) the Blackfriars Hall, one of the constituent educational institutions of the University of Oxford; (iii) the Blackfriars Studium, the center of theological studies of the English Province of the Dominican friars.

The Blackfriars Hall is one of the 45 Colleges and Permanent Private Halls that make up the University of Oxford, and is located in the heart of the city. A permanent private hall is like any college of the University of Oxford, except that it is much smaller and is owned and governed by an outside institution (in this case, the English Province of the Order of Preachers).

The Hall brings the characteristic Dominican love of truth into the context of a world-class and globally-influential University. We welcome to the University of Oxford both Catholics and others who value our ethos, as students and researchers.

Students can study for a number of postgraduate qualifications in the University of Oxford. The Hall also provides special programmes for Registered Visiting Students from abroad .

Hall students are taught by university teachers. They also have the advantage of Blackfriars’s specialist library in philosophy and theology, located in our priory. Students also have access to university departmental and faculties libraries, and the central library of the University of Oxford, the Bodleian Library, one of the greatest university libraries in the world.  Students also enjoy access to the work of our two research institutes: (i) the Aquinas Institute; (ii) the Las Casas Institute for Social Justice.

The Priory Institute – Tallaght, Ireland

Saint Mary’s Priory, Tallaght, was founded in 1855 and the Studium (House of Studies) of the Irish Dominican Province was established there. It inaugurated a long tradition of teaching, especially in philosophy and theology. The Studium was made an open Studium Generale of the Dominican Order in 1935. Since 1971, when it was affiliated to the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas in Rome (Angelicum), the Studium has offered a full-time, four-year theology degree course (STB) accredited by that university. From 1993 until 2001 a part-time (two years, two evenings per week) diploma in theology course was offered.

By decision of the Provincial Chapter, the Studium of the Irish Province was relocated to Saint Saviour’s Priory, Dublin in 2000. The continuity of studies in Tallaght was ensured by the establishment there of a Centre of Studies which would assume responsibility for and develop the diploma course and the adult education courses that the Studium had created. In keeping with the Province’s policy of developing collaborative ministry, the Centre of Studies incorporated itself in a collaborative institution, which is the Priory Institute.

In 2004, The Priory Institute entered into a partnership arrangement with the University of Wales, Lampeter (latterly the University of Wales Trinity Saint David) and accreditation for an honours degree programme in theology was secured.  Several academic awards ceremonies have been held in Tallaght since 2005, at which certificates and diplomas of higher education in theology from the University of Wales, Lampeter have been presented to students who had successfully completed their studies and were exiting at a specific level of achievement.  In November 2010, the first graduates – 37 in all – were conferred with a Bachelor of Theology (Honours) degree qualification, along with others who were exiting at certificate or diploma levels.  This historic occasion marked what might be regarded as the end of an exciting first stage in the Institute’s history.

The Dominican Order and The Priory Institute have a significant tradition in the field of scholarship and theological education.  It is expected that the strategic alliance between The Priory Institute and TU Dublin will continue to enrich each student’s learning experience, while the sharing of knowledge, expertise and resources should lead to substantial benefits for both institutions.

Ecclesiastical Faculties of Theology, Philosophy and Canon Law – UST, Manila, Philippines

The Ecclesiastical Faculties of Sacred Theology, Philosophy, and Canon Law have always been considered as integral components of the University of Santo Tomas, which Pope L

eo XIII proclaimed a Pontifical University on September 17, 1902 through the Constitution Quae Mari Sinico. Pope Pius XII, meanwhile, declared UST as “the Catholic University of the Philippines” in 1947. The Faculties of Sacred Theology and Philosophy are as old as the University itself. The Foundation Act of the University, dated on April 28, 1611, attests to this as it mentions the establishment of a colegio-seminario (seminary college).

The degrees conferred in UST were ordered to be recognized as valid in any part of the globe after the Brief In Supereminenti, given on November 20, 1645, during the Pontificate of Innocent X, who elevated the Colegio into a University. This recognition also made UST open even to those who are not pursuing an ecclesiastical career. The Faculty of Sacred Theology, along with the Faculty of Philosophy and the Faculty of Canon Law, has also contributed in the intellectual formation of modern-day Catholic hierarchy and clergy in local Church of the Philippines and other Asian countries, particularly Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. Some countries from Africa (those from Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe) and Oceania (particularly Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu) also send their seminarians and priests to complete their degree in Asia’s oldest existing Ecclesiastical Faculties.

Faculty of Sacred Theology

To further widen its service to the local and Asian Churches, the Faculty of Sacred Theology has taken the initiative to empower other theological institutes, schools, or seminaries to confer, through Affiliation, the Baccalaureate degree in Theology; through Aggregation, the Baccalaureate and Licentiate Degrees in Theology, and through Incorporation, the Licentiate and/or Doctorate degrees in Theology. The Faculty of Sacred Theology assists these institutes, schools, and seminaries to become affiliated with, or aggregated/incorporated to, it by helping them meet the requirements of the Holy See for this purpose. Currently, there is one institute incorporated to the Faculty of Sacred Theology: the Institute for Consecrated Life in Asia founded by the Claretian Missionaries; and Institute is Aggregated to it, the College of Theology of the Catholic University of Korea; and four schools / seminaries affiliated to it, namely: the Holy Rosary Major Seminary of the Archdiocese of Caceres, the Immaculate Conception School of Theology of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia, the Recoletos School of Theology of the Order of the Augustinian Recollects, and the Dominican Center of Studies of the Province of Martyrs in Vietnam.

Faculty of Philosophy

The Faculty of Philosophy also suffered the setback brought about by the Period of Enlightenment in Europe and the institution of secondary education toward the end of the 19th century. This completion led to the point where the traditional Faculty of Philosophy ceased to offer any course, save the granting of Licentiate and Doctorate degrees to Dominican professors.

To address this problem, UST opened two new faculties in 1896: The Faculty of Philosophy and Letters (now the Faculty of Arts and Letters) and the Faculty of Sciences. The program of the new Faculty of Philosophy and Letters was, however, no longer the same as that of the old Colegio de Santo Tomas. It was only upon the formal establishment of the cluster of the Ecclesiastical Faculties of Philosophy, Theology, and Canon Law for the Inter-diocesan (Central) Seminary in the 20th century that the former program of Philosophy was revived.

Faculty of Canon Law

Towards the end of the 17th century, when new buildings had been constructed and able men with Doctorate in Canon Law had come to join the professorial staff, the University obtained the Brief Inscrutabili from Innocent XI, dated August 7, 1681 whereby this Faculty, together with those of Civil Law and Medicine were erected. On January 17, 1682, the Faculty to teach the canons was granted to the Dominicans by the Master of the Order. King Charles II of Spain also recommended on November 22, 1682, the erection of the Faculty.

However, because of the political unrest then reigning in the Islands, the plan was not carried out, even if Archbishop Pardo, then Rector of the University, had already granted in 1689 the necessary financial aid for its maintenance. Early in the 18th century, in 1702 and again in 1715, the government maintained the establishment of a legal course, but which was however, suppressed in 1726.

Finally, on the 12th of November 1732, the School of Sacred Canons, with an enrollment of 41 students, was solemnly inaugurated, with a chair of Canon Law in place. The school was subsequently confirmed both by the King of Spain on October 23, 1733, and by Pope Clement XI with his Brief Dudum emanarunt of September 2, 1734. The Faculty of Canon Law now has one Aggregated Institute, the Institute of Canon Law of the Catholic University of Korea.

Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception – Washington, D.C., USA

The Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies is in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1905 as a general studium, the PFIC was designated an Ecclesiastical Faculty of Theology in 1941. The school’s primary mission is to provide intellectual and pastoral formation to student brothers. Since the early 1970s, the school has also been accredited by the requisite civic agencies that guarantees quality and outcomes of its degree programs. In addition to the ecclesiastical degrees, the school also offers the civic degrees of Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Theology or in Thomistic Studies. In addition to Dominicans, the school’s enrollment includes priests, brothers, sisters, and laity who seek to be leaders, teacher, and preachers in the Church. The school’s mission is to provide a robust and coherent formation in theology grounded in the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and open to engagement with contemporary concerns and thinking. The school’s Thomistic Institute also provides both a forum for scholarly dialogue and for outreach to various constituencies who otherwise would have no access to Aquinas’s theology and work.

Collège universitaire dominicain
Canonical Faculty of Theology of the Province of St-Dominic of Canada – Ottawa & Montreal, Canada

The Dominican University College (DUC) is housed in a grey stone heritage building in the Dominican convent of St. John the Baptist, with its own church of the same name.  First established as the Order’s Centre for Institutional Studies in Ottawa in 1900, the DUC was officially recognized as a General Studium ten years later. In 1967, having been granted a civil university charter by the Government of Ontario, it became the Dominican College of Philosophy and Theology. Since then, has welcomed non-Dominican students and awarded them civil university degrees in philosophy and theology. DUC joined the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) in 1974 and has grown steadily, especially with the addition of undergraduate programs for English-speaking students in philosophy in 1992 and in theology in 2003. In addition, it has been offering a bilingual graduate program in philosophy since 1997 and has been offering a bilingual graduate program in theology since 2007. In May 2012, DUC officially became affiliated with Carleton University and shortly thereafter adopted the name Dominican University College/ Collège Universitaire Dominicain. Investing in research, DUC offers programs in philosophy, theology, and ethics at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, as well as one-year certificates of training. These courses are ultimately designed to respond to the profound aspiration of individuals and human societies to the truth, echoing the great Dominican tradition that for 800 years has been based on the propensio ad veritatem, the conviction that every person has a disposition or inclination to the truth. This long Dominican tradition is above all academic. It explains the importance given to academic excellence and the intellectual rigour by which students are prepared for critical thinking in order to have keys to the intelligibility of the world and the intelligence of faith. The diplomas awarded can be useful in many disciplines: ethics, law, politics, journalism, teaching, pastoral care, social work, medicine, care and accompaniment of persons, the practical scope being to be able to reflect in the light of the challenges of our time, in dialogue with a world in constant evolution, at the very heart of the complexity of human experience.

The Canonical Faculty of Theology of the Province of St-Dominic of Canada is part of the spiritual and intellectual tradition of the Order which is characterized by the search for truth, rigor and freedom in reflection, sensitivity to cultural and social contexts, explicit service to the Gospel and the intelligence of faith. It combines a reflective approach to faith, reflection on personal and professional practices and commitments, and formation in pastoral service. The Faculty has both civil and canonical statutes. Through its incorporation into the Dominican University College (DUC), which was granted a university charter by the Government of Ontario in 1967, it can confer all civil degrees, from certificate to doctorate in theology. In 1974, the Roman Congregation of Universities granted to the College’s Faculty of Theology, which it had erected as a Pontifical Faculty in 1965, the power to confer all canonical degrees (Baccalaureate, License, Doctorate).

The Faculty is structured into two units that ensure its dynamism: The Dominican Pastoral Institute (IPD), whose activities are conducted from Montreal, and the Dominican Institute for Advanced Studies in Theology (IDEST), whose activities are conducted from Ottawa. It offers an original and stimulating learning environment, with a focus on personalized attention and support for students. It is also in close proximity and in synergy with two Dominican communities.

The Faculty offers a range of civil and canonical programmes from its Ottawa and Montreal campuses, in particular by making use of videoconferencing. It relies on the excellence, know-how and experience of a team of 14 regular professors, covering all fields of theology, thus ensuring its vitality and influence. Each year, it also benefits from the participation of numerous collaborators and guest professors in its teaching and research activities.

Aquinas Institute – Faculty of Theology – Saint Louis, MO, USA

Aquinas Institute of Theology began in 1926 in River Forest, Illinois, as the house of philosophy for the Dominican Province of St. Joseph (Eastern Province). In 1939, the newly established Province of St. Albert the Great (Central Province) made the school its center of studies. In the early 1950s, the increasing number of Dominican student brothers, most of whom were preparing for the priesthood, required the school to expand, so a second campus was established in Dubuque, Iowa. Several years later, these two centers became known as Aquinas Institute. In the 1960s, all academic programs were consolidated in Dubuque, and Aquinas Institute began to accept its first women religious and lay students.

Also in the 1960s, Aquinas Institute became one of the first Catholic schools of theology to seek and gain accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). In 1979, Aquinas Institute moved to St. Louis University. In its new location, Aquinas Institute grew steadily and in 2002 it was decided that the school needed more space where it could accommodate its increasing number of students. In 2006 Aquinas Institute once again moved, this time into the former Standard Adding Machine building at Spring Avenue and Forest Park Parkway, a short block from Saint Louis University’s campus.

Aquinas Institute offers the following residential degree programs: Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Theology, and Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies.  In keeping with its Dominican charism, Aquinas Institute has always placed a particular importance on the theological formation of future preachers. Well known for its emphasis on preaching in its Master of Divinity program, it is also recognized internationally for its Doctor of Ministry degree, the only Catholic doctoral program in preaching in the United States. Aquinas Institute is proud to carry on the legacy of St. Dominic, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Catherine of Siena- with its unique spirituality and particular approach to theology, one that is rooted in itinerancy, study, contemplation, preaching, and a profound sense of ecclesial mission.

Pontificia Facultad de Teología San Esteban – Salamanca, Spain

The Pontificia Facultad de Teología San Esteban is located in the monumental convent of San Esteban in Salamanca, Spain.  The convent was founded from its beginnings as a center for study and teaching of Theology. By concession of His Holiness Pius XII, the Sacred Congregation of Seminaries and Universities of Studies erected this Center as a Faculty of Theology on 15th November 1947. The first community of Friars were dedicated to study, preaching and teaching of Theology.  Its first Grand Chancellor was then, the Master of the Order, and its Vice-Chancellor is the Provincial of the Province of Hispania.

The Pontificia Facultad de Teología San Esteban de Salamanca(Spain) is open to all members of the Dominican Family, and it offers the cycles of licentiate and doctorate in theology, with the specialty of Systematic Theology in the perspective of the Dominican theological tradition. It aims to continue the theological tradition that started with St. Thomas Aquinas, it passes through the School of Salamanca, with the great masters who have left their mark there, from its founder, Francisco de Vitoria, to authors like Melchor Cano, Domingo de Soto, Domingo Báñez, etc., and which is renewed with the rich contributions of the great Dominican theologians of the 20th century, especially Arintero, Chenu and Congar. The Faculty has recently renovated its facilities, equipped with a good library of philosophy and theology, and of old books.

Centro de Estudios de Filosofía y Teología OP (CEOP) – Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Center for the Studies of Philosophy and Theology of the Dominican Province of Argentina (CEOP) is located in the convent of   Buenos Aires. It comprises a Faculty of Philosophy and a Theological Institute incorporated into the Universidad del Norte Santo Tomás de Aquino (UNSTA) and offers a series of programs and academic degrees to all those interested in intellectual formation in the spirit of the Dominican Order. The Center of Studies integrates both disciplines in an organic unit, respecting their respective autonomy and their own methods, aiming at promoting research and interdisciplinary dialogue.

The CEOP offers six curricula for undergraduate degrees and one postgraduate degree. In recent years it has attracted a growing number of students of philosophy and theology both from Argentina and from other countries. Together with the Faculty of Humanities of the UNSTA (Tucumán), it publishes since 25 years ago the indexed academic journal of international scope Studium Filosofía y Teología.  Since 2017 the CEOP offers a Specialization in Medieval Thought, and currently it is developing an online training program for people searching for initial formation in Philosophy and Theology.

Facultad de Teología – Universidad Santo Tomás (USTA) Bogotá, Colombia

The University Santo Tomás offered the studies of Sacred Theology since its foundation in 1580 until its suppression in 1861. After the creation of the Studium Generale for the institutional studies of the Dominican Province in 1961 and the restoration of the University in 1965, the Dominicans in Colombia renewed their tradition of philosophical and theological teaching.

The Faculty of theology was officially restored on July 13, 2011. Since its restoration, the Faculty gives theological formation to the members of several  religious communities, seminarians and laity. 

The Philosophy and Theology programs offered by the Santo Tomás University are rooted in the intellectual and theological tradition of the Dominican Order, Christian humanism and the thought of Saint Thomas Aquinas. The Faculty of Theology is characterized by its critical reflection on the experience of the Christian faith by deepening doctrinal formation on the basis of biblical and patristic foundations, together with historical and systematic theology, according to pastoral and ecumenical questions. It gives special attention to the Latin American context and its particular ecclesial and social challenges.  In 2013, the Division of Philosophy and Theology of the Santo Tomás University was created in order to bring together the missionary programs of the University.

Centro de Estudios Filosóficos Tomás de Aquino (CEFTA) – León-Guanajuato, Mexico

Centro de Estudios Filosóficos Tomás de Aquino (CEFTA) - León-Guanajuato, Mexico

The Centro de Estudios Filosóficos Tomás de Aquino (CEFTA), arose the need of the Province of Santiago de México of the Order of Preachers to form the student friars in the philosophy stage in a similar way to any philosophy university in terms of subjects, but with a markedly scholastic orientation towards 1962.  Subsequently, it was registered with the Secretariat of Public Education on August 28, 1996. Since then, it has issued official degrees recognized in Mexico. The mission of CEFTA, inspired by the humanist thought of Thomas Aquinas, consists of the integral formation of the person in the field of higher education, through teaching-learning processes, philosophical reflection, and the promotion of values that allow him/her to perform in an ethical, creative and critical manner in order to contribute with integrity, efficiency, quality and social responsibility to the development of the community and Mexican society”.

Institut Saint Thomas d’Aquin (ISTA) – Toulouse, France

The Institut Saint-Thomas d’Aquin (ISTA) is a higher education center created by the Dominican province of Toulouse in 1995 and incorporated into the Faculty of Theology of the Institut  Catholique de Toulouse (ICT) since 1999.

It aims to be a center of formation and reflection on the Thomist tradition and medieval thought, and at the same time demonstrates the permanent relevance of the thought of Saint Thomas Aquinas and its fruitfulness in contemporary theological dialogue.

It intends to help the students to deepen their theological knowledge and their comprehension of the mysteries of salvation “by speculative work, with Saint Thomas as master” (Decree Optatam totius of the Second Vatican Council on the formation of priests). This work must prepare them for the pastoral tasks which will be theirs, in particular the teaching of Revelation and the transmission of the faith.

ISTA offers ordinary students (holders of a canonical baccalaureate), clerics, laity or religious, a two-year cycle (master’s level) which leads to obtaining the degree of the canonical license delivered by the Faculty of Theology of the Catholic Institute of Toulouse. It also offers students (holders of a canonical licence in theology) canonical doctorate in theology.  ISTA organizes a theological colloquium every two years, in conjunction with the Revue Thomiste. Through its activities, ISTA seeks to transmit and bring to life, in the Church and for the world, the wisdom which animates the work and life of the Angelic Doctor.

Centro de Estudios Santo Domingo de Guzmán – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

The Centro de Estudios Santo Domingo de Guzmán is located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.  CESDG was founded by the Dominican Friars during the 1993 General Chapter with the approval of the Master of the Order, Fr. Timothy Radcliffe.

The Santo Domingo de Guzmán Study Center aims to serve and accompany our young brothers in the task of theological study,    awakening, and increasing in them the love of the truth as well as the search and commitment to the best human and Christian values.

In pursuit of the achievement of the aforementioned objectives, the Centro de Estudios de Santo Domingo de Guzmán offers the following: Bachelor of Theology taught in 8 semesters and Bachelor of Religious Sciences taught in 8 semesters open to lay and / or religious.

College of Philosophy and Theology – Krakow, Poland

College of Philosophy and Theology – Krakow, Poland

The College of Philosophy and Theology in Krakow is a house of institutional studies of the Dominican Province of Poland, with a status of a church school of higher education (code: P-054) since 2000.  Its rich history goes back to the XV century when Studium Generale was established at the convent in Krakow. In 1450, it was incorporated into Krakow University. The College is currently performing its activity on the basis of the academic cooperation agreement with the Faculty of Theology of the John Paul II Papal University in Krakow.

At present, the faculty of the College consists of a well working team of Dominicans, diocesan clergy, lay women and men.  The majority of its students belong to the Order of Preachers, while some of them are Benedictines from Tyniec abbey. Its courses offered leads to a Master’s degree in Theology.

For few years, the College also runs a program for the laity called The Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology. It has a character of a “Saturday school”, giving to those who are interested an opportunity to gain some basic knowledge in broad philosophical and theological themes. Brothers studying at the College publish their magazine “Teofil”. Following the motto of our Order contemplata aliis tradere, Brothers want to share their queries and fruits of the studies, thus inspiring new questions and encouraging reflexive faith which is not afraid of confronting the contemporary world – its problems, hopes and utopia. 

Institute St. Thomas Aquinas – Warsaw, Poland

The Thomistic Institute was established on the initiative of the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. Fr. Bernard Przybylski, Ph.D., O.P., founded the institute in 1958 and served as its first director until 1979. It was created in response to the needs of the Church in post-War and communist Poland. There was an obvious need to create a research centre that would provide reliable information in the field of theology and related disciplines, with an appropriate library. It also functioned as a centre that would stimulate Polish research during this period of research hiatus. The Institute fulfilled this mission for a few decades.

After the fall of communism, the Institute was able to focus more on the heritage of St. Thomas Aquinas and the medieval thought without, however, neglecting current theological developments. At present the Institute conducts mainly research and translation projects related to the Angelic Doctor, aiming at a better placement of St. Thomas Aquinas’s thought in his epoch and at confronting St. Thomas’s approach with contemporary philosophy and theology. To achieve these goals, the Institute organizes lectures, seminars, and debates, publishes books and academic journal, and offers a specialization in Ph.D. studies. Its library constitutes probably the most extensive Polish collection in medieval theology, made accessible to the outside public.

Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT) – Berkeley, California, USA

In the middle of the 19th century, fr. Francis S. Vilarrasa, OP, founded the first house of studies in the Western United States. In 1931, this studium relocated to Oakland to be near the University of California at Berkeley (UCB). In 1964, it joined the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) as the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT), moving its campus to Berkeley in 1978, where it enjoys cross-registration privileges both with UCB and the GTU.

With faculties in both Philosophy and Theology, DSPT offers the Master of Arts degree in each field, as well as the Master of Divinity degree, all fully recognized by U.S. civil accrediting entities. DSPT brings a Thomistic, integrated approach to the study of both philosophy and theology, as interrelated but distinct fields.

With its membership in the GTU, a community of scholars and practitioners from across the world’s great religions, and its location in the San Francisco Bay Area near Silicon Valley, DSPT provides unique opportunities for study in areas such as the Philosophy of Religion, the Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence, and the interrelationship between Philosophy and Theology, among others.    DSPT draws its students into the rich tradition of classical philosophy and Catholic theology, especially as exemplified by St. Thomas Aquinas. Both as a leading Center of Studies of the Order of Preachers and an apostolate of the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, the mission of the School is to prepare religious, clerics, and laity for academic and apostolic vocations.

Institut Saint-Thomas d’Aquin – Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast

Abidjan, September 15, 2008 (Apic) An Institut Saint-Thomas d’Aquin (ISTA) has opened in Yamoussoukro, the political capital of Ivory Coast. It is intended to teach theology and development. This center is one of the components of a vast project. According to the Ivorian daily, “Nord-Sud”, ISTA opened its doors on September 8.

Facultad San Vicente Ferrer – Valencia, Spain (Collaboration)

Facultad San Vicente Ferrer – Valencia, Spain (Collaboration)

The Faculty of Theology Saint Vincent Ferrer of Valencia, Spain, is located at the city’s historical center. This Institute, founded in 1974, began from two preexisting theological entities: The Center of High Theology Studies of Moncada (the Metropolitan Seminary of the Archdiocese) and the Dominican Pontifical Institute of the Province of Aragon. Consequently, the Faculty separated the first cycle of studies, i.e., Baccalaureate in Theology, into two sections, namely, Diocesan and Dominican, from its origin through to the 2012-2013 academic year, while there remained one common placement for the studies of the Licentiate and Doctorate. Therefore, since the 2012-2013 academic year, both sections fused into a common first cycle. Currently, the direction of the Faculty of Theology is a shared responsibility by the Archdiocese of Valencia and the Dominican Province of Spain; the latter hosts the Formation House in Valencia for the period of the Studentate. The Faculty offers two specialties for the second cycle of licentiate or masters; these are, ‘historical theology’ and ‘biblical theology’.