Mariano Marcos State University

MMSU: UPHOLDING A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE

The Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), the leading institution of higher learning in the northern Philippines, was founded in 1978 to provide advanced instruction in the arts, agricultural and natural sciences, and technological and professional fields.

MMSU at a Glance

Envisioned to be a premier Philippine university by 2028, MMSU aims to develop virtuous human capital and sustainable innovations in a knowledge-driven global economy.

Through the years, the university has defined itself through excellence in its core functions: instruction, research, extension, and resource generation. It is recognized as a model for the rest of the SUC system in the Philippines for its notable R&D activities, international linkages, and commercialization of innovations.

MMSU’s main campus is located in the heart of the City of Batac, Ilocos Norte, a peaceful young city conducive to educational and rural development. Its other campuses are located in Laoag City, Currimao, Paoay, and Dingras.

MMSU primarily serves the people of the province of Ilocos Norte and its neighboring provinces – Ilocos Sur and Cagayan. Yet, the high quality of education, inclusive and conducive environment, and diverse opportunities for self-enhancement lure students and professionals from other places beyond the Ilocos region and the Philippines to study, train, or simply explore MMSU.

At present, MMSU has 11 colleges offering a wide range of specializations across 72-degree programs: 1) Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development; 2) Aquatic Sciences and Applied Technology; 3) Arts and Sciences; 4) Business, Economics, and Accountancy; 5) Engineering; 6) Health Sciences; 7) Industrial Technology; 8) Teacher Education; 9) Graduate School; 10) Medicine; and 11) Law.

The majority of these programs are accredited at various levels by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP), making MMSU the second-highest SUC in the country with the most number of Level III accredited programs.

A Culture of Excellence

MMSU enjoys a reputation for excellence among higher education institutions in the country. It is classified as a Level 4 University (SUC Level IV) in a 5-level classification system of Philippine state universities, and one of only 19 out of 111 universities to be given level 4 status.

The university is recognized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as one of the few National Universities of Agriculture and Fisheries in the Philippines. It is also a CHED Center of Excellence (COE) in Teacher Education, and a Center of Development (COD) in four other disciplines, namely: 1) Agriculture; 2) Biology; 3) Forestry; and 4) Information Technology.

Over the years, MMSU has been recognized by the Professional Regulation Commission as Top Performing School based on the outstanding performance of its graduates in licensure examinations in various disciplines, such as Teacher Education, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Physical Therapy, Accountancy, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Fisheries. The university has also produced a significant number of topnotchers.

Toward Inclusive and Sustainable Development

Determined to make innovation work towards inclusive growth, MMSU is recognized as a model for development for the rest of the SUC System in the Philippines for its notable research and development activities, international linkages, and commercialization of innovations.

The University’s research program is geared toward the development of cutting-edge technologies in diverse disciplines, including biofuels and renewable energy, crop productivity and improvement, plant genetic resources conservation and management, engineering and information technology, business and industry, environment, and climate change, health, and education.

The University’s extension services and technology promotion and utilization program are anchored on serving the general public through non-formal education and other knowledge and technology transfer activities realized through various modalities. Community engagement programs under the Extension Directorate benefit 6,000 – 8,000 individuals annually, thereby making MMSU a true “University for All.”

Indeed, MMSU’s commitment to community development is seen in its various projects. It is the lead SUC in the implementation of a 170-hectare nipa plantation for the DENR’s National Greening Program, for which accomplishment it was selected as model SUC for DENR’s energy self-sufficiency project. It also implements the Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) program, which aims to empower less-privileged communities through the provision of appropriate technological intervention. It also initiates the “One Town, One Technology” project.