Portal:Malta/Showcased article/13

The University of Malta (Maltese L-Università ta' Malta) is the highest educational institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, which last between three and five years, and postgraduate Master's Degrees that last two years full-time.

The University is one of the oldest in Europe and was originally a Catholic university. Its origins dates back to 1592 when the Collegium Melitense was founded by the Bishop Garagallo. Originally the University was run by the Jesuits. After the Jesuits were expelled from the Maltese Islands in 1768, the University was taken over by the state. After Napoleon conquered the island in the 1798, the university was briefly abolished in favour of a French educational institution. However, after the French were forced to leave in 1800, the islands became a British protectorate and the University was reestablished by Sir Alexander Ball. In 1938, King George VI gave it the title of The Royal University of Malta. The word "Royal" was subsequently removed from the name of the university, when Malta became a republic in 1974. (more...)