Courses & PROGRAMS
Faculties & divisions
Faculty of Under Graduate Studies
Faculty of Hospitality Management
Faculty of Information Technology
Faculty of Marketing & Management
Faculty of Professional Studies I
Faculty of Professional Studies II
Faculty of Business Administrations
Student Facilities
1st Rector
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Very Rev. Fr. Peter A. Pillai OMI Fr. Peter A. Pillai commenced Aquinas University College at St. Joseph‚s College premises in 1954. He was keen to help the youth who were deprived of opportunities for higher education due to lack of places in the university of that time. London External Examination Courses and professional programmes were conducted mostly in the evenings. His dream was to make Aquinas University College an ideal private university. 1956 Aquinas University College was brought to present premises and he put up the present science block which housed the best Laboratory in the island. He also bought land at Wanathamulla expecting to start a medical college Unfortunately in 1964 due to his untimely death this dream was not realized. |
2nd Rector
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Very Rev. Fr. Tissa Balasuriya OMI ( 1964- 1971 ) In 1964 Rev. Fr. Balasuriya succeeded Fr. Peter Pillai due to his untimely demise. He was the second Rector of the Aquinas College of Higher Studies from 1964 - 1971. Rev.Fr.Balasuriya bridged the old library building and the science block built by Fr.Peter Pillai by erecting a three storied tower building. 1965 Rev. Fr. Balasuriya founded the Sister Formation Programme. Today the congregations appreciate the programme very much as it brings about an aggiornamento to the religious life of young sisters. In 1966 Revc.Fr.Balasuriya established the School of Agriculture and bought the Aquinas farm land consisting of over 72 acres at Walpola, Ragama for students to carry out agriculture practical work. During the same year, the Schools of Business and Technology were inaugurated. He published for the first time the monthly magazine called the "Quest". |
3rd Rector
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Very Rev. Fr. W. L. A. don Peter ( 1971 - 1974 : 1979 - 1989 ) Rev. Fr. Don Peter was the third rector of Aquinas College of Higher Studies from 1971 - 1974. In 1973 he started the Diploma Course in English which has become very popular today. He inaugurated the Lab Technology Certificate course affiliated to the Institute of Chemistry. He sold off twenty acres of the Aquinas Farm to the Charismatic Movement of the Archdiocese to raise funds for the running of the college. He was re-appointed after Rev. Fr. Neville Emmanuel in 1979 as the fifth Rector and he continued till 1989. Circumstances forced him to close the science section. He started a certificate course in Laboratory Technology linked up with the Institute of Chemistry. He set up the Don Peter Auditorium, added a single story building for class-rooms and extended the priests quarters. He established a Compute Center seeing the need of the day. He inaugurated a course in Journalism. He also launched a Don Peter fund for employees and Scholarships for students. |
4th Rector
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Very Rev. Fr. Neville Emmanuel ( 1974 - 1979 ) Rev. Fr. Neville Emmanuel was Rector of Aquinas College from 1974 - 1979. He brought in several ecclesiastical institutions like the Catechetical institute and SEDEC as there was vacant space at Aquinas College. However, these institutions were transferred to other places by Rev. Fr. Don Peter during the second spell of his tenure. Due to financial constraints Rev. Fr. Neville had to sell part of the properties belonging to Aquinas to meet the day to day expenses. |
5th Rector
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Very Rev. Fr. W. D. G. Chrispin Leo ( 1989 - 2006 ) In 1989 August Very Rev. Fr. Chrispin Leo became the sixth Rector of Aquinas College. He expanded the Undergraduate section and also introduced a morning diploma course in English and so maximizing the use of premises during morning hours. Many new relevant and useful professional courses were introduced to help young people find employment. Just to mention few, marketing, banking, management, pharmacists, ACS (Australian Computer Society) and BIT (bachelor of Information Technology) A building program was started in the year 1999 with the view of linking up with foreign universities and catering to many more students. Archbishop Emeritus Rt. Rev. Dr.Nicholas Marcus Fernando laid the foundation in 1999 and at its completion in the year 2000 he declared it open in the presence of the Minister of education, the apostolic Nuntio and many distinguished guests and alumni. This was named the Millennium Building and it houses the information Technology Section, Library, Thomas cardinal Cooray Auditorium, Rector’a and bursar’s offices and a few classrooms. |