College of Science and mathematics

In July 12, 1968, President Marcos signed the law establishing the Iligan Institute of Technology as integral part if the Mindanao State University system. This effectively abolished the Northern Mindanao Institute of Technology, earlier created by law (1965) but never gained existence. In the early stage, the Department of General Education was handling the service courses of the Institute. This department later evolved into the School of Arts and Sciences and was allowed to offer baccalaureate programs.

In 1978, the Board of Regents authorized the establishment of the School of Science and Mathematics. The signing of a Special Order on February 15, 1979 marked the start of the operation of the SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS (SSM), with Dr. Remigio G. Tee as its first Dean. The school was later renamed in 1984 as the COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS (CSM). The College offered baccalaureate degrees in Mathematics, Statistics, Marine Biology, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Chemistry and Physics. A few years later, graduate programs in Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics and Physics were also offered. The first Ph.D. program of the Institute, the Ph. D. in Mathematics, was started in 1994 and produced its first graduate in 1998. At present, the College’s four departments offer MS and Ph.D. programs. In June 2004, the College will offer the BS in Nursing program under the Department of Health Sciences.

In 1997, the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) awarded the four departments of the College the status of Centers of Excellence (COE). This recognition was given to only four other schools in the Philippines, which are all located in Luzon. MSU-IIT is the only school in the Visayas and Mindanao area that achieved the feat of being a Center of Excellence in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. With the recognition and a corresponding financial grant, the College was able to update its instructional facilities, acquire state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, improve library facilities, and finance other research-related activities.

At present, the College boasts of being the leading institution in Science and Mathematics in Mindanao. It aims to be an internationally-recognized National Centers in Science and Mathematics. The college has a very competent faculty force, which includes a total of 31 Ph.D. holders, the highest concentration of Ph.D.’s in Visayas and Mindanao. Some faculty members are recipients of Outstanding Young Scientists Awards and Outstanding Scientific Paper Awards from the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) and The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) award. The DOST recognizes the College as a nodal institution, where DOST Scholars nationwide can study. Other institutions providing scholarship grants in science and mathematics usually advise students in the Mindanao area to enroll in the College.