RIZAL IN THE ROYAL AND PONTIFICAL UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTO TOMAS

● After his schooling in Ateneo, Doña Teodora objected Rizal’s return to Manila for further studies.
● Doña Teodora’s contention was Rizal already knew a lot.
● Don Francisco secretly asked Paciano to accompany Jose to Manila.

ROYAL AND PONTIFICAL UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTO TOMAS

● A school supervised by the Dominican Order.
● Royal- government recognition
● Pontifical- church recognition

STUDIES IN UST
● Having finished his Bachelor of Arts in Ateneo, Rizal was qualified to enter UST.
● He enrolled in the Preparatory Course of Theology and law taking the course Philosophia y Letras or
Philosophy and Letters.
● After a year in UST, upon the advice of Father Pablo Ramon he shifted courses from Philosophy and
Letters to Medicine.
● He was given the privilege to study simultaneously the preparatory course of Medicine and the First Year
of the Medicine.
● He developed his leadership skill through founding a secret society for Filipino students in 1880 called
Compañerismo or Comradeship for mutual protection against the Spanish students.
● Before he entered UST, he felt his first emotions of love to Segunda Katigbak followed by the two
Leonors- Leonor Valenzuela and Leonor Rivera.

VOCATIONAL COURSES IN ATENEO

● During his first year in UST, he also took vocational courses in Ateneo.
● He took surveying, agriculture and topography.
● He finished the course surveying but he was only granted license as land surveyor and assessor after
three years because of his age.

RIZAL IN UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DE MADRID

● After 44 days of voyage, he reached his destination which is Barcelona, Spain.
● In the fall of 1882, Rizal moved to Madrid, Spain and enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine and at the
same time in the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters.
● He also took lessons in languages in Ateneo de Madrid and studied painting and sculpture in Academy
of Fine Arts of San Fernando.
● Although Rizal was already engaged to Leonor Rivera, he was linked to Consuelo Ortiga but the
romance between them did not blossom because of friendship and loyalty.
● On June 21, 1884, the Licentiate of Medicine was conferred to Jose which qualified him to practice the
course.
● He took the degree of Doctor Medicine for him to qualify to teach in the Faculty of Medicine.
● He finished the doctorate degree but the diploma was never awarded because of financial reasons.
● On his 24th birthday, June 19, 1885, he was able to obtain the degree Licentiate of Philosophy and
Letters.
● He was qualified to teach humanities in any Spanish university.
● He chose to practice his medical profession and specialized ophthalmology because of his mother’s
condition.