students not just the correct understanding of legal provisions and principles but their ethical implementation to society and people. It is also home to the Dr. Jovito R. Salonga Center for Law and Development. Starting SY 2009–2010, the college shifted its course offering from Bachelor of Laws (LLB) to Juris Doctor (JD). Silliman is the first law school to offer the JD program in the Visayas and Mindanao area. The College of Mass Communication was established in 1966 as the first school outside of metropolitan Manila to offer a degree program in Journalism. Its founding director was D. Wayne Rowland, Ph.D., a visiting professor in journalism from Texas Christian University. In 1976, the college (then known as the School of Communication) changed its course offering from a bachelor's degree in Journalism to that of Mass Communication to cover the ever-expanding field of mass communication. The College of Nursing was designated by CHED as a Center of Excellence in Nursing Education. The college offers one undergraduate course in Nursing and three graduate courses namely: (1) Master in Nursing [non-thesis] Majors in Family Nursing Practice, Administration, Public Health Nursing, Adult Health and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing; (2) Master of Science in Nursing Majors in Parent-Child Nursing, Nursing School Administration, Nursing Service Administration, Public Health Nursing, Medical Surgical Nursing, Psychiatric-Mental Nursing, Family Nursing Practice, Community Health Nursing and Adult Health; and (3) Ph.D. in Nursing. Founded in 1947, the college is known for its ratings in the professional licensure exams which have been consistently higher than the national average. In a 2009 report handed down by CHED, Silliman was ranked first in the country. The College of Performing and Visual Arts provides programs in Fine Arts, Music, and Speech & Theater Arts. The college started in 1912 as a music department in the College of Arts and Sciences. With the arrival of American missionary Geraldine Kate in 1934, it was renamed as the Conservatory of Music, with Kate as its founding director. In 1941, it became known as the School of Music, and with the addition of the Fine Arts Department in 1969, was recast as the School of Music and Fine Arts. Another transformation came in 2001 when its name was changed to the College of Performing Arts. Schools The Divinity School provides undergraduate and graduate programs in Divinity, Ministry and Theology. It started in 1921 as the Silliman Bible School, serving as