The Philippine Normal University (PNU) is a state university located in Manila, Philippines. It has been declared as National Center for Teacher Education of the Philippines pursuant to Republic Act 9647. The Philippine Normal University (PNU), was originally the Philippine Normal School (PNS) created on January 21, 1901 by Americans through Act No. 74 of the Philippine Commission. It, however, formally opened on September 1, 1901, as an institution for the training of teachers. For more than two decades, PNS offered a two-year general secondary education program. It was only in 1928 when it became a junior college offering a two-year program to graduates of secondary schools. When PNS was converted into the Philippine Normal College (PNC) in 1949 through Republic Act 416 (the Charter of the College), the four-year Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (BSEE) program was introduced. Subsequently, other undergraduate programs ensued such as the Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) with specialization in Elementary Education; a BSEE major in Home Economics; and a three-year Combined Home Economics diploma. In 1953, the Graduate School was established.