An ecclesiastical university is a special type of higher education school recognised by the Canon law of the Catholic Church.
Some independent institutions, schools or university faculties, even at non-pontifical universities, can be ecclesiastical institutes, ecclesiastical schools or ecclesiastical faculties and may also be given charters by the Holy See to grant ecclesiastical degrees, usually in one or two specific fields.
Ecclesiastical universities are licensed to grant ecclesiastical degrees in: These ecclesiastical degrees are prerequisites to certain offices in the Roman Catholic Church, especially considering that bishop candidates are selected mainly from priests who are doctors of sacred theology (S.T.D.)
and that ecclesiastical judges and attorneys must at least be licentiates of canon law (J.C.L.).
Source:[1] Source:[1] (Pontifical Universities and Atheneum are listed in the Pontifical Universities article, while here are the Pontifical Institutes and Faculties.)