The tradition of higher education in Košice goes back to the year 1657, when the bishop Benedict Kishdy founded an Academy by the Memorandum of “Studium Universale” and presented it with 40 000 tallers[check spelling] (by way of a dot).

The Bull included a provision of high significance stating the academic degrees to be recognized as they were granted at any of the oldest and most famous universities.

Study at the Philosophical Faculty was dedicated first of all to Philosophy, History and Languages, but the lectures included also natural sciences, e.g. Physics, Mathematics, Geography and Botany.

The Košice University was well known for its excellent professors Martin Palkovič, Samuel Timon, Štefan Kaprinai, Karol Wágner, Juraj Sklenár, Michal Lipšic, distinguished for dissemination of the new Physics in the Monarchy, and others.

The University had its own library, church, printing station and it was also connected to other institutions, a high school, seminary and convict or to vassal villages and other estate administration, for instance.

Following a provision of a government - Ratio Educationis- it lost its sovereignty and remained just a subsidiary of the only Hungarian University in Buda while keeping the right to grant a degree.

1777 – the bishop’s Alma Mater Universalis Episcopalis was transformed to Academia regia Cassoviensis as two-year Law Faculty with philosophical orientation.