The Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS) was established by the Seventh-day Adventist Church because of its commitment to meeting the church’s growing needs for college teachers, church leaders, educators, health professionals, and treasurers with international-level, graduate education.

Beginning in 1957, several such graduate programs, primarily in the area of religion, were offered on the campus of Philippine Union College (PUC), now the Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP). These programs were organized into a Theological Seminary, which became an institution of the Far Eastern Division of Seventh-day Adventists in 1978.

The success of the Seminary led to the expansion of graduate programs into other areas, such as public health. Thus, on Jan 31, 1986, when AIIAS came into being by Presidential Decree No. 2021, it was composed of two schools: the Seminary and the Graduate School.

From its early days, in addition to its campus programs, AIIAS has offered programs at off-campus locations to facilitate the graduate-level educational needs of the church throughout the region. More recently cohort programs expanded to South America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. 

In 1991, AIIAS was moved to the present campus near Silang, Cavite. In 1996, AIIAS became an institution of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

AIIAS is recognized for being innovative and dynamic. 

AIIAS Online was established in 2001 to offer quality, Christian-oriented graduate education to dedicated professionals wherever they may be in the world. In 2007, AIIAS distinguished itself as one of the first Adventist educational institutions to graduate students with master’s degrees from an online learning program entirely on the internet.

In 2007, AIIAS began the first Seventh-day Adventist Doctor of Philosophy in Business program.