Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
The Pontifical Catholic University of Chile is one of the six Catholic Universities existing in the Chilean university system and one of the two pontifical universities in the country, along with the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso. It is also one of Chile's oldest universities and one of the most recognized educational institutions in Latin America. According to the QS Ranking, its Faculty of Law ranks 44th in the world, and its Faculty of Education ranks 21st worldwide. It was ranked 1st university in Latin America in 2018, 2019 and 2020 according to the same QS ranking.
Campuses
UC has four campuses in Santiago and one campus in Villarrica. The campuses in Santiago are:- Casa Central
- San Joaquín
- Oriente
- Lo Contador
History
UC was founded on June 21, 1888 by the Santiago Archbishop, to offer training in traditional professions and in technological and practical fields such as business, accounting, chemistry, and electricity. Its first chancellor was Monsignor Joaquín Larraín Gandarillas, and at the very beginning, the university only taught two subjects, law and mathematics. Since it is a Pontifical University, it has always had a strong and very close relationship with the Vatican. On February 11, 1930, Pope Pius XI declared it a pontifical university, and in 1931 it was granted full academic autonomy by the Chilean government.UC is a private, urban, multi-campus university. It is one of the eleven Chilean Catholic universities, and one of the twenty-five institutions within the Rectors' Council, the Chilean state-sponsored university system. It is part of the Universities of the Rectors' Council of Chilean Universities, and although it is not state-owned, a substantial part of its budget is given by state transfers under different programs.
UC's 18 faculties are distributed through four campuses in Santiago and one regional campus located in southern Chile. The technical training centers affiliated with the University are: DUOC, the Rural Life Foundations, the Baviera Foundation, the Catechetical Home and the San Fidel Seminary. These centers carry out technical-academic extension activities in rural and agricultural areas. Other UC activities are a Sports Club, a nationwide television network, and a Clinical Hospital dependent on the Faculty of Medicine.
UC 's Graduates of the School of Architecture have also made important contributions to the country with such work as the Central Building of UC, and the National Library.
Two of its most important alumni are the Jesuit Saint Alberto Hurtado and Eduardo Frei Montalva, a Chilean president. Both of them studied in the School of Laws. Sebastián Piñera, current Chilean president, graduated from the university's School of Economics.
In 2017 the university faced what has been called a "wave of suicide" among its students. During 2017 a total of four students have taken their lives up to October, the previous year two students committed suicide. Critics, including alumni, have written about the university's "lack of concern" for the suicide of students, an attitude they contrast to the university's staunch opposition to abortion. The student union of the university issued a communique expressing feelings of guilt over the issue and the need to take charge.
Collaborations
The Department of Industry and System Engineering is engaging Stanford Technology Venture Program of Stanford University on a collaboration on innovation and technology ventures.In December 2011, the schools of engineering of PUC and the University of Notre Dame signed an agreement to establish a dual graduate degree in civil engineering and the geological sciences, which now extends to other departments in both schools.
In April 2013, PUC and the University of Notre Dame also signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen scholarly engagement and expand their long-standing relationships. The agreement establishes an exchange program in which faculty, doctoral students and university representatives from each institution will visit, work, study and collaborate with the other institution.
World rankings
UC ranks among the first 10 Latin-American Universities according to the Shanghai ranking, UC appears top in two subject rankings: it ranks around 101–150 in Economics and Management and around 151–200 in MathematicsAccording to the QS Ranking, UC ranks 1st in Latin America, and 137th in the world. In the same ranking, its Faculty of Law ranks 38th in the world, and its Faculty of Education ranks 33rd worldwide.
Faculties, institutes, centers and subjects offered
- College UC
- * Bachelor of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
- * Bachelor of Social Science
- * Bachelor of Arts and Humanities
- Faculty of Agronomy & Forest Engineering
- * Agronomy
- * Forest Engineering
- Faculty of Architecture, Design, and Urban Studies
- * School of Architecture
- ** Architecture
- * School of Design
- ** Design
- * Institute of Urban and Territorial Studies
- ** Urban Planning
- Faculty of Arts
- * School of Visual Art
- ** Visual Art
- * School of Theater
- ** Acting
- * Institute of Music
- ** Music
- Faculty of Biological Sciences
- * Biology
- * Biochemistry
- * Marine Biology
- Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences
- * Commercial Engineering
- * Economics Institute
- * School of Administration
- Faculty of Social Sciences
- * Institute of Sociology
- ** Sociology
- ** Anthropology
- * School of Psychology
- ** Psychology
- * School of Social Work
- ** Social Work
- Faculty of Communications
- * School of Journalism
- ** Journalism
- ** Audiovisual Direction Program
- ** Advertising
- * Institute of Media Studies
- Faculty of Law
- * Law
- Faculty of Language and Literature
- * English Language and Literature
- * Hispanic American Linguistics and Literature
- * Center for the Study of Chilean Literature
- Faculty of Education
- * Early Childhood Education
- * General Education
- * High School Education
- Faculty of Engineering
- * School of Engineering
- ** Dept. of Computer Science
- ** Dept. of Engineering and Construction Management
- ** Dept. of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering
- ** Dept. of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering
- ** Dept. of Transportation and Logistics Engineering
- ** Dept. of Industrial and Systems Engineering
- ** Dept. of Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering
- ** Dept. of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering
- ** Dept. of Electrical Engineering
- ** Dept. of Mining Engineering
- * School of Construction
- ** Construction
- Faculty of Philosophy
- * Institute of Philosophy
- ** Philosophy
- * Institute of Aesthetics
- ** Aesthetics
- Faculty of Physics
- * Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics
- ** Astronomy
- * Department of Physics
- ** Physics
- Faculty of History, Geography, and Political Science
- * Institute of History
- ** History
- * Institute of Geography
- ** Geography
- * Institute of Political Science
- ** Political Science
- Faculty of Mathematics
- * Mathematics
- * Statistics
- Faculty of Medicine
- * School of Medicine
- ** Medicine
- **Odontology
- **Phonoaudiology
- **Kinesiology
- **Nutrition and dietetics
- * School of Nursing
- ** Nursing and Obstretics
- Faculty of Chemistry
- * Chemistry
- * Chemistry and Pharmacy
- Faculty of Theology
- * Theology
Notable institutes and centers
- Center of Studies of Social Undertakings
- Instituto Milenio para la Investigación en Depresión y Personalidad – MIDAP
- Núcleo Milenio Research Center in Entrepreneurial Strategy Under Uncertainty
Notable alumni
Architecture
- Alejandro Aravena
- Smiljan Radic
- Emilio Duhart
- Fernando Castillo Velasco
- Juan Grimm, Landscape architect
Art and literature
- Egon Wolff
- Roberto Matta
- Jorge Díaz
- Diamela Eltit
- Paula Escobar
- Laila Havilio
Economy
- Miguel Kast
- José Piñera
- Joaquín Lavín
- Sebastián Edwards
- Sebastián Piñera
Politics
- Past President of Chile Eduardo Frei Montalva
- Current President of Chile Sebastian Piñera
- Adolfo Zaldívar
- Arturo Frei Bolívar
- Ena von Baer
- Fernando Castillo Velasco
- Hernán Larraín
- Fernando Flores
- Jaime Guzmán
- Joaquín Lavín
- Osvaldo Andrade
- Radomiro Tomic
- Tomás Jocelyn-Holt
Religion
- Alberto Hurtado
- Raúl Silva Henríquez
Science
- Francisco Claro Huneeus
- Héctor Croxatto Rezzio
- Joaquín Luco Valenzuela
- Juan de Dios Vial Correa
- Juan Carlos Castilla
- Leopoldo Soto Norambuena
- Nibaldo Inestrosa Cantin
- Rafael Vicuña Errázuriz
Knowledge transfer, service and consultancy
- DICTUC SA
- Salud Clinica UC
- Hospital of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
- Mega UC Health Centres