thumb|Casa Central, the primary building of PUCV

thumb|The Open City of Ritoque, teaching and research ground of the PUCV Architecture School.

thumb|Sweet cherry orchard at the PUCV Experiment Station in [[Quillota. This picture shows a view of the orchard floor including a floral biodiversity strip and the access door to a rhizotron.]]

The Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso () (PUCV), also known as Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (UCV), is one of six Catholic universities in Chile and one of the two pontifical universities in the country, along with the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Founded in 1928, it is located in Valparaíso Region and has about 18,000 students.

It is recognized in Chile as an institution with high academic prestige and as a research university due to its acquired research funds and offered postgraduate degrees in the fields of science, engineering, humanities and arts. and the QS Latin America University Ranking of 2023 has placed it 22nd out of 428 qualifying institutions (and 5th nationwide). The university is accredited for seven years, the maximum number of years awarded by the National Accreditation Commission, for the period between 2021 and 2028. The PUCV, the University of Chile, the Catholic University, the University of Santiago and the University of Concepción are the only institutions in Chile that have received the highest number of years in accreditation.

PUCV attracts students from different regions of Chile, as well as hundreds of exchange students from Europe, North America and several countries from South America, due to its student exchange programs.

Administration

PUCV is a private institution dependent upon the Roman Catholic Church. As some other old private universities in Chile, PUCV receives some funding from the Chilean government. PUCV's Grand Chancellor is the Bishop of Valparaíso, who appoints representatives in the Academic Council but does not directly run the university (responsibility of a faculty-elected Rector). The Council includes the Deans of each faculty, all of whom are elected by the faculty.

The appointment of PUCV officers and structural changes in its administration need the approval of the Holy See, with periodic reviews by the Congregation for Catholic Education of the Roman Curia. Doctoral honoris causa degrees need to be approved by the Congregation.

Faculties and undergraduate programs

Currently, PUCV has 62 undergraduate programs, 19 doctorate programs, 39 master programs and 82 other postgraduate programs.

  • Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism
  • Art, Architecture, Graphic Design, Industrial Design
  • Faculty of Agriculture
  • Fruit Science, Vegetable Crops and Ornamentals, Environmental Management, Food Technology
  • Faculty of Science
  • Mathematics, Statistics, Biology, Physics, Chemistry
  • Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
  • Management, Accounting Auditing, Social Work, Journalism
  • Faculty of Engineering
  • Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computing Engineering, Construction Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Transportation Engineering
  • Faculty of Law ― Central Campus
  • Law
  • Faculty of Natural Resources
  • Geography, Oceanography, Aquaculture and Fisheries
  • Faculty of Philosophy and Education
  • Philosophy, Psychology, Education, Special Education, Physical Education, History, Spanish and English, Music
  • Ecclesiastical Faculty of Theology – Institute of Religious Studies
  • Religious Studies

International relations

PUCV has a long history of academic relations with institutions all over the world, with more than 260 agreements concentrated in European universities. Student exchange is most active with universities of Spain, US, France, Germany; a few students are from countries in Latin America. The list of institutions includes some of the oldest universities in the world, such as Université catholique de Louvain (founded in 1425 by Pope Martin V), Università di Pisa (founded in 1343 by Pope Clement VI) and Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg.

Notable alumni

  • Bishop Carlos Camus, a human rights leader during Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship.
  • Jorge Sharp Fajardo, lawyer and current mayor of Valparaíso.
  • Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, Archbishop of Santiago.
  • Juan Carlos García Pérez de Arce, Architect and politician, Minister of Public Works in Gabriel Boric's government.
  • Alejandro Foxley, economist and politician, Foreign Affairs Minister in Michelle Bachelet's government.
  • Jorge Martínez Busch, former commander-in-chief of the Chilean Navy, as well as an appointed senator in the Senate of Chile from 1998 to March 2006, when a reform of the Constitution of Chile put an end to non-democratic senators.

References

  • Official website