Catholic University of Uruguay

   Websitewww.ucu.edu.uy

Catholic University of Uruguay (in Spanish: Universidad Católica del Uruguay, acronym UCU) is a private university in Uruguay opened in 1985 (from various previous Catholic teaching institutions).^[1] It was the only private university in the country for 11 years until 1996. Its full name is Universidad Católica del Uruguay Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga, after Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga, and is a work of the Society of Jesus.^[2]

Its main campus is spread out in six locations in Montevideo; there are two other campuses, in Punta del Este and Salto.^[3]

History

The university was founded by the Archbishop of Montevideo, Monseigneur Mariano Soler, in 1882. In 1985, it was reopened and entrusted to the Society of Jesus. The university seeks to promote a combination of academic excellence, ideological pluralism, ecumenism, and inter-religious dialogue.

From its beginning, the Catholic University of Uruguay gave itself the challenge of being a different option in university teaching. It took to working in areas that had been neglected, and to playing a role as an innovator in the development of new educational methods and evangelization of culture. It is now one of the most prestigious centers of university learning in Uruguay.

University Life

As a fundamental objective of the University, it seeks that its students live beyond the classroom, incorporating extracurricular activities such as sports, with the Universidad Católica Club; artistic experiences such as the UCU Choir and the Espacio Crear; in addition to its traditional Pastoral.

The University has an extensive academic exchange network. It has links with more than 300 universities in countries of the five continents. It receives about 200 foreign students annually.

Campus

The Sacré Cœur building houses the university's headquarters on the Montevideo campus, located on 8 de Octubre Avenue in the La Blanqueada neighborhood. Built in the 1920s in neoclassical style by architect Elzeario Boix, it housed Colegio Sacré Cœur, an educational center for girls run by the nuns of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.4 It also has characteristics and similarities with the headquarters of Colegio Sagrada Familia, since both were built by the same architect. In the 1980s, the Colegio Sacré Cœur closed its doors and the building was acquired by the Universidad Católica del Uruguay. The San Ignacio building, located on Cornelio Cantera Street, is the annex to the Sacré Cœur, housing classrooms and the areas of Bedelía, Student Finances, Degree and Registration, among others.

The Semprún building located on Estero Bellaco Street and inaugurated in November 2021, houses the UCU Business School (UCUBS) and the Graduate School.

The Athanasius building, located on Urquiza Street and inaugurated in December 2020, houses the Ignis Center and is the productive space for the Communication, Audiovisual Engineering and Visual Arts programs.

The Mullin building, located on Comandante Braga Street, houses the School of Engineering and Technology, the School of Health Sciences and the Department of Natural and Exact Sciences.

The Apolonia building, located on 8 de Octubre Avenue, houses the Clínica Universitaria de la Salud, with three dental clinics, a block for dental surgery and eight offices for physiotherapy, speech therapy, nutrition, psychology, psychopedagogy and neurodevelopmental disorders.

The San José building (under construction) will absorb the Apolonia building and, therefore, will house the Clínica Universitaria de la Salud, as well as rooms and spaces for common use. It is scheduled to open in March 2025.

The University also has two other campuses, one in the city of Punta del Este, located on Roosevelt Avenue and Florencia, inaugurated in 1998, and another in the city of Salto, located on Artigas Street and inaugurated in 2003, which houses the University's Economic Observatory.

International Accreditations

The School of Business Sciences and the UCU Business School (UCUBS) have been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) since October 2021, making the University the only one in Uruguay with this certification. Since September 2023, the UCU Business School (UCUBS) has also been accredited by the International Accreditation Advisory Board of the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the Business Graduates Association (BGA).

Programs

In 2015 the university partnered with Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness to address the issue of competition between companies.^[4] Also, in conjunction with a professor at Pennsylvania State University, researchers at UCU study the effects of iron deficiency and lead toxicity on behavioral and cognitive development in children.^[5] In 2016 the university signed an agreement of cooperation with the newly founded University of Tifariti.

Sponsored sports activities include futsal (male and female), volleyball, basketball, women's handball, swimming, football, and hockey.^[6] The university offers students workshops to develop their artistic abilities in chorus, theater, and visual arts.^[7]

Service projects are carried on for credit as integral or supplemental to classwork, as well as through voluntary projects without academic credit. In 2015 Extension Services at UCU counted 141 projects with 191 teachers and 1,700 students involved.^[8] A major vacation-time project is building homes for the poor,^[9]

There are student-organized events and tournaments throughout the year,^[10] and a series of workshops voted for by the students to foster their special interests.^[11] There is also a club which raises environmental awareness by collecting all plastic bottles on campus.^[12]

Departments

The university is divided into five faculties, and two schools: UCU Business School and the School of Postgraduate Courses.^[13]

Majors

Notable people

Faculty

Alumni

Gallery

• 
  Montevideo Campus.
• 
  Montevideo Campus Entrance.
• 
  Main Building Corridor.
• 
  Bauzá Hall.
• 
  University Bookstore.
• 
  Exteriors of the Montevideo Campus.
• 
  University Library.

See also

• List of Jesuit sites

References

External links

• Official website

34°53′19″S 56°09′32″W / 34.8887°S 56.1590°W / -34.8887; -56.1590