Catholic University of Uruguay (in Spanish: Universidad Católica del Uruguay, acronym UCU) is a private university in

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

opened in 1985 (from various previous

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

teaching institutions). 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 , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

. Its main campus is spread out in six locations in

Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...

; there are two other campuses, in Maldonado and Salto.

History

The university was founded by the Archbishop of Montevideo, Monseigneur

Mariano Soler Monsignor Dr. Mariano Soler (born 25 March 1846 in San Carlos - deceased 26 September 1908 in Gibraltar) was a Uruguayan cleric and the first Roman Catholic archbishop of Montevideo, Uruguay. A student at the South American College in Rome, he o ...

, in 1882. In 1985, it was reopened and entrusted to the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

. 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. In 2017 it was ranked as the top university in

and 1,322 in the world. It offers studies abroad and student exchange programs.

Programs

In 2015 the university partnered with Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness to address the issue of competition between companies. Also, in conjunction with a professor at

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

, researchers at UCU study the effects of iron deficiency and lead toxicity on behavioral and cognitive development in children. In 2016 the university signed an agreement of cooperation with the newly founded

University of Tifariti The University of Tifariti (Arabic:جامعة تيفاريتي), (Spanish: Universidad de Tifariti) is a university located in Tifariti, Western Sahara. History The University of Tifariti, the first Sahrawi university was established in 2013 (un ...

. Sponsored sports activities include futsal (male and female), volleyball, basketball, women's handball, swimming,

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, and hockey. The university offers students workshops to develop their artistic abilities in chorus, theater, and visual arts. 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. A major vacation-time project is building homes for the poor, There are student-organized events and tournaments throughout the year, and a series of workshops voted for by the students to foster their special interests. There is also a club which raises environmental awareness by collecting all plastic bottles on campus.

Departments

The university is divided into seven departments: Business Sciences,

Nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

and Health Technologies,

Human Sciences Human science (or human sciences in the plural), also known as humanistic social science and moral science (or moral sciences), studies the philosophical, biological, social, and cultural aspects of human life. Human science aims to expand our ...

, Law,

Engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

& Technology,

Dentistry Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions o ...

and

Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

Majors

Gallery

File:Universidad Católica del Uruguay-10.JPG, Montevideo Campus. File:Universidad Católica del Uruguay-06.JPG, Montevideo Campus Entrance. File:Universidad Católica del Uruguay-14.JPG, Main Building Corridor. File:Universidad Católica del Uruguay-07.JPG, Bauzá Hall. File:Universidad Católica del Uruguay-03.JPG, University Bookstore. File:Universidad Católica del Uruguay-05.JPG, Exteriors of the Montevideo Campus. File:Universidad Católica del Uruguay-12.JPG, University Library.

References

External links

Web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Catolica del Uruguay Damaso Antonio Larranaga, Universidad Universities in Uruguay Education in Montevideo Jesuit universities and colleges Catholic universities and colleges in Uruguay Educational institutions established in 1985 1985 establishments in Uruguay