Universidad Católica San Pablo is an academic community inspired by the teachings and life of the Catholic Church. In the light of faith and through the effort of reason, it seeks truth and promotes the integral education of the person through activities such as research, teaching and university extension, contributing to the shaping of culture in accordance with the identity and inherent development of the human being.
"We will be a Catholic university mature in its identity, consolidated as a community, passionate about the pursuit of truth, with a comprehensive educational model of high academic standards, and a key player in the development of the region and the country.".
It is a private, non-profit Peruvian higher education institution focused on humanistic and professional education. It was founded in 1997 and is located in the city of Arequipa, Peru.
The university has a single campus in Arequipa, with its main building in the traditional San Lázaro neighborhood, situated in the historic center of the city. Additionally, it has three other buildings located in Arequipa’s historic center.
In 1997, it began offering academic programs at Av. Salaverry 301 (now Sucre Street 601) with only two study programs.
By 2009, the university had more than 5,000 students, the vast majority of whom were undergraduates. Today, UCSP has over 8,000 students.
Universidad Católica San Pablo received provisional authorization to operate on January 10, 1997, through Resolution 190-97-CONAFU. That year, the then-University of San Pablo offered the study programs in Business Administration and Accounting to society. By 1999, the Computer Engineering program was created, expanding the educational offerings and the opportunity to contribute to the training of engineers with high professional and human capacity in this field of knowledge.
On November 15, 1999, the University of San Pablo received the blessing of being recognized by the Church as a Catholic university through Archiepiscopal Decree No. 091-C-ARZ. Thus, this educational institution took the name San Pablo Catholic University. In 2005, the Telecommunications Engineering program was launched. By 2004, the Industrial Engineering and Law programs were added, while in 2007, the Psychology and Education programs with specializations in Early Childhood and Primary Education were created.
In the ordinary session of September 12, 2003, the National Council for the Authorization of University Operations (Conafu) unanimously agreed to authorize the university’s definitive operation and grant it full autonomy according to Peruvian legislation. This unanimous decision from Conafu was documented in Resolution No. 184-2003-CONAFU on September 23, 2003, making UCSP the first university outside of Lima to be accredited by Conafu.
In 2006, UCSP changed its Computer Engineering program to Computer Science, aligning it with international standards. The curriculum was completely revised to fit the Computer Science profile according to the ACM/IEEE standard.
In 2014, UCSP launched the Civil Engineering program to meet the demand for professionals in this field in Arequipa and the country.
In October 2017, the National Superintendency of University Higher Education (Sunedu), through Resolution No. 042-2017-SUNEDU/CD, granted operational licensing to UCSP after a lengthy process, ensuring that the university provides educational services that meet the eight basic quality conditions required by university law. Thus, Universidad Católica San Pablo became the first private university in the south of the country to receive this recognition.
Additionally, Sunedu approved three study programs at UCSP through the resolution published in the newspaper El Peruano on December 31, 2019. These study programs are Architecture and Urbanism, Mechatronics Engineering, and Environmental Engineering. This resolution also authorized six master’s programs and a second specialty at San Pablo Catholic University.
In 2018, UCSP underwent a shift in its organization to align with its identity. The integral education, research, and service and outreach to society promoted by Universidad Católica San Pablo are now activities that, thanks to the creation of departments, are integrated within a specific discipline to enhance the collaborative efforts of the academic community. The departmental organization creates new synergies and allows the academic community to continue working for the good of individuals and the pursuit of truth within an area of knowledge to transmit it to society.
The Research Directorate aims to promote intellectual production and create an environment within the university community where each member develops a passion for seeking the truth and a desire to advance the frontiers of knowledge to contribute to society, with the aim of making it more just, supportive, and reconciled. Our faculty researchers work on topics of academic interest within the priorities set by the University, contributing to the pursuit of truth with knowledge that improves people’s living conditions and serves the common good. We have the following areas: Editorial Fund, Víctor Andrés Belaunde Library, Institute of Energy and Environment (IEM), Institute for Marriage and Family (IMF), Center for Peruvian Studies (CEP), Center for Catholic Social Thought (CPSC), Center for Research and Innovation in Computer Science (CIICC), Center for Research and Innovation in Electronics and Telecommunications (CIET), José Luis Bustamante y Rivero Government Center (CEGOB), Center for Studies in Economy and Business (CEE), and Center for Research in Psychology.
In order to engage in intense outreach to society and contribute to its development in a supportive manner, San Pablo Catholic University has created centers, institutes, and areas that contribute to this objective by conducting activities specific to their nature. Thus, the university areas that seek to serve and reach out to society include Continuing Education, Business Services Center (CENDES), San Juan Pablo II Center, Solidarity Projects, Kaman Business Incubator, Leadership Center for Development, Language Center, Arts Center, and Knowledge Room.
Universidad Católica San Pablo embraces, promotes, and executes various initiatives, both its own and those of others, to achieve authentic, integral, and supportive development in the region and the country, with a special emphasis on promoting reconciliation and the integration of civil, university, business, and labor authorities to coordinate a common effort.
Our faculty pursue master’s degrees at the Lateran University in Rome on the Social Doctrine of the Church or develop Specialization for University Professors with an emphasis on Christian anthropology, instilling in our students an understanding of and commitment to a true vision of integral development.
From a correct understanding of the human being, we cultivate in students a leadership attitude, understood as a vocation of service, which enables each individual to apply their professional skills and learned abilities in service of society and the common good.
In light of reflection and teaching, various initiatives are put into action to make this tangible. We create spaces that originate from the curriculum of each degree program, where our students have experiences of social assistance that provide them with the opportunity to serve others. They participate, lead, and even propose social projects, volunteering hours in nursing homes, day-care centers, or communal kitchens, among others.
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