Motto | Ex umbra in Solem |
---|---|
Motto in English
|
From the shadows to the light |
Type | Private (Traditional) |
Established | 1926 |
Rector | Darcy Fuenzalida O'Shee (2014-2018) |
Academic staff
|
635 (Equivalent full time) |
Students | 18,329 (2015) |
Undergraduates | 17,390 (94.9%) |
Postgraduates | 939 (5.1%) |
Location |
Valparaíso, Chile 33°02′06″S 71°35′47″W / 33.035135°S 71.596265°WCoordinates: 33°02′06″S 71°35′47″W / 33.035135°S 71.596265°W |
Campus |
Urban 14.82 hectares (36.6 acres) |
Colours |
Blue, Red and Yellow |
Nickname | Sansano |
Affiliations |
Traditional Cruz del sur Network G9 Network Clover 2030 Engineering |
Website | www |
The Federico Santa María Technical University (Spanish: Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María) (UTFSM) (or simply Santa Maria University) is a Chilean university founded in 1926 in Valparaíso, Chile.
It is one of the most prestigious engineering universities in the country and Latin America, and gives special emphasis to basic sciences, engineering and technical fields with a more recent growth into economics and business sciences. The University has campuses in Valparaiso, Viña del Mar, Santiago, Concepción and Rancagua, as well as an international campus in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The Federico Santa María Technical University is the alma mater of several prominent businessmen, engineers and Chilean scientists. Its students and alumni are known as "Sansanos".
The UTFSM was the first Chilean university to confer a doctorate in engineering in 1962 and the first higher-education institution in Latin America to confer this degree.
The university admission is very competitive and, in general, the last selected students every year have obtained around 650 points in the national admission test (PSU), which corresponds to the best 10% of the country. It is known for its rigorous study requirements, demanding study program, and for being the only engineering university in Chile to require physical training as a compulsory part of the curriculum. The UTFSM has an undergraduate retention rate of 80.2% by the first year of studies, and a 68.9% by the second year. Less than 1% of its students are international, and most of the available courses are imparted in Spanish.
The UTFSM has been historically perceived as one of the most prestigious engineering schools in the country and more recently, with the appearance of national and international rankings, has been placed among the top Universities in Chile and South America. It is ranked 1st in Chile and 2nd in South America by The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2014-2015.
The graduation date is held on the 20th of December every year, since it commemorates the anniversary of the death of the founder, Federico Santa Maria Carrera, on the 20th of December 1925.