Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Catholic University of Portugal

Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Latin: Universitas Catholica Lusitana
Motto	A Ω Veritati
Type	Concordatary University
Established	October 13, 1967
Rector	Isabel Capeloa Gil
Administrative staff	1571 (2006)
Students	11,426 (2008)
Location	Lisbon, Portugal
Website	www.ucp.pt

The Catholic University of Portugal (Portuguese: Universidade Católica Portuguesa, pronounced: [univɨɾsiˈdad(ɨ) kɐˈtɔlikɐ puɾtuˈɡezɐ]), also referred to as Católica or UCP for short, is the only concordatary university (non-state-run university with concordatary status) of the Catholic Church, in Portugal.

Although it is just one university, UCP is organized as a university system, made up of four major regional centres: Lisbon (the headquarters), Beiras (Caldas da Rainha and Viseu), Braga, and Porto. These include 18 faculties, schools and institutes, which are the basic education and research units. Besides the four regional centres in Portugal, UCP also has the University of Saint Joseph in Macau as its affiliate.

The Catholic University of Portugal was established in 1967 by decree of the Holy See (Lusitanorum Nobilissima Gens), at the request of the Portuguese Bishop's conference and under Concordat Law. It was founded in 1967 and gained official recognition in 1971.

Its first constituent Faculty was the Jesuit-owned and run Faculty of Philosophy of Braga (Northern Portugal). However, the University was soon extended to Lisbon where it opened, in 1968, the Faculty of Theology and, in 1971, the Faculty of Human Sciences.

The Portuguese government's official recognition of UCP occurred in 1971, via decree-law 307/71, which acknowledged the Catholic University as on a par with the other Portuguese universities and conferred on the degrees it grants - presently Licentiate, Master and Doctorate, - the same value and the same effects as those awarded by State universities.