Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico is a private institution of higher learning in Puerto Rico. The university’s name in Spanish, its official language of instruction, is Pontificia Universidad Católica de Puerto Rico. Its main campus is in Ponce, and it has branch campuses in Arecibo and Mayagüez. It also has an extension campus in Coamo. The university is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.
The university was founded by two Puerto Rican bishops in Ponce in 1948. It was originally established as Universidad Santa María (Catholic University of Santa Maria), a teacher-training college. It was renamed Catholic University of Puerto Rico in 1950. The university took its current name in 1991, when it was granted the title pontifical by Pope John Paul II. As a pontifical university, the school must follow the beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church.
The university offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees. Business and education are among the most popular fields of study. Other fields of study include arts and humanities, science, and graduate studies. The university also has separate schools of architecture and law.
