Valparaíso and Viña del Mar

Valparaíso is the historical center and the main port of Chile. Pablo Neruda spent part of his life in Valparaíso and was inspired to write of the city’s colorful buildings and cerros. Neighboring Viña del Mar is known by the name ciudad jardín, the garden city, and is a popular summer destination for Chileans. Both cities represent an important center of Chilean higher education, given the presence of many universities.

For students in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, there are five different host universities to choose from. Three of them—the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, the Universidad de Playa Ancha, and the Universidad de Valparaíso—are located in Valparaíso, while the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez and the Universidad Andrés Bello are across the bay in Viña del Mar.

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso

The Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso is a private university that enrolls 13,000 students, and the two main campuses host approximately 400 international students each year.  The university offers a wide variety of courses across the spectrum of the liberal arts curriculum.

For available courses, select a carrera from the list. Once on the carrera’s webapge, click on the Adobe Icon with the title of Malla or Plan de Estudio on the left-hand side of the screen.

When reviewing the course offerings, remember that the odd-numbered semesters correspond with the spring semester in the U.S., while the even-numbered semesters correspond with the fall semester.

Universidad de Playa Ancha

The Universidad de Playa Ancha is a public university with a politically and socially active student population.  Playa Ancha is particularly strong in the humanities and social sciences, as well as in educational studies and teacher training. 

For available courses, select a carrera that interests you from the list on the university’s Admissions homepage.  Once on the carrera’s webpage, scroll about halfway down the page until you see the Malla curricular.  

When reviewing the course offerings, remember that the odd-numbered semesters correspond with the spring semester in the U.S., while the even-numbered semesters correspond with the fall semester.

Universidad de Valparaíso

While most of the Universidad de Valparaíso is located near the national congress building in central Valparaíso, some buildings and classes—especially those in the facultad de humanidades and the facultad de ciencias económicas y administrativas—are in nearby Viña del Mar. The university has a strong focus on business and the sciences, but offers some courses in humanities and the arts as well.  

For available courses, scroll about halfway down the Admissions page until you see a list “Carreras admisión.”  Select a carrera from the list that interests you.  Once on the carrera’s homepage, scroll about halfway down again until you see the “Plan de estudios.”

When reviewing the course offerings, remember that the odd-numbered semesters correspond with the spring semester in the U.S., while the even-numbered semesters correspond with the fall semester.

Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez

Nestled on a hilltop with a panoramic view overlooking the city, the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez has a campus in Viña del Mar that boasts a state-of-the-art facility for its 2,000 students. This private university welcomes about 150 international students each semester. It was originally established as a School of Business in 1953 and has since grown to be one the top business programs in Latin America. UAI also offers a unique minor in Liberal Arts, providing students with a multidisciplinary foundation on which to base critical thought—very similar to the educational philosophy of traditional liberal arts colleges in the U.S.

To view available courses, select a carrera from the rotating menu under “Oferta académica UAI” and click “Saber+.”  Scroll toward the bottom of the carrera’s homepage until you see a section titled “Ver folleto y malla.”  There, click on the button “Descargar Malla Curricular” to view the academic plan for the carrera.

To view courses in UAI’s core liberal arts curriculum, click on either “Primer semestre” or “Segundo semestre” under “Conoce nuestros Cursos Disciplinares” (remember that the odd-numbered semesters correspond with the spring semester in the U.S., while the even-numbered semesters correspond with the fall semester).  Once in the correct semester, click on Viña del Mar next to “Cursos Disciplinares por Campus,” then click on a discipline that interests you to see the courses offered. 

Universidad Andrés Bello

The Universidad Andrés Bello’s campus in Viña del Mar is centrally located. This campus’s strength is in the field of science, demonstrated through its dedication to research and is a leader among private institutions for its production of scientific publications.

For available courses, click on the facultad that you are interested in, and then click on carreras in the menu bar at the top of the page.  Once on the carreras page, click on the carrera that you are interested in and scroll down to Malla Curricular to view a PDF of the courses.

*Please note: Courses in education and social sciences are not open to international students.

When reviewing the course offerings, remember that the odd-numbered semesters correspond with the spring semester in the U.S., while the even-numbered semesters correspond with the fall semester.