The Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (UTFSM) (Spanish Federico Santa María Technical University), situated in Valparaíso, is one of the most reputed engineering universities in Chile.

Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María

© Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María
Motto: Ex Umbra in Solem (Latin, from the shadow into the sun)
University type	Private, Traditional
Religious affiliation	None
Founded	1929
Main Location	Valparaíso, Chile
Other Locations	Viña del Mar, Chile Santiago, Chile Talcahuano, Chile Guayaquil, Ecuador
Enrollment	app. 10,000
Faculty	260 full time 300 part time
Campus surroundings	Urban
University frontis

Campus

The university has three campuses and two seats (sedes). These are located in four Chilean cities and Guayaquil, Ecuador. These are:

• Casa Central, main campus. Inaugurated in 1931, located in Valparaíso
• Campus Santiago[1] (http://www.santiago.utfsm.cl), located in the commune of Vitacura, in Chilean capital, Santiago.
• Campus Guayaquil[2] (http://www.usm.edu.ec), located in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
• Sede José Miguel Carrera[3] (http://www.jmc.utfsm.cl), located in Viña del Mar.
• Sede Rey Balduino de Bégica[4] (http://www.rbb.utfsm.cl), located in seaport city of Talcahuano.

While the campuses are focused on undergraduate, graduate and university academical actvities, sedes are mainly dedicated to technical degrees.

Casa Central, Valparaíso

The main campus of the UTFSM is located in the city of Valparaíso, Chile, covering all the front area of Los Placeres. The site directly faces the Pacific coast and it is visible from many parts of the bay of Valparaíso.

The building was designed by Josué Smith Solar, one of the most respected Chilean architects of the 20th century, and his son José Smith Miller. The American Neo-Gothic style campus is considered one of the most relevant works of Chilean architecture. The campus is also recognised for its beautiful gardening, with native and exotical species.

As of 2001, the university frontis,renewed its illumination through as contest organised by Chilean branch of Philips.

Organization

Considering the focused nature of the university, its organisation does not include different faculties, only different academic departments.

The sedes have their own internal structure.

Within the Chilean campus level, there are 12 departments, which carry out research and graduate/undergraduate educational programmes:

• Deparment of Architecture [5] (http://www.santiago.utfsm.cl)
• Deparment of Materials Science
• Deparment of Electricity [6] (http://www.eli.utfsm.cl)
• Deparment of Electronics [7] (http://www.elo.utfsm.cl)
• Deparment of Physics [8] (http://www.fis.utfsm.cl)
• Deparment of Industrias (management) [9] (http://www.ind.utfsm.cl)
• Deparment of Informatics [10] (http://www.inf.utfsm.cl)
• Deparment of Mathematics [11] (http://www.mat.utfsm.cl)
• Deparment of Mechanics [12] (http://www.mec.utfsm.cl)
• Deparment of Civil Engineering [13] (http://www.ociv.utfsm.cl)
• Deparment of Chemical, Biotechnologial and Ambiental Processes [14] (http://www.pqui.utfsm.cl)
• Deparment of Chemistry [15] (http://www.qui.utfsm.cl)

Besides, there are two support departments that originated in the educational concept brought by the first German academics.

• Deparment of Humanistic Studies
• Deparment of Sports and Recreation.

UTFSM is the only Chilean engineering school that includes sports as an obligatory course in the curriculum.

The university offers Commercial Pilot and Aeronautical Engineering in its Academia de Ciencias Aeronáuticas[16] (http://www.aca.cl) in a joint venture with Chilean airline Lan Chile .

History

Santa María's testament at university frontis

The university takes its names from Federico Santa María, a Chilean who lived in France. He raised a huge fortune as broker in the sugar market in Paris.

In his testament, Santa María donated all his fortune to build in Valparaíso—his hometown—a high-standard technical and scientific institution. This institution would be dedicated to prepare students with a deficient socioeconomic condition but great potential to gain technical and scientific knowledge, so they could contribute to the progress of Chile.

Following his philosophy, on March 31, 1926, an institution was created to develop Santa María's legacy. Finally on 1931 the School of Crafts and Arts and School of Engineering José Miguel Carrera was founded. In 1935 its name changed to Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María.

In 1960 the Graduate School was created. In 1963 the university became the first high-education institution to confer a Doctor degree in Latin America.

External Links

• Official website (http://www.utfsm.cl)