Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa
The Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics of the Catholic University of Portugal (UCP, Universidade Católica Portuguesa) is the only university in the nation that was founded by the Catholic Church as an education initiative. Since its first years, the university has grown to encompass a rich diversity in its courses of study, running campuses in four regional centers: Beiras, Braga, Porto, and Lisbon, where it has its headquarters.
Some Campus History
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UCP was founded in 1967 at the request of the Portuguese Bishop’s conference, making it the only concordatary university in the nation. The first faculty, the Faculty of Philosophy, was in Braga, but the university’s expansion to Lisbon saw the establishment of the Faculty of Theology, in 1968, and the Faculty of Human Sciences, in 1971. In this same year, the Portuguese government officially recognized the university as equal to state-run institutions, giving its degrees the same status as those awarded by state universities. |
UCP Today
Although originally founded by decree of the Holy See, the Catholic University of Portugal is not solely an institute of religious education. It offers a diverse network of colleges, departments, institutes, and faculties across its four campus centers, both in undergraduate and post-graduate studies. Between Braga, Porto, Beiras, and Lisbon, students can study at the Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Philosophy, and the Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Economy and Management, School of the Arts, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Institute of Political Studies, College of Biotechnology, Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Letters, Department of Architecture, Sciences and Technology, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business, Faculty of Engineering, Institute of European Studies, and the Institute of Political Studies, among others, each with a wide variety of majors from which to choose.
Student Life
UCP offers a vibrant social life for its students. Each faculty is represented by a student association within that school, such as the Association of Students of Social Sciences on the Braga campus, in which students can be involved. Other student groups include the Christian Culture Center, Porto Campus’s Folksong Club, and the Chorus of Students. Conferences, seminars, sacred ceremonies, and other events are held throughout the year in university auditoriums. The university prides itself on its campuses cultural ties to their respective communities, so students will find ample opportunity to explore their off-campus environment.
Partnership with Carnegie Mellon
The Catholic University of Portugal offers two doctoral dual-degree programs in partnership with Carnegie Mellon: Ph.D. in Technical Change and Innovation offered with Carnegie Mellon’s Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Technological Change program, and Ph.D. in Technology Management and Policy offered with Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Engineering and Public Policy.
