Universidad Alberto Hurtado

About Universidad Alberto Hurtado

Universidad Alberto Hurtado was founded by the Society of Jesus on 20 October 1997. Its institutional roots include the Instituto Latinoamericano de Estudios Sociales, the Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo de la Educación and other Jesuit initiatives that had worked in research and advanced education since the 1960s. This background remains visible in the university’s emphasis on public affairs, education, the social sciences and humanities, although its current portfolio also includes business and engineering fields. UAH is a private, nonprofit institution and part of the international network of Jesuit higher-education institutions. It is organized into seven faculties: Social Sciences, Law, Psychology, Philosophy and Humanities, Education, Economics and Business, and Engineering. The university’s own governance and degree offerings, its separate institutional code in Chilean government data, and its accreditation establish it as an independent degree-granting university rather than a faculty or training provider. The Comisión Nacional de Acreditación process reported by UAH grants advanced-level institutional accreditation for five years, from 26 June 2025 through 26 June 2030. The decision covers teaching and educational outcomes, strategic management and resources, internal quality assurance, engagement with society, and research, creation or innovation. This is meaningful evidence of current operation and external quality review, but applicants should still examine accreditation and professional recognition at the individual-program level where those distinctions affect practice rights or funding.

For first-year undergraduate entry in 2026, UAH participates in Chile’s centralized admissions process using PAES results and other nationally defined factors. Weightings and minimum requirements are programme-specific, commonly drawing on secondary-school grades, class ranking and designated PAES tests. Applicants must consult the current page for their intended course because teacher education and programmes with additional artistic assessment can have distinct conditions. Admission results and online enrolment are separate stages, and successful applicants must complete UAH’s enrolment process and accept the relevant educational-services documentation. UAH also offers direct admission outside the centralized route. Eligibility depends on the particular pathway, which may cover prior higher-education study, special talents, continuity study or other defined applicant circumstances. Direct admission should not be assumed to waive programme prerequisites. Postgraduate candidates apply through the relevant master’s or doctoral process, whose academic documents, selection procedures and dates differ from undergraduate entry. International exchange applicants follow a separate mobility process rather than ordinary degree admission. UAH’s 2026 exchange material identifies Spanish as the teaching language and requires international medical insurance covering the full stay, with conditions stated in the current fact sheet. Degree-seeking international applicants should obtain route-specific guidance from admissions, especially concerning recognition of foreign school credentials, immigration requirements and Spanish readiness. Published 2026 information should not be treated as the timetable for a later intake.

UAH provides undergraduate, master’s and doctoral education. Its undergraduate catalogue spans public administration, anthropology, archaeology, political science and international relations, geography, journalism, sociology, social work, law, psychology, commercial engineering, information management, teacher education, philosophy, history, literature, art, music and engineering. The precise credential differs by course: Chilean programmes may award a bachiller or licenciado academic degree, a professional title, or a combination. Applicants should therefore check the curriculum and award listed on the page for their intended programme instead of assuming that every undergraduate course produces the same credential. Postgraduate admissions remain active for 2026 and include master’s and doctoral programmes. Programme-level accreditation is separate from the university’s institutional accreditation; UAH’s quality page publishes status and validity dates for individual postgraduate courses. This distinction can matter for funding, academic progression and regulated career plans. Curricula and entry requirements vary substantially. Some undergraduate routes are designed for first-time university entrants, while continuity programmes target people who already hold relevant studies or professional qualifications. Certain music programmes require an additional performance examination, and teacher-education programmes operate within Chile’s special statutory admissions framework. UAH also incorporates general-education electives in areas such as society, personal development, arts, sport, international cooperation, gender, and theology or spirituality. Students should compare the current curriculum, timetable, delivery mode, award and graduation requirements for the exact 2026 intake before applying.

Key Highlights

• Private, nonprofit Jesuit university founded on 20 October 1997
• Advanced-level institutional accreditation runs from June 2025 to June 2030
• Seven faculties cover fields from social sciences and humanities to business and engineering
• Main heritage campus is in central Santiago, with an advanced-study site in Providencia

Student Life & Environment

Student support combines academic guidance, wellbeing services, cultural participation and sport. UAH’s 2026 benefits information identifies student counselling, psychological and vocational guidance, and course coordinators who monitor students’ educational progress. The Student Affairs Directorate also provides in-person help with state and institutional benefits, student identification, transportation credentials and referrals to social workers. The university library offers print and electronic collections and an online catalogue. General-education electives allow students to explore subjects beyond their principal programme, including artistic, social, sporting, international and personal-development areas. Cultural participation includes university theatre, Latin American dance, traditional music and polyphonic choir groups. Physical-activity provision includes representative teams, recreational groups, a weights room, workshops and interfaculty competitions. Exact activities and availability can change by term. UAH also publishes targeted support for students who are parents, expectant parents or caregivers, including academic measures, benefit guidance, a support programme, a preferential study room and a lactation space. Institutional aid in 2026 includes needs-based support for food, transport and printing, subject to eligibility and annual application rules. International exchange students should plan independently for accommodation: the university’s 2026 international material states that UAH does not operate student residences and that students must arrange their own housing.

Location & Surroundings

UAH’s principal heritage campus is in central Santiago, with the university listing its main address as Avenida Bernardo O’Higgins 1825, close to Los Héroes metro station. This places students in an urban setting served by Santiago’s public-transport network rather than on a self-contained residential campus. The central location can be practical for commuting and provides access to the civic and cultural institutions of Chile’s capital, but students should assess travel time, neighbourhood conditions and evening transport for their own schedules. The university also identifies a Campus B for advanced study in Providencia. Applicants should confirm where their particular programme, classes and administrative services are based; facts about one site should not automatically be assumed to apply to the other. Housing requires separate planning. UAH’s 2026 international fact sheet says the university has no student residences. It suggests host-family and independent-residence options based on previous exchange-student experience, while explicitly noting that the listed providers are not affiliated with UAH and that the university is not responsible for their services. Prospective students should independently verify contracts, costs, commute and safety before committing.

Costs & Career Outcomes

UAH publishes programme-specific tuition in Chilean pesos rather than one institution-wide price. For 2026, listed annual undergraduate charges vary by programme and mode. Examples include CLP 4,734,766 for Public Administration, CLP 4,932,139 for several teacher-education programmes, CLP 6,880,787 for Law, and CLP 6,901,506 for Psychology and Commercial Engineering. Separate enrolment charges also vary by programme. The published table further warns that a graduation or titling charge, stated in UF, is not included in tuition or enrolment. Applicants should use the exact row for their course and confirm whether the figure applies to standard entry, online delivery or continuity study. Funding rules are equally specific. The official 2026 benefits page describes merit discounts linked to PAES performance, institutional socioeconomic aid, maintenance support, sports-related awards and discounts for certain family or concurrent-study circumstances. Many awards are mutually incompatible, may be unavailable to students receiving Chilean gratuidad, and have academic-progress or annual-renewal conditions. Eligibility should therefore be checked before calculating net cost. Career preparation is embedded differently across programmes through professional titles, field-based education, programme-specific training and opportunities such as exchange. However, the reviewed official sources do not provide a comparable institution-wide employment rate, starting salary or employer list, so none should be inferred. Students should compare each programme’s credential, professional recognition, curriculum, practical components and published graduate profile. Housing, transport, food, materials and graduation charges should be budgeted separately from annual tuition.