Catholic University of Portugal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Catholic University of Portugal |
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| Established | 1967 |
| Type | Private University |
| Location | Lisbon, Porto, Braga, Sintra, Viseu and Figueira da Foz, Portugal |
| Website | www.ucp.pt |
The Catholic University of Portugal (UCP – Universidade Católica Portuguesa, pron. IPA: [univɨɾsi'dad(ɨ) kɐ'tɔlikɐ puɾtu'gezɐ]) is a prestigious and private university (non-state-run university with concordatary status) of the Catholic Church, in Portugal. Although it is just one university, it is made up of four major regional centres, Beiras, Braga, Lisbon (the headquarters) and Porto. Today UCP consists of 18 faculties, schools and institutes, which are the basic education and research units.
[edit] History
The Catholic University of Portugal was established in 1967 by decree of the Holy See (Lusitanorum Nobilissima Gens), at the request of the Portuguese Bishops' conference and under Concordat Law. So, it was founded in 1967 and gained official recognition in 1971.
Its first constituent Faculty was the Jesuit-owned and run Faculty of Philosophy of Braga (Northern Portugal). However, the University was soon extended to Lisbon where it opened, in 1968, the Faculty of Theology and, in 1971, the Faculty of Human Sciences.
The Portuguese government's official recognition of UCP occurred in 1971, via decree-law 307/71, which acknowledged the Catholic University as on a par with the other Portuguese universities and conferred on the degrees it grants - presently licenciado, mestre and doutor, - the same value and the same effects as those awarded by State universities.
The late 1970s and 1980s saw the establishment and development in Portugal of a privately owned sector in higher education (including both universities and polytechnics). Within that context, there has been a generalised acceptance of the distinctive position held by the Catholic University - a public, non-State and non-profit-seeking institution.
Nowadays, and following the general trend in Portugal and abroad, UCP enjoys a large degree of autonomy in the creation and running of new campuses, faculties and courses.
