Located some 350 miles north of Santiago, Chile's capital city, the University of La Serena, ULS, stands as one of the most prestigious institutions of terciary education in the country.
Three of its five campuses are in La Serena, the second oldest city in Chile, founded in 1544, today a very attractive touristic center, renowned by its rich neo-colonial architecture, beautiful beaches, and a placid environment where academic research, study, arts, sports, and leisure make a perfect combination. The other two campuses are in the cities of Coquimbo and Ovalle .
The ULS antecedents go back to the 19th century when its predecessor institutions, the School of Mines (1888) and the Normal School (1890), were established in La Serena. The former was founded by the Polish mineralogist, Ignacio Domeyko, and the latter was established by Isabel Bongard, a German scholar. Both schools graduated hundreds of students in the fields of mining technology and education. In the second half of the 20th century, both institutions became subsidiaries of the most important and traditional universities of the country: the University of Chile and the State Technical University respectively. It was in 1981, and as a consequence of a profound reform of the Chilean higher education system, that the University of La Serena was established as an autonomous institution.
At present, ULS has four faculties and an enrollment of over 8.000 students, and it is at the forefront in striving to provide students with the training needed to be successful in modern society, specifically in five priority areas: teacher training and the sciences of education, arid lands studies, mining and metallurgy, young interpreters music, food engineeering and biotechnology.
BASIC INFORMATION La Serena is 50 minutes air-trip from Santiago and six hours by bus. Located by the seaside it has all the year long a mild temperature that varies between 3º C, the lowest in winter, and 26º C., the highest in summer. However, since in Chile central heating system is not frequent, foreign students may feel that winters are cold.
In Chile, university education must be paid for by the students. The University of La Serena undergraduate programs have a yearly cost from Ch $ 1.700.000 for engineering and Ch $ 1.200.000 for humanities; this is roughly, US $.3,240 and US $ 2,285 respectively. Besides, all students, without exceptions, must pay a basic fee of US $ 180, to receive the University basic health insurance.
The University has signed Agreements of Academic Collaboration with more than 100 institutions around the world ( see list attached). These Agreements establish procedures for the exchange of students, for one or two semesters, interested in learning about Latin American societies, improving their Spanish, doing a specialised research or practicum, or, simply, living an international experience. These students are enrolled in the University as 'non-regular students'. Many of the Agreements establish tution waivers for exchange students; however, the basic fee must be paid for by all students.
The University does not have dormitories, but students may find suitable accommodation in the city. A foreign student needs some US $ 330 per month to cover his/her expenses of room and board, plus some extra money for other minor personal expenses. The University provides a service of cafeteria that offers good meals at very convenient prices.
The academic year at ULS is divided into two semesters. The first one runs from march 8 to July 23. After the students winter recess, the second semester starts on august 8 to December 20. The University is closed for summer vacation in February.
At ULS all classes are given in Spanish; foreign students can easily solve their day to day needs in the University speaking English, but to take and participate in the courses, as well as for the daily routine in the city, they must have some command of Spanish.
Students interested in coming to ULS should get in contact with Dr. Ing. Ricardo Castillo, ULS International Relations Director, in fax 56-51-204 310 or in Then, after this initial contact, foreign applicants must send a letter to the ULS Rector, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, stating the objectives they want to achieve while at ULS, and the time span of the stay. This must be accompanied by the academic record and Curriculum Vitae. Applications for the first semester are received till November 1 and for the second till June 1.
Chilean students who have completed their secondary education abroad and foreign students who want to enrol as regular students at ULS ( i.e. who want to do a program to get a professional license from this University) must follow the instructions appearing in the Admission Rules for Foreign Students.
