José Matías Delgado University


Dr. José Matías Delgado University, is a private university located in Antiguo Cuscatlán, La Libertad, El Salvador. Founded on September 15, 1977, it is one of the first private institutions of higher education established in the country.

History

Named in honor of Salvadoran priest, lawyer, politician and national hero José Matías Delgado, La Matías was conceived as a nonprofit institution by Salvadoran intellectuals, academics and businessmen, being its main objective forming professionals with the capability of improving and directing the business and judicial institutions of the time. Its intent from its foundation on 1977 has been to defend and develop free market principles.
By 1978 the University began its academic activities with three faculties: the "Dr. Isidro Menéndez" Faculty of Jurisprudence and Social Sciences; the "Dr. Santiago I. Barberena" Faculty of Economics and the "Francisco Gavidia" Faculty of General Culture and Fine Arts. Following the events of the Salvadoran Civil War, the University continued its activities despite the circumstances of the conflict, ingreasing the demand of higher education at the time where new faculties and careers developed. It was geographically decentralized during its early years in San Salvador, but was brought together on a single location in 1986; in 1992 the faculties of Agriculture and Engineering were created and then in 1993 with the faculty of Health Sciences. Between 2004 and 2005 a second campus was opened, relocating the Economics and Jurisprudence faculties; in 2008 another campus was established in the municipality of Soyapango by an agreement with the Padre Arrupe Foundation, becoming a specialized nursing school.
Today, La Matías has a reputation for offering a high quality education without neglecting the principles of professional ethics, as expressed in its motto Omnia Cum Honore. It offers 27 undergraduate degrees, 11 postgraduate degrees and a large variety of diplomas and courses for continuing education, consisting of a faculty of more than 600 professors. Since its foundation until 2018, the University was administrated by well-known Salvadoran writer, dramatist and jurist, David Escobar Galindo.

Campus

The University currently has two campuses, with the following faculties and schools:

Main Campus

The University has libraries in each campus, which possess a large quantity of digital and printed resources, including 19th century bibliographic accounts. Additionally, it has technical workshops, sports fields, computing centers, medical clinics with psychological assistance and laboratories for chemistry, physics, medicine and agricultural research, among others.

Academics

Undergraduate programs

José Matías Delgado University allows students to qualify for the following professional areas and degrees:
Postgraduate studies at José Matías Delgado University consist of the following professional areas and degrees:

Master degrees

La Matías offers the opportunity for students to get involved in extracurricular activities like theatre groups, musical choirs, volunteering and sports like the following: chess, soccer, track and field, swimming, basketball, volleyball and taekwondo, among others. It also provides foreign language education like English, French, Italian and Portuguese.

Distinctions

Since its foundation, the University has recognized the works of outstanding Savadoran people in their service for the country's community, being the following:

Honoris causa