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Mission Statement
To play a leading role in the research, creation, and development of public policies from Design as an actor of social transformation and a disciplinary reference in a constantly changing context. In addition, we cultivate the values of our university: the virtuous relationship between the generation of knowledge and the passion for the profession, craft, and reflective production, as a bridge between creation and thought.
International Role
The University participates in the APRU and AUGM networks, which allow the exchange of nearly 1,000 international students annually. Our faculty is the one that receives the most exchange students of the entire university, having 80 international agreements in force.
Most of the faculty's teaching staff have doctoral or master's degrees, most of which have been obtained at foreign universities.
National Role
The Design course was founded in 1967, becoming a reference for many others in the country. Its origins are based on the rationalist school of the University of Ulm, and the State of Chile promoted its arrival in the country to democratize access to goods.
We collaborate with the industry through ASEXMA, which is the association of manufactured goods exporters, the Trade Association of Design Companies of Chile, and the Ministry of Culture and Arts.
We are currently coordinating the National Network of Design Schools (ReDis)https://www.redis.cl/, and at this moment, we are joining the Network of Design Courses in Latin American public universities. DiSUR. https://disur.edu.ar/However, we also have active national student exchange agreements, which is essential given the remoteness of some locations; for example, the northernmost city is Arica at 2,031 km from Santiago, and the southernmost town is Puerto Williams, at 3,607 km from Santiago.
Main Focus
The department's primary focus is applied research and design creation.
The Department encourages capabilities and integrates the various areas of knowledge. Provide, propose, and motivate ways to connect academic and professional life, promoting divergent thinking and the experienced and disciplinary practice of Design. Conceive research and creation projects of varying complexity under the “multi-scale” perspective of the Faculty, promoting and building collaborative networks with people, organizations, and communities.
Cultivate diversity, expressive and creative, individual and collective, to develop aesthetic, significant, and functional solutions that improve people's quality of life.
Faculties and Departments
The University of Chile, founded in 1842, is a complex research-oriented university with approximately 46,937 undergraduate students and 4,500 professors, distributed across 16 faculties, 72 majors, various research institutes, and the University's clinical hospital.
We have had 209 national science awards, 21 Presidents of the Republic, and 13 more national awards in the Faculty of Architecture. There are 42 doctoral programs, 117 master's degrees, and 88 specialization programs. We have 698,700 m2 built and 48 libraries. It occupies first place in Chile in the ARWU ranking, fifth in South America, and occupies the 100-150 place in the QS ranking in Design.
The decade's productivity exceeds 40,000 indexed articles, ranking 9th in Latin America.
In terms of culture, the university is home to the National Symphony Orchestra, the National Ballet, the University Theatre, and the National Museum of Contemporary Art. It also has the National Astronomical Observatory, the Centre for the Development of Food Innovation, and a new high-tech campus under construction.
The organizational structure of the university consists in a simplified way of:
• Rectorate. Currently, it is Professor Rosa Devés Alessandri.
• Vice-Rectorate for Research and Development
• Academic Vice-Rectorate
• Vice-Rectorate for Economic Affairs
• Vice-Rectorate for Outreach and Communications
• Vice-Rector for Student and Community Affairs
• Vice-Rectorate for Information Technology
In addition, the University Senate is an advisory unit to the rector's office.
The 16 Faculties depend directly on the rector's office.
Faculties
• Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism(Here is the Design)
• Faculty of Arts
• Faculty of Sciences
• Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
• Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation
• Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences
• Faculty of Communication and Image
• Law school
• Faculty of Economics and Business
• Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities
• Faculty of Government
• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Dentistry
Institutes
• Institute for Advanced Studies in Education (IE)
• Institute of International Studies (IEI)
• Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology(INTA)
• Housing Institute (INVI)
• Easter Island Institute (INIP)
• Institute of Architectural Restoration (INREAR)
• Institute of Astronomy,
• Space Studies Center, among many others
Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile
The discipline of design, located in the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, is divided into the School of Design and the Department of Design. The Department reports directly to the Dean, while the Design course reports to the Undergraduate School. All professors are assigned to the Department where they conduct their research, but they teach at the School of Design.
Since the Department of Design is under the supervision of the Dean, we carry out many tasks under its centralized administration, including participation in postgraduate programs. In addition, we have the support provided by central management systems such as the Academic and International Relations Department, the Research Department, and the Communications Department, among others.
The departments do not have their budget; therefore, we will refer to the Faculty of Architecture budget.
Bachelor Level Programs
Academic Degree: Bachelor of Design
Professional title with two specialties:
• Visual and Media Designer
• Designer in Industrial Design and Services
The duration of each specialty is 10 academic semesters during the day, equivalent to ETCS credits, known in Chile as SCT-Chile. One ETCS credit implies an average of 27 work hours by the student, that is, between 1440 and 1900 hours per year.
Grades are on a scale of 1.0 to 7.0, with 1.0 being the lowest and 7.0 being the highest. The minimum passing grade is 4.0.
For non-Spanish-speaking students entering Design, a B1 level of English is required, but there is no requirement to demonstrate a level of Spanish.
Master Level Programs
Master level programs – Education (Tab)
The department participates in the multidisciplinary master's programs through the postgraduate school that centralizes them, and so far has the following master's programs:
• Architecture
• geography
• Residential habitat
• Intervention of architectural heritage
• Town planning
• Territorial disaster risk management.
• Research Master's in Design. Coming soon in 2026
All programs are awarded transferable ETCS credits (120 ETCS) and have a duration of 3 to 4 semesters with a maximum of 60 credits per semester.
All master's programs are accredited, which makes it easier for foreign applicants with permanent residency to obtain scholarships from the State of Chile.
The University of Chile participates in the Erasmus Mundus LINDO – EMA2, Erasmus Mundus EURICA- EMA2, and Erasmus Mundus PUEDES – EMA2 projects.
Research Activity and Main Areas
The Department has developed the lines of research in “Person-Centered Design,” “Industrial Materials and Processes,” and “History and Publishing.” We have been awarded Fondecyt funds (the most relevant for scientific research in the country), FONDART (the most pertinent for arts and culture), CORFO (Funds for work with industry), and FIC (Funds for the development of competitiveness).
We edit the “Revista Chilena de Diseño” currently indexed in ErihPlus, Latindex, and soon in SCOPUS and WoS. https://rchd.uchile.cl/
Doctorate Level Programs
The Faculty offers a PhD in Territory, Space, and Society, with the participation of the Department of Design, Geography, Urbanism, and Architecture, centralized in the Graduate School.
Subject Areas for Exchange Students
We can offer the following areas:
• Human-centered design
• Arts and crafts
• Materials and industrial processes
• Editorial
• Historiography
• Design Workshop
We can also offer courses in areas from the other departments and faculty.
The contact for the mobility area is Camila Piña; her email [email protected] and their phone number is +56 229783124
Application Deadlines
The first semester is from March to July, and applications are due between October 1 and 30.
The second semester is between August and January, and applications are between April 1st and 30th.
Teaching Languages
Spanish, English, Italian
Semester Dates
• The first semester starts in the first week of March and continues until mid-July.
• Second semester is between the first week of August until mid-December
There are 18 weeks per semester; between each semester, there is a week of winter vacation, and between January and February, there is summer vacation.
Cost of Living Per Month (Studying and Living)
An exchange student living in a shared apartment in the city center, plus public transportation, food, and other general expenses included, can live on a monthly budget of between Euro 480 and Euro 860
