About PUC

The Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, PUC-SP) is a private and non-profit Catholic university. It is one of the largest and most prestigious of Brazilian universities and is maintained by the Catholic Archdiocese of São Paulo.

Founded by the archbishop of São Paulo, Cardinal Carlos Carmelo Vasconcellos Motta, in 1946, as the "Catholic University of São Paulo", the university received the title of "Pontifical Catholic University" in 1947, by the Pope Pius XII.

Most of the scientific production in PUC-SP can be found in the areas of Law, Philosophy, Social Sciences, Education and Communication, and, in these areas, it is considered one of the most important universities in Latin America, and internationally recognized by the issues and researches in disturbs of the human communication, semiotics and psychology.

PUC-SP has five campuses. The main campus and its administrative headquarters are located in Perdizes, a pleasant middle-class neighbourhood in the Deputy Mayor of Lapa, in the west side of São Paulo City. It is comprised mostly of academic buildings, the University Theater (TUCA) and the University Church. Most of these buildings, built between 1920 and 1940, are part of the historical patrimonium of the city. The Center of Exact Sciences and Technology, the Computing and the Math School is located near the city (Consolação District) centre while the Business and Economy School is in the north side of São Paulo City (Santana District). The Medicine College is located in the city of Sorocaba (90 km from São Paulo) and a campus in the city of Barueri offers courses of Business, Economy and Psychology.