Study at Universidad Nacional de Colombia

The National University of Colombia has been the centre of the research and academic tradition in Colombia. With a history spanning 140 years, a staff of nearly 3000 professors, and over 46000 students (38000 undergraduate and 8000 graduate), it is the largest and most important university in the country. It is truly national, with a presence in four of the countrys main urban centers, as well as on four satellite campuses in some of the most remote areas on the country, ranging from the Caribbean to the Amazon. The university offers over 400 academic programmes of which 95 are undergraduate, 51 Doctoral, 134 Masters and 125 Specialization which are in all the subject areas (Arts, Agricultural Sciences, Basic and Earth Sciences, Engineering, Health Sciences, Human and Social Sciences, Sciences). The idea of a public and state university, began to take shape shortly after the independence of our country. Under the command of the vice-president of La Gran Colombia, General Santander, took place the organization of the Universidad Central de la Republica (with campuses in Bogota, Caracas and Quito), as the first legal-institution for a public University in Colombia. Towards 1830 it started to work with professors and students that kept alive the Botanical Experience. Soon after, the federal and radical governments closed the Universidad Central, under the arguments of which the universities were education and work monopolies which attempted against the individual freedom. Until 1864, Jose Maria Samper, old radical, submitted a bill to the Congress that he called the Universidad Nacional de los Estados Unidos de Colombia. The 22nd of September, 1867, by means of the Law 66 expedited by the congress, the University was officially funded as such. During this year the University consisted of six faculties: Law, Medicine, Sciences, Engineering, Arts, Literature and Philosophy. The Astronomical Observatory, the National Museum, the National Chemistry Laboratory, the National Library, the Hospital Caridad and the Military Hospital were also annexed.

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