The central government does not interfere with the running of the higher education system. Peruvian universities have the fundamental principal of university autonomy, which guarantees their independence in relation to public authorities and in decision making.
Higher education institutions in Peru are funded by the exchequer and scholarships with regard to public sources, and private companies’ donations and tuition fees as far as private sources are concerned.
The highest ranking university in Peru according to the ‘2013 QS University Rankings: Latin America’ is Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, a private institution based in Peruvian capital Lima. It climbed eight places in a year, from 31st to 23rd.
The Peruvian University with the highest attendance of 2006, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM), came in at 2nd in Peru and 52nd in Latin America.
Furthermore, in 2006, Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal, had the highest number of professional programmes and the most common professional programmes in Peruvian universities were Accounting and Business Management.
Undergraduate study
Tuition fees vary, but international students should generally expect to pay low to middling fees. Many universities charging per credit rather than per semester or year.
A system of universal accreditation has recently been introduced with the aim of increasing quality across the board. Courses in Peruvian universities can last up to 6 years, but undergraduate studies usually consist of two years of general study, followed by another couple of years of specialisation. A year of study is made up of two semesters. Each subject is allocated a number of credits according to its complexity, but these credits must amount to 200 at the end of an undergraduate course.
There are a few courses designed for international students, but Spanish is the primary language of tuition so it is recommended that students considering studying at a Peruvian university should look at learning at least a bit of Spanish!
Postgraduate study
According to a study conducted in 2006 by the Latin American Council of Management Schools (CLADEA), more than 60% of postgraduate studies are provided by state universities, and around 73% are master’s degrees. Most of the master’s degree courses are centred around business administration and education, with the latter featuring in 16 state and 17 private universities. The most popular, as of 2006, are Masters in Higher Education (at 21 universities), Education Management and Administration (13 universities) and educational sciences majoring in some management or educational specialty (10 universities). A quarter of Peruvian universities offer Doctorates. Most are located in Lima and 60% are coordinated by state universities.
Business and management education
Peru offers a plethora of opportunities in the field of business education. State universities, renowned private business schools and foreign universities all give candidates the choice of taking up part-time and full-time MBA programmes. The part-time option seems to be the most preferable among executives, since it allows them to continue working while carrying on with their degree, as well as the possibility of applying for financial aid from their employers.
The 2006 CLADEA study revealed that the five most important business schools were Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Universidad Esan, Universidad del Pacífico, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola and Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas. They each offer a variety of Master’s programmes, including a selection of MBAs (many of them cooperating with overseas business schools), and specialist Master’s in areas such as finance and law. They all have executive programmes and a student can achieve an internationally recognised qualification by studying either full-time or part-time. At only one of the five, Universidad Esan, can get you a PhD.
The study also found that in private universities in Lima, 80% of faculty members held a master’s degree, and that these professors were motivated to complete a master’s degree or PhD because it meant a better salary.
Enrollment in a Peruvian university
Usually, the process of enrollment in a university in Peru goes as follows:
- Pre-registration for courses in June, usually manually rather than online
- Results of applications in July (approved with acknowledgement of credits, approved without acknowledgement of credits, or denied). These are sent out by email. Approval does not necessarily obligate enrollment.
- Pre-enrollment - students fill out a pre-enrollment card, which is sent directly to their emails address and must be returned by an established date (usually between the end of July and August).
- Evaluation of pre-enrollment application - once approved, enrollment in chosen courses will take place.
The annual calendar of activities for the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (for example) is divided into three academic periods: Semester 1 (from March to July), Semester 2 (from August to December) and the Summer Session (from January to February). The amount of contact hours per week depends largely on the course.