Technological University of Panama
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (April 2009) |
Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP) | |
| File:UTP1.jpg | |
Former names | Polytechnic Institute |
|---|---|
| Type | Public |
| Established | August 13, 1981 |
| President | Marcela Paredes de Vásquez |
Academic staff | 1,234 (2003) |
| Students | 16,126 (2003) |
| Location | , |
| Campus | Multiple campuses |
| Website | http://www.utp.ac.pa |
The Technological University of Panama, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP) in Spanish, is the second largest university in Panama. It is a state university comprising six faculties in seven campuses nationwide. The main campus is a 60-acre piece of land located in Panama City, the country’s capital city.
History
UTP started operations as a Polytechnic Institute in 1975 offering programs in electromechanical engineering, industrial engineering, civil engineering, computer systems engineering, and mechanical engineering. Six years later, UTP officially becomes a university consisting of five faculties (six, since 1996).
Academics
UTP is the country’s leading university in engineering programs and one of the most important universities in Central America. It offers programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels in six faculties: the Faculty of Civil Engineering, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, the Faculty of Computer Systems Engineering and the Faculty of Science and Technology. It also offers programs in conjunction with other institutions of higher education such as the Florida Institute of Technology in the US and the University of Jaen in Spain through FUNIBER.
The academic year is divided into two sixteen-week semesters and a 7-week long summer term. The first semester usually starts in mid March and ends towards the middle of July. The second semester starts in early August and ends by mid December. The summer term begins in mid January and ends in early March.
Although most courses are offered in three different shifts (roughly from 7:00am to 12:00pm, 1:00pm to 5:00pm, and 6:00pm to 11:00pm), UTP students cannot ‘customize’ the study programs they choose to follow. There are no elective courses, so students must follow predetermined tracks.
References
http://www.utp.ac.pa/secciones/pdf/genesis_utp.pdf “the History of the UTP (in Spanish)”
http://www.utp.ac.pa/secciones/calendario/calendario_academico.htm “UTP’s Academic Year (in Spanish)”
External links
Official website (in Spanish): www.utp.ac.pa