National University of San Marcos

Once the viceroyalty was established after the Spanish conquest of Peru, an educational program known as «Estudios Generales» (General Studies) was founded in 1548 and directed by the Dominican Order inside the Basilica of Santo Domingo, Lima. By teaching arts and theology, its principal aim was to educate officials to be in charge of the administration and the catholic clergy and hence, guarantee the colonial order.[17][18] In 1550, because of the Cabildo of Lima's initiative, which was a municipal corporation, Dominican predictor Tomás de San Martín and captain Jerónimo de Aliaga were sent to Spain with the mission to ask for the foundation of a university back in Peru. San Marcos was officially established by a royal decree (signed by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) in Valladolid on May 12, 1551, and named as The University of Lima.[19] Its activities started officially on January 2, 1553, in the Chapter Room of the same Dominican convent and its first rector was friar Juan Bautista de la Roca. Since then, it has operated without interruption; in fact, it is considered the oldest university in the Americas[lower-alpha 1] and locally known as the Dean of the Americas ("dean" in the sense of "oldest member").[6][20]

During its early years, all rectors were Dominican priors. However, that situation changed with the election of the first laical rector, Pedro Fernández de Valenzuela, on May 11, 1571. During that time, San Marcos' foundation was ratified through a papal bull given on July 25, 1571, by Pope Pius V; since then, the university added the adjectives Royal and Pontifical to its denomination.[21] Continuing its secularization, in 1574 the university was moved to a new building, which had been worked as the Order of Saint Augustine's Convent. That year, the university chose Mark the Evangelist as its prior saint. Nevertheless, in 1576 it was moved to a building located in "Plaza del Estanque", today known as Plaza Bolívar, Lima, in which it stayed thorough the colonial period[22] and currently functions as the Congress of the Republic of Peru.[23]

Tower at the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, showing (right) the emblem of Harvard University‍—‌the oldest in the United States‍—‌and (left) that of University of San Marcos‍—‌the oldest in the Americas.

The university was originally headed by members of the clergy. During the Enlightenment, Bourbon reforms transformed it into a secular institution. Nowadays, the university is governed by:

• The University Council
• The University Assembly (composed of professors and students, with the latter holding a third of the seats)
• The Rector (president)
• Two Vice-Rectors:
  • Academic Vice-Rector
  • Vice-Rector of investigation

Admission for undergraduate studies, which grant bachelor's degrees, is done mainly by means of an admission exam. Although there are modalities to carry out a special exam in the case of transfers, foreigners, first places in schools and for the disabled, the most required type of exam is the ordinary one that is carried out twice a year: in March and in September.

The admission exam consists of a test that evaluates the applicant's cognitive abilities (DECO^® Exam - Prueba de Destrezas Cognitivas). It consists of 70 knowledge questions and 30 skills questions, which will include 5 questions in English.

Which lasts 3 hours. Due to its high selectivity, it is one of the most respected admission tests in Peru.

The original faculties at San Marcos were Theology, Arts (the old Scholastic term for what is now known as academic Philosophy) and Law; Jurisprudence, and Medicine were added later in the colonial period. The Faculty of Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Economics and Commerce were created in the mid-19th century. The Faculty of Science was subdivided by specialities in the 20th century. The Faculty of Theology was closed in 1935.

In the mid-1990s, San Marcos' departments were grouped into four academic blocks. Nowadays, San Marcos' faculties are grouped into 6 academic areas.

Academic area	Faculty	Department
A: HEALTH SCIENCES	01. Faculty of Human Medicine	01.1. Human Medicine
		01.2. Obstetrics
		01.3. Nursing
		01.4.1. Medical Technology: Clinical Laboratory and Pathological Anatomy 01.4.2. Medical Technology: Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation 01.4.3. Medical Technology: Radiology 01.4.4. Medical Technology: Occupational Therapy
		01.5. Nutrition
	04. Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry	04.1. Pharmacy and Biochemistry
		04.2. Food Science
		04.3. Toxicology
	05. Faculty of Dentistry	05.1. Odontology
	08. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine	08.1. Veterinary Medicine
	18. Faculty of Psychology	18.1. Psychology
		18.2. Organizational Psychology and Human Management
B: BASIC SCIENCES	07. Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering	07.1. Chemistry
	10. Faculty of Biological Sciences	10.1. Biological Sciences
		10.2. Genetics and Biotechnology
		10.3. Microbiology and Parasitology
	13. Faculty of Physical Sciences	13.1. Physics
	14. Faculty of Mathematical Sciences	14.1. Math
		14.2. Statistics
		14.3. Operative investigation
		14.4. Scientific Computing
C: ENGINEERING	07. Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering	07.2. Chemical engineering
		07.3. Agroindustrial engineering
	13. Faculty of Physical Sciences	13.2. Mechanical Engineering of Fluids
	16. Faculty of Geological, Mining, Metallurgical and Geographical Engineering	16.1. Geological Engineering
		16.2. Geographical Engineering
		16.3. Mining Engineering
		16.4. Metallurgical Engineering
		16.5. Civil Engineering
		16.6. Environmental engineering
	17. Faculty of Industrial Engineering	17.1. Industrial Engineering
		17.2. Textile Engineering
		17.3. Occupational Health and Safety Engineering
	19. Faculty of Electronic and Electrical Engineering	19.1. Electronic Engineering
		19.2. Electric engineering
		19.3. Telecommunications Engineering
		19.4. Biomedical engineering
	20. Faculty of Systems Engineering and Informatics	20.1. Systems engineer
		20.2. Software Engineering
D: ECONOMIC AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES	09. Faculty of Administrative Sciences	09.1. Business Administration
		09.2. Tourism Administration
		09.3. International Business management
	11. Faculty of Accounting Sciences	11.1. Accounting
		11.2. Tax management
		11.3. Business and Public Audit
	12. Faculty of Economic Sciences	12.1. Economics
		12.2. Public Economics
		12.3. International economics
E: HUMANITIES AND LEGAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES	03. Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences	03.1. Literature
		03.2. Philosophy
		03.3. Linguistics
		03.4. Social Communication
		03.5. History of Art
		03.6. Librarianship and Information Sciences
		03.7. Dance
		03.8. Conservation and restoration
	06. Faculty of Education	06.1.1. Initial education 06.1.2. Primary education 06.1.3.1. Secondary Education: English and Spanish 06.1.3.2. Secondary Education: Language and Literature 06.1.3.3. Secondary Education: History and Geography 06.1.3.4. Secondary Education: Philosophy, Tutoring and Social Sciences 06.1.3.5. Secondary Education: Mathematics and Physics 06.1.3.6. Secondary Education: Biology and Chemistry
		06.2. Physical education
	02. Faculty of Law and Political Science	02.1. Law
		02.2. Politic Science
	15. Faculty of Social Sciences	15.1. History
		15.2. Sociology
		15.3. Anthropology
		15.4. Archeology
		15.5. Social Work
		15.6. Geography

^{Mural dedicated to research and knowledge (Main Library).}

Throughout its history, the National University of San Marcos has significantly contributed to the scientific development of Peru. Currently, the National University of San Marcos is one of the few Peruvian universities that conducts research – only 10 out of over 80 universities.[24] This is mostly due to the fact the national government has not properly financed research development in the last decades.[25]

Regarding development of research activities of San Marcos, halfway through the 20th century, the Peruvian government issued provisions to place emphasis and create areas of scientific and student-led research. As a result, throughout these years many museums and institutes have been created within San Marcos to promote research in different areas of human knowledge. During the last years of the decade of 1990 and the beginning of 2000, the university renewed its research system through the assignation of specific projects to diverse academic departments.[26]

There are currently over 30 centers, units and institutes of research in San Marcos.[27][28][29] Each one of these centers or institutes are grouped according to the academic area where they develop their research, therefore they are categorized in the following general areas: health sciences, basic sciences, engineering, economy-business, and humanities.

According to their area of study, the research centers have specialized museums and laboratories where they develop and display their work. Each institute also has their own publications where they present reports and results of the work of their researchers.[27]

Together with the Cayetano Heredia University and the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, the National University of San Marcos is one of the only three Peruvian universities, and so far the only public one, which has managed to rank first nationally in several editions of different international university rankings.[30][31][32][33][34][35] In 2021, the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) ranked the National University of San Marcos as the best university in the country, in its first ranking of the year.[36][37][38]

The University City of the National University of San Marcos (acronym: CU-UNMSM), generally known as the University City of Lima, is the main campus of the university and is located in Lima District.

In the University City of San Marcos are located the main administrative facilities of the university, such as the rectory. It is home to 17 of the 20 faculties of the University of San Marcos, the central library and the San Marcos University Stadium.

The Faculty of Medicine of the National University of San Marcos "San Fernando" (acronym: FMSF-UNMSM) is one of the twenty faculties that make up the said university. The faculty, within the organization of the university, is part of the Health Sciences area and has the Schools of Human Medicine, Obstetrics, Nursing, Medical Technology and Nutrition, which offer both undergraduate and graduate studies. In its surroundings there is also the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, the Botanical Garden of Lima, the Center for Medical Students and the Central Morgue of Lima.