The Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan was inaugurated on December 7th, 1921. From the very first degrees offered in Philosophy and Social Sciences, held at the historic site on via S. Agnese, the solid foundations established by Father Agostino Gemelli have become a part of the scholarly Milanese world. That foundation being that a university should constantly foster cultural growth, both temporal as well as spiritual.
In 1932, in order to provide needed space for the development of academic activities, the Cistercian Monastery of the Saint Ambrose Abbey, designed by Bramante, was chosen. This site has remained the main campus of our University. In the years that followed, the physical structure has been remodelled and enriched, such as façade changes designed by the famous architect Muzio, on which reigns a bronze statue representing Christ the King, sculpted by Giannino Castiglioni.
From 68 students in 1921 to the 30,000 currently enrolled, it is evident how the Università Cattolica Milan campus has given birth to a major academic community of 12 departments, 19 internal departments and 35 research centers, which make up a total of 8 colleges: Business, Law, Humanities, Foreign Languages and Literature, Education Sciences, Finance, Banking and Insurance Sciences, Political Science, and Psychology. These colleges now facilitate 17 degrees and 5 university diplomas.
The Milan campus remains the historic university site, along which three other campus sites that have been opened on Italian territory throughout the years (Rome, Piacenza, Brescia). The President's office, located in the heart of the city next to the Basilica of Saint Ambrose in Largo Gemelli 1, is both the legal and administrative headquarters of the Università Cattolica. The Milan campus currently extends to other buildings in via Necchi, via S. Agnese, via Morozzo della Rocca, and via Pagliano.
Milan and its students: Studying in Milan signifies contact with a multifaceted and practical reality, completely concentrated upon the requests coming from the professional world. In order to become part of this world, the "University - Professional World Committee" provides the necessary contacts between students and the professional environment. Cattolica students are also offered the opportunity to work part-time through a collaboration with the university services, as well as opportunities for stages and internships. Last, but not least, as part of the didactic program, the university offers a wide range of opportunities related to continuing education, as well as academic activities designed to insure a constant interface with both the scholarly and spiritual side of current students and alumni.
The campus offers a complete range of services, and all which share a common goal: meeting the needs of a large student population. The campus may best be described as "a city within the city", where finding your way and learning the ropes is easy thanks to effective tutoring services and competent academic advisors and coordinators.
