KGI and Peru’s Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos Sign Articulation Agreement

Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) and the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM)—located in Lima, Peru—have signed an articulation agreement that allows UNMSM students a fast track in the application process to attend graduate school at KGI.

The agreement simplifies the application process to KGI’s Master of Business and Science (MBS), Master of Engineering in Biopharmaceutical Processing (MEng), and Master of Science in Applied Life Sciences (MS) programs, where qualified students do not have to pay an application fee, no standardized test scores are required, and only one recommendation letter is needed.

“Our new articulation agreement with UNMSM will help us provide direct access to graduate studies in the United States,” said Sofia Toro, dean of admissions and financial aid at KGI. “We are very excited about this opportunity to provide students from Peru access to our broad range of graduate options.”

The two schools have a relationship that goes back many years. Two alumni of UNMSM have earned graduate degrees from KGI; a third is currently completing a MEng degree at KGI; and a fourth participated in BSUITE, one of KGI’s summer programs this past year. Additionally, a member of the KGI admissions team visited UNMSM this past summer during the South America Education USA Fair tour.

“There is a very talented human capital at UNMSM where outstanding students manage to excel in academics and research, independently of their socioeconomic status,” said KGI and UNMSM alum Juan Aponte, who currently works as a research associate at BioMarin. “I think any financial and document processing aid for prospective candidates will facilitate access to high quality education like the one KGI provides. I applaud the school’s initiative to promote diversity in graduate education.”

The articulation agreement is the second international agreement between KGI and a university outside North America; it is also the 15th total articulation agreement between KGI and an undergraduate university or college.

In addition to the being the largest university in Peru, UNMSM is in the top 20 percent of Latin America schools, and is a generator of scientific, technological, and humanistic knowledge. UNMSM is committed to the sustainable development of the country and the protection of the environment; trainer of competent professionals and researchers; and promoter of national identity, culture of quality, excellence, and social responsibility. There are many famous alumni of UNMSM, including chemist Carlos Bustamante, a member of the National Academy of Sciences.