By: Institutional Communication
Universidad del Sagrado Corazón (Sagrado) unveiled its new School of Business, an academic unit designed to prepare future business leaders with an entrepreneurial mindset, analytical rigor, strong ethics, technological skills, and social responsibility. This School consolidates the legacy of the former Department of Business Administration under a new modern structure, one that reflects a global vision and aligns with the strategic goals outlined in Sagrado 2030.
Located on the Santurce campus, the School features a newly renovated, modern space designed to simulate a real business environment. It includes executive-style conference rooms, collaborative work areas, digital information displays, and spaces that promote innovation and strategic thinking.
The concept is based on what the institution calls a “project house”: a dynamic environment where students, faculty, and support staff coexist to foster collaboration and creative activity within a vibrant learning community. The investment totaled approximately one million dollars, funded through institutional resources, federal grants, and private donors.
“We aspire to become the School of Business for Puerto Rico’s business sector. Our intention is to co-educate alongside industry so students can learn in real-world scenarios. The University provides the essential foundational skills, while companies offer the practice settings where action happens. This is part of our philosophy of learning by doing,” said Gilberto J. Marxuach Torrós, president of Sagrado.
He noted that Puerto Rico needs a dynamic, innovative, and socially responsible business sector capable of generating better quality-of-life opportunities for more people. “We aim to develop business leaders who act ethically and responsibly. Every course, project, and experience in this School is designed to strengthen the ethical and social commitment that distinguishes Sagrado,” added Marxuach Torrós.
A tradition of excellence
Since the 1970s, the University has been a pioneer in programs such as the associate and bachelor’s degrees in Accounting, laying the foundation for the academic evolution now reflected in this new School, an initiative focused on transforming the way business education is delivered.
Dr. Anuchka Ramos Ruiz, provost and vice president of Academic and Student Affairs, shared that over the past eight years, the University has been engaged in a curricular transformation centered on service-learning, an educational approach that connects academic knowledge with action, enabling students to respond meaningfully to real situations in communities, organizations, and business environments.
“Teaching and learning are human acts that take on true meaning when they are placed at the service of others. Through the School of Business, we aim to build new possibilities for enterprises—both for-profit and nonprofit—that advance the island’s economic, social, and cultural development,” said the provost.
She emphasized that all students engage in coursework that strengthens essential 21st-century competencies such as communication, critical inquiry, innovation, entrepreneurship, research, and ethical and social responsibility.
Academic innovation with a global vision
Among its academic innovations, the School of Business will offer a new bilingual bachelor’s degree in Business Analysis, designed as an advanced honors program for high-achieving students. It will also offer minors aligned with labor market needs in areas such as Finance, Global Supply Chain, CPA Track–Public Accounting, Sustainable Development, and Talent Management and Organizational Development. Additionally, the School offers a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree in Digital Marketing that can be completed in five years.
The dean of the School of Business, Dr. Dennis Román, highlighted that the educational experience at Sagrado extends far beyond the classroom. “Our students participate in internships, professional practicums, co-op programs, company visits, and international study trips. This year, a group of students traveled to Japan, and in 2026 the destination will be Germany. Sagrado is also the only university in Puerto Rico with a chapter of the Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society and is a member of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).”
Strategic partnerships
The new facility is also supported by strategic partners. The Francisco Carvajal Foundation contributed by dedicating an executive conference room to the Spanish entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded Olympic Mills, and by awarding twenty-five scholarships of $2,000 each to students in the School. Banco Popular de Puerto Rico is supporting the second phase of construction, which will include the Popular Financial Markets Lab—a state-of-the-art space where students can interact with financial markets in real time.
This inauguration forms part of the celebration of the 145th anniversary of Sagrado’s educational mission, reaffirming its commitment to cultivating ethical, entrepreneurial, and socially responsible leaders.
For more information, visit https://www.sagrado.edu/escuela-de-negocios/ or follow us on social media at @sagradoedu.