By Institutional Communication
Universidad del Sagrado Corazón (Sagrado) announced the approval of its first doctoral program, marking a decisive step in its transformation into a teaching and research university. This milestone is made possible by the approval of the Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
With this achievement, the University formally begins the process before MSCHE to elevate the highest academic degree it may confer to the category of Doctor’s Degree–Research/Scholarship.
“This is a pivotal moment in Sagrado’s history that reaffirms our mission and strengthens our commitment to transition into a teaching and research university—one that by design promotes and supports the investigative, creative, and productive work of our faculty to advance knowledge, ideas, proposals, and projects that can contribute to building the collective good and the common good, as our mission calls for,” said Gilberto J. Marxuach Torrós, President of Universidad del Sagrado Corazón.
The development of this historic program was led by Dr. Anuchka Ramos-Ruiz, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, and Dr. Mara Pastor, writer and academic leader of the Creative Writing Program.
“This doctoral program is the result of years of rigorous academic work and a clear vision of the value of writing and literature as spaces for research, critical thinking, and the creation of knowledge,” said Dr. Ramos-Ruiz. She added that the approval of this first doctoral program “marks the beginning of a gradual process contemplated in the Sagrado 2030 strategic plan, whose goal is for each school of the University to offer doctoral programs in the coming years.”
The program, which will begin in the 2026–2027 academic year, offers in-depth training in creative writing practices, advanced research, and the ethical dilemmas inherent to the field. Through workshops, seminars, and practical courses, students engage with a wide range of written forms—from prose and poetry to genres that challenge convention and seek innovation. Moreover, the program emphasizes the intersection between writing and community, the application of unconventional editorial methods, aesthetic experimentation, and the central importance of ethics at every stage of the creative process. The program spans approximately three years (8 trimesters), is offered 100% online (both asynchronous and synchronous), and is open to local and international students. Detailed program information will be available on the University’s website beginning February 1, 2026.
New Semester
Sagrado will begin its second academic semester of 2025–2026 on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, with an estimated enrollment of more than five thousand students, and will continue to be the only Uber Campus in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
For more information, visit sagrado.edu or follow the University on social media at @sagradoedu.