Albizu University

Albizu University is a private university with its main campus in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It also has a branch campus in Miami, Florida and an additional instructional location in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. The university specializes in fields such as psychology, health, education, and human services. It was founded to offer quality education in these important areas, helping students prepare for careers that support and care for people. By focusing on these subjects, Albizu University plays a key role in training professionals who make a positive difference in communities.

History

Albizu University started in 1966 when a Puerto Rican psychologist named Carlos Albizu Miranda created the Puerto Rico Institute of Psychology. At that time, there were no graduate programs for training psychologists in Puerto Rico. People had to go to schools in the United States to study and then try to bring what they learned back to their own culture.

As time passed, the population of Puerto Rico grew, and there were not enough trained psychologists to help everyone. In 1980, Albizu-Miranda also opened a school in Miami, Florida to train psychologists for the large Hispanic community there. In 2000, the two schools joined together and were named Carlos Albizu University in honor of their founder.

Campuses

Albizu University has its main campus in San Juan, Puerto Rico; a branch campus in Miami, Florida; and an extension in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Each campus includes a clinic that offers mental health and speech and language services to nearby communities while providing practical training for students.

San Juan Campus

Located in the heart of Puerto Rico's capital city, the San Juan Campus was the first independent professional school of psychology in North America. It was originally called the Puerto Rico Institute of Psychology. Today, over 50 years since it was founded, the San Juan Campus has more than 1,600 students and includes an on-campus training clinic.

Student body

At the San Juan Campus, students in Fall 2019 included 483 undergraduates and 1,145 in graduate and postgraduate certificate programs. Most students are from Puerto Rico, with some from other parts of the United States and its territories.

Albizu Clinic

The Albizu Clinic, a nonprofit organization connected to the university, provides mental health services to children, adolescents, and adults in San Juan and nearby areas. The clinic also serves as a training site for university graduate students. It offers speech and language services for children and adults with various needs.

Miami Campus

Located in the Miami, Florida, area, the Miami Campus offers many undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs in fields such as psychology, education, speech and language, English for speakers of other languages, criminal justice, and human services.

Goodman Psychological Services Center

Founded in 1980, the Goodman Psychological Services Center is a private, nonprofit mental health center supported by Albizu University. It provides services to children, adolescents, and adults in South Florida and serves as a training site for university programs. The center has helped many people from communities that face challenges such as financial hardship or limited English skills.

Mayagüez University Center

In January 2015, Albizu opened an extension location in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Under the San Juan Campus, this center offers academic programs and clinical services to the western part of Puerto Rico. It provides undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs in psychology and speech and language pathology. The center also has a clinic where students can practice while serving the community.

Student body

At the Mayagüez University Center, students in Fall 2019 included 80 undergraduates and 359 in graduate and postgraduate certificate programs. Most students are from Puerto Rico, with some from other parts of the United States and its territories.

Albizu Clinic

The Albizu Clinic at the Mayagüez University Center provides mental health and speech and language services to children, adolescents, and adults nearby. The clinic also serves as a training site for university graduate students.