What Is Pregrado at UPC and How Does It Differ From EPE and Postgrado?

At UPC (Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas), pregrado is the undergraduate stage of study — the level you enter as a first-time university student. On UPC's official site, pregrado is presented as 58 career programs oriented toward future trends. It differs from EPE, which offers more than 18 careers for people who already work (semipresencial and/or distance learning with schedules adapted to your pace), and from postgrado, which lists more than 120 programs aimed at professionals building on a completed degree. Use pregrado if you are starting university; use EPE if you are working and need flexibility; use postgrado if you already hold a degree and want to specialize.

The three academic paths at a glance

The distinction matters because the three are separate entry points on the same site, not tiers you move through automatically. Choosing the wrong one wastes time: EPE assumes you are working, and postgrado assumes prior higher-education study.

How to browse and compare programs

UPC's homepage groups everything under PROGRAMAS ACADÉMICOS, with a "Ver más" link for each of the three categories. A practical comparison routine:

1. Open the pregrado listing and note the 58 careers — check whether your intended field appears.
2. If you work, open the EPE listing and compare the same field: does it exist there, and is it semipresencial or distance?
3. For postgrado, confirm the +120 programs include a specialization matching your degree.
4. Compare on the factors that actually change your daily life: schedule flexibility, modality (in-person vs. semipresencial/distance), and campus.

Selection factors worth weighing

• Schedule flexibility — the decisive factor if you already work; EPE explicitly adapts schedules to your pace.
• Modality — EPE offers semipresencial and/or distance; pregrado is the standard undergraduate route.
• Campus — UPC references specific campuses (for example, Campus San Miguel, where Ingeniería de Inteligencia Artificial is highlighted). Campus tours run every Saturday in shifts at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., with free registration — a concrete way to check fit before deciding.
• Your current status — traditional student vs. already working determines which of the three paths you should even be comparing.

Admission steps and preparation resources

For pregrado entry, UPC's site points to an admission exam (for example, the Medicine program directs prospective students to sign up for the admission exam). It also offers Beca 18 exam preparation: 6 free virtual mock exams designed by UPC experts, which you can request through the site. These are useful if you plan to compete for a Beca 18 scholarship — UPC states it was the first choice among 2025 Beca 18 scholarship winners (Pronabec).

What UPC says about its standing

If reputation is part of your decision, the site lists, among others: 1st place in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025, the only Peruvian university with 5 stars in QS Stars Rating, 3rd among Peruvian private universities in QS World University 2026, and 1st in the Merco Universities reputation ranking 2025. It also cites an innovative educational model through an alliance with Minerva University and a double-degree agreement with The University of Arizona from Peru.

Bottom line

Choose pregrado to start your first degree among 58 career options; choose EPE if you are working and need semipresencial or distance study across 18+ careers; choose postgrado for one of 120+ programs after your degree. Confirm your field exists in the right category, weigh schedule and modality, and use the free Saturday campus tours or the admission exam and Beca 18 mock exams to move from browsing to applying.