Universidad Especializada de Las Américas

What Universidad Especializada de Las Américas does

Universidad Especializada de Las Américas (UDELAS) is a public university in Panama founded in 1969, headquartered in Panama City with five regional extensions across Azuero, Chiriquí, Colón, Coclé, and Veraguas. The institution operates through four academic faculties: Medical and Clinical Sciences, Biosciences and Public Health, Special Education and Pedagogy, and Social Education and Human Development, offering 35+ undergraduate programs, 60+ graduate and master's programs, and 2 doctoral programs. UDELAS serves 13,000+ currently enrolled students and maintains a community extension ecosystem that includes CAIPI early childhood centers, CADI diversity services, mobile clinics serving 28 communities and 8,000+ people, and specialized research centers such as CIAES and INSAFIDE. The university is funded through government budgetary allocations and tuition/registration fees, with scholarships supporting over 2,000 students across categories including academic excellence, social vulnerability, disability, and indigenous populations.

UDELAS operates a digital platform infrastructure including SIRCAD (a faculty career registration system launched December 2025), Sistema IntegraU for academic credit review, a Moodle-based Campus Virtual for distance learning, and SIBUDELAS digital library. The institution maintains a partnership with Panama's Ministry of Health enabling clinical practice placements for students from 12+ programs, and participates in international academic networks including ULEU (Unión Latinoamericana de Extensión Universitaria), which it currently leads. AI integration is limited to curriculum coverage in the radiology program, where AI-assisted diagnostic imaging is taught as a technological convergence with clinical judgment. The institution has produced 50,000+ graduates across its history and manages an alumni network of 215,000+ members.

The university's revenue model combines government funding as a public institution with tuition and registration fees from students, supplemented by community service delivery through specialized centers. UDELAS pursues geographic expansion through new campus construction (Colón campus scheduled for July 2026 completion) and program expansion into new regions including Darién. The institution is governed by Rectora Dra. Nicolasa Terreros Barrios, with no private equity or venture capital ownership, and is not publicly traded.

Name

Universidad Especializada de Las Américas

Legal name

Universidad Especializada de Las Américas

Website

https://udelas.ac.pa

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

UDELAS is a public university in Panama founded in 1969, serving 13,000+ students through four faculties and five regional extensions. It specializes in health sciences, education, and social development, funded by government allocations and tuition, with outreach via mobile clinics and community centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs-Inclusive Early Learning Academies (EDACADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education (SPED) & Inclusive Curriculum Materials (EDAGAAAE), Differentiated Instruction & Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Implementation Support (EDAKABAC)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Health sciences education
• Medical training programs
• Teacher education programs
• Public university programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Panamá City

HQ country

Panama

HQ region

Latin America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Registration Fees: Public university that charges tuition and registration fees for academic programs including undergraduate degrees, technical programs, master's degrees, and doctoral programs. The university offers various scholarship programs.
2. Government Funding: As a public university in Panama, UDELAS receives government budgetary allocations for operations, research, and infrastructure development.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

UDELAS is a Panamanian public university that delivers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral academic programs across four faculties focused on health sciences, biosciences and public health, special education and pedagogy, and social education and human development. The university supplements classroom instruction with community-facing service institutes (CAIPI early-childhood centers, INSAFIDE sports medicine, ILTEC language training, CADI diversity center, CIAES interdisciplinary research) and operates five regional extensions to extend access across Panama.

Product overview

Universidad Especializada de Las Américas (UDELAS) is a Panamanian public university operating as a unified institutional platform with multiple interconnected services. The institution is organized into four academic faculties (Medical and Clinical Sciences, Biosciences and Public Health, Special Education and Pedagogy, Social Education and Human Development) offering technical programs, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral programs. UDELAS delivers its educational mission through a network of five regional extensions, specialized centers (CAIPI for early childhood, CADI for diversity, CIAES for interdisciplinary research, INSAFIDE for sports health), and digital platforms including the SIRCAD faculty management system, Sistema IntegraU for academic administration, Campus Virtual (Moodle) for e-learning, and SIBUDELAS library system. Student support services include scholarship programs benefiting over 2,000 students and psychological counseling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs (Academic Faculties)

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000+ graduates produced since founding
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ministry of Health (Minsa)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2025Renewed cooperation agreement signed between UDELAS and the Ministry of Health to strengthen training of human resources in the health sector. Students from at least 12 technical programs and undergraduate degrees including nursing, optometry, physiotherapy, and speech therapy can complete professional practices within Minsa health facilities and patronatos.
• Club Rotario de PanamácoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for CAIPI community center improvement projects. Includes infrastructure upgrading and nutrition plan for children ages 0-6 at the Doddogan Nega CAIPI in Brisas del Chumical community. Club Rotario provides funding and UDELAS provides professional oversight and student volunteers.
• SINAPROC (National Civil Protection System)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop joint academic projects including professionalization of emergency management personnel, training activities, practices, and courses for strengthening student formation in emergency response.
• APADETRA (Academia Panameña de Derecho del Trabajo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFramework cooperation agreement signed to promote technical and academic exchange in Labor Law, Labor Relations, and Social Law. Includes creation of a Labor Observatory and joint activities, research, forums, and academic programs. Five-year agreement.
• ULEU (Unión Latinoamericana de Extensión Universitaria)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUDELAS serves as president of ULEU, collaborating with 27 universities from 15 Latin American countries. Hosts international congresses and promotes university extension policies and gender equality initiatives.
• CONEAUPA (Consejo Nacional de Evaluación y Acreditación Universitaria de Panamá)coreOthersNational university evaluation and accreditation council conducting reaccreditation processes for UDELAS programs including the Urgencias Médicas y Desastres program undergoing evaluation for 2028 reaccreditation.
• International Universities NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic exchange agreements with universities in USA, India, Japan, and Latin American countries. Partnerships include student exchanges with Universidad César Vallejo (Peru) and UNAH (Honduras), and international research collaborations.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Universidad de Panamá (UP): Panama's flagship public university and largest higher education institution in the country. Most direct peer given shared public status, national scope, broad health/education program offerings, and Panamanian student base.
• Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP): Panamanian public university specializing in engineering, technology, and applied sciences. Comparable as a public specialized university with multiple regional campuses offering career-oriented degree programs.
• Universidad del Istmo: Private Panamanian university offering undergraduate and graduate programs in health, education, and business. Comparable as a domestic competitor pursuing similar professional degree pathways in Panama.
• Universidad Americana (UAM): Private Panamanian university with health sciences, education, and business programs across multiple campuses. Comparable as a domestic competitor serving similar student segments with comparable program offerings.
• Universidad Latina de Panamá: One of the largest private universities in Panama with multiple campuses. Comparable as a competitor offering similar health, education, and social science degree programs across Panama.
• Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí (UNACHI): Public regional university in Chiriquí province, Panama. Comparable given shared public status, regional campus model, and offerings of health sciences and education degrees in the same geographic market as UDELAS's Chiriquí extension.
• Columbus University: Private Panamanian university offering undergraduate and graduate programs in business, technology, and health-related fields. Comparable as a competitor for the same Panamanian student base seeking applied degree programs.

Regional players

• Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR): Leading public university in Costa Rica offering comprehensive health sciences, education, and social science programs with regional extension centers. Comparable as a Central American public flagship with similar faculty structure and community extension mandate.
• Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH): Main public university in Honduras with national reach and health sciences and education programs. Comparable as a Central American public university with similar scale, faculty organization, and extension program focus.

Emerging players

• Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA): Jesuit private university in El Salvador with strong social development and education programs. Comparable given shared emphasis on social education, human development, and community-oriented academic programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/udelasoficial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtagRbdH52RRwwbY-YoK1PQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/udelas.universidad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/udelas-universidad
• Instagraminstagram.com/udelasoficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@udelasoficial?_r=1&_t=ZS-98IyzIV2ehN

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Universidad Especializada de Las Américas