About the University of Incarnate Word

With over 140 years of tradition, the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas is committed to educational excellence in a context of faith in Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God. UIW is the largest Catholic university in Texas and the fourth largest private university in Texas. With a beautiful main campus in San Antonio, UIW has locations throughout the city, and South and Central Texas as well as two campuses in Mexico and a European Study Center in Strasbourg, France. In 2019, UIW acquired the 9-story, 380,000 square foot landmark property at 4119 Broadway, directly across the street from main campus, expanding the university’s footprint by 20%. The property has been named Founders Hall. UIW was founded by and is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.

UIW is committed to shaping good minds of strong character that will expand our world. At the core of UIW’s Mission is a commitment to social justice and community service. With a curriculum designed to broaden student’s understanding of the needs of the world, men and women learn to become concerned and enlightened citizens, using their skills for a meaningful impact within the local and global community. Through programs offered at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels through 11 schools and colleges, students can positively influence countless industries and fields of study. In addition, UIW is committed to helping every student graduate with the lowest possible debt and secure a career that lifts their lives, their families and their communities.

As a Hispanic-Serving Institution and Yellow Ribbon School, UIW proudly welcomes students of all backgrounds and supports them throughout their academic journeys.

UIW is the only Catholic NCAA Division 1 athletics program in the South, and counts 14 sports and 23 men’s and women’s teams. As a proud member of the Southland Conference, UIW teams model ethical sportsmanship and exemplary athleticism.

Our richness of tradition, strong bonds and storied history have given rise to a proud alumni base of more than 40,000 men and women across the world. Graduates go on to live the UIW Mission in their field, displaying exemplary work in arts, civic service and professional accomplishments.

Academic Programs

At UIW, students choose from over 100 undergraduate majors, minors and concentrations, and over 25 graduate, doctoral and professional doctoral programs. The wide range of degree programs allow UIW students to follow a learning journey that leads to a multitude of career opportunities and future personal growth.

With 11 schools and colleges, UIW students can explore such diverse fields of study as 3D Animation and Game Design, music therapy, cyber security, sport management and nursing. Explore each school and discover the many academic options.

The esteemed faculty of UIW have received honors in research, professional service and teaching. Their expertise alongside a low student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1, ensures a classroom experience with individualized interaction and an environment where students work together and with faculty invested in their success.

Students graduate from UIW with the skills and confidence to enter countless fields and emerging industries, including teaching professions, fine arts, business administration, organizational leadership, medical professions and social service occupations. The academic programs, committed faculty and engaging classroom experiences empower students to enter the professional work world as innovative leaders and engaged scholars, using their vocations to serve the local and global community.

A Global University

At the University of the Incarnate Word, engaging with the global community is an inherent value of the Catholic intellectual tradition, to dignify every individual as a part of the greater human family. UIW exemplifies this value by being a leader in international education. Students thrive on our diverse communities in the United States and are offered many opportunities to study around the world.

Since our earliest days, UIW has attracted a globally diverse student population that enriches the learning experience. Today, with international students making up 25% of enrollment, and representing 67 countries, UIW students learn about other cultures from their classmates amid daily interactions in class, in cultural celebrations on campus and through shared experiences.

Students have the unique opportunity to take their learning beyond borders and into one of UIW’s more than 140 international sister schools located on six continents for an immersive study abroad program. With a wide variety of choices, students can tailor their linguistic, cultural and historical interests by experiencing life in a different country.

UIW also has two campuses in Mexico, and European Study Centers in Strasbourg, France. Through international programs, UIW students can earn credits while experiencing student life in culturally historical cities and can even gain hands-on international work experience through internships and service-learning opportunities.

About our Campuses

UIW’s undergraduate, graduate and professional doctoral schools are all located in San Antonio, a city with a rich heritage and a strong business climate. San Antonio is increasingly becoming an attractive environment for industry in the United States because of its educated workforce, low cost of living and friendly business culture. Healthcare, biosciences, information technology, aerospace engineering and renewable energy are a few of the thriving industries in San Antonio. The city’s geographical location between the east and west coasts and the Gulf of Mexico make it a prime location for industry expansion and growth.

The 154-acre main campus, located on Broadway, is at the urban core of San Antonio and situated in the enclave city of Alamo Heights. Established in 1893, Incarnate Word School was originally located just a few miles south on Government Hill in San Antonio. The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word purchased the George Brackenridge estate and built a Motherhouse on the property. The elementary and secondary schools were then transferred to the Broadway location. At the time, there was no college for women in San Antonio, so college courses were added to the curriculum. The school became known as the College and the Academy of the Incarnate Word. The mission of the University of the Incarnate Word is based on the Sisters’ commitment to service and responding to the needs around them.

San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the United States, but the vibrant village surrounding UIW provides a charming atmosphere in the center of all the action. Students are within walking distance of local eateries, trendy markets and an eclectic shopping district. Weekend activities can be navigated within a few miles from the Broadway campus. Whether students want to visit the San Antonio Zoo, The Witte Museum, the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, or have a relaxing afternoon enjoying the local farmers market and food culture at the Pearl, UIW is the perfect starting place to enjoy San Antonio culture.

The UIW Feik School of Pharmacy (FSOP) was founded in 2004 to provide high-quality education to students pursuing a Doctorate of Pharmacy, and is the only faith-based School of Pharmacy in Texas. FSOP was built in the center of San Antonio, and designed specifically for pharmaceutical education. The classrooms are equipped with the latest instructional technology, with breakout rooms adjacent to classrooms for small group sessions.

Pharmaceutical students take their classroom training into preceptorships across the city, partnering with San Antonio medical health institutions and community partners. With 30% of pharmacy education taking place in practice settings, students carry the tenet of service into their practice, taking part in service projects to help underserved populations, including health fairs, free clinics and missional health outreach abroad.

FSOP continues the hope of founding Sisters, who had a vision for a comprehensive health care provision to serve the needs of San Antonio and South Texas. The School of Pharmacy sends highly-trained Doctors of Pharmacy out into the world, competent and caring, ready to advocate for underserved populations.

The Rosenberg School of Optometry (RSO) is positioned in northwest San Antonio near the Medical Center. Optometry students receive clinical training at the UIW Eye Institute at the San Antonio Medical Center, a major eye clinic serving greater San Antonio area and surrounding South Texas communities.

RSO is committed to providing compassionate health care to the San Antonio community. This is exemplified in their service to Northside Independent School District, where optometry students offer over 600 yearly vision examinations and spectacles to kids who fail their school visual screenings. Doctoral candidates also work and learn at the Bowden Eye Care and Health Clinic, a visual care center serving the traditionally underserved community of San Antonio’s Eastside.

The University of Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM) is located at Brooks, formerly known as Brooks City Base, the historic location was home to the School of Aerospace Medicine. President John F. Kennedy dedicated several buildings at the former School of Aerospace Medicine in his last official act as president in 1963. The 155,000-square foot facility, spread out over 16 acres in South San Antonio, is now home to several hundred future osteopathic physicians.

UIWSOM is noted for the holistic philosophy marked by the osteopathic approach, and its commitment to service and care based on UIW’s founding Sisters. Located on San Antonio’s Southside, an area of high poverty and high diabetes rate, UIWSOM seeks to serve local community through community clinics and health initiatives serving neighbors in need.

UIWSOM was established in 2017, and has since created community partners with local schools, parishes and health service providers, where student-doctors can gain hands on clinical training while serving San Antonio residents. Third and fourth year students rotate through specialties in San Antonio’s established health systems, including Baptist, Methodist and CHRISTUS.

UIWSOM emphasizes a curriculum focused on life-long learning, stressing independent study and self-directed learning. Student-doctors receives early exposure in experiential learning and patient contact.

The UIW School of Rehabilitation Sciences (SRS), located in the Tezel Heights neighborhood of San Antonio, is one of four Catholic Physical Therapy schools in the Southwest. The 50,000-square foot, state-of-the-art facility combined with a problem-based learning method and innovative clinical training, prepares students to become competent healthcare professionals. SRS students train at health care centers all around San Antonio, learning from clinical instructors how to restore function, optimize movement and enhance health of patients.

Civic responsibility is at the core of the School of Rehabilitation Sciences’s mission. Students spend their first-year training in the school’s community clinic, gaining hands-on clinical experience while serving under-resourced San Antonio residents. Community engagement opportunities and mission-driven initiatives teach SRS students how to provide care with concern for the well-being of the community. SRS also offers international service-learning opportunities in Mexico, Germany and Italy.

Life at UIW

Whether an aspiring artist, teacher, entrepreneur, social advocate, health professional, or city leader, students work to realize those dreams at UIW. Students come from all over the world to receive a UIW education. Here, they gain life experiences that empower them to enter the real world prepared to succeed with confidence, competitive skillsets and strong ethical principles.

UIW faculty are there to help student’s curate their own pathways of learning and leadership by equipping them with the knowledge, resources and resilience to become trailblazers in their field.

The character of UIW is found in a diverse array of student groups, organizations and campus activities. Campus Ministry, Honors Program, student media, performing ensembles, Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC are among the extensive list of over 90 student organizations. Students wishing to be active in friendly campus competitions can join one of 15 intramural and recreational teams. And those looking for a socially engaged student life experience can join one of UIW’s 12 Greek organizations.

We welcome you to be a part of our vibrant community of faith and learning. Here, you will find the support you need to succeed along your academic journey and realize your education dreams.

Faith Community

Inspired by Judeo-Christian values, the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and Catholic Social Teaching, the University of the Incarnate Word welcomes all persons of diverse backgrounds to its faith community. Founded by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, the University instills its core values of education, truth, faith, service and innovation on everyone that forms its community.

Worship spaces and prayer rooms enable students and faculty to grow spiritually during their time at the University of Incarnate Word. These places include Interfaith Prayer Rooms, Chapel of the Incarnate Word, St. Joseph’s Chapel and Our Lady’s Chapel. Location and services are available to students and the community.

The UIW campus is also adjacent to Sacred Spaces of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. These Spaces allow for moments of reflection, rejuvenation and healing.

The Headwaters is the source of the San Antonio River, and the home to the Blue Hole springs. Nature trails take visitors to the 53-acre Headwaters Sanctuary, providing a scenic place for retreat and restoration.

St. Brigid’s Oak, a live oak tree that is approximately 600 years old, can be found along St. Brigid’s Path. It is dedicated to St. Brigid of Kildare (451-525 AD) by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word and the University of the Incarnate Word.

The Lourdes Grotto honors Our Lady of Lourdes, and the original grotto in Lourdes, France which is well known for its healing powers.