Established in 1998 the Polytechnic University of Cartagena is right to call itself one of Spain’s newest universities. However, it is located in Cartagena, a city founded by, and named for, the Carthaginian Empire in the 3rd Century BC with traditions and buildings with a much longer history.
It is "simultaneously a city and a campus university" and renovated 18th and 19th Century buildings in Cartagena serve both as a means of regeneration of sections of the city centre and to give the university a distinctive architectural identity. The buildings used include a former naval hospital, a marine training centre, a prison and the former barracks which now houses the main library.
There are six faculties which were formed before the Polytechnic University of Cartagena – mines, industry, economics and business, naval engineering and agricultural engineering. In 1998 these were joined by technical engineering and 10 years later by architecture and building.
There are three urban campuses located in the centre of Cartagena. A university quarter has been created with research facilities, student accommodation, new services, leisure time activities and a student community.
The University College of Defence, offering a master's in decision support techniques designed for the armed forces, is also part of the university.
In 2017 there were about 6,500 students and approximately one third were women. Mature students are admitted by entrance examinations for those aged over 25,40 and 45 years old.
Research projects include a Navy-sponsored study of graphene in ballistic protection systems and an assessment of the likely economic impact of a new Murcia Regional airport.
