According to its website, the University of San Diego originated as two Catholic colleges conceptualized in 1945 by Mother Rosalie Hill and Bishop Charles Buddy. The San Diego College for Women, founded in 1952, and San Diego University, founded in 1954, offered separate institutions for female and male students to learn in a Catholic environment. Following a suggestion from the Vatican, the colleges combined in 1972 to create the University of San Diego.
The University of San Diego features six academic jurisdictions: a college of arts and sciences and schools in nursing and health science, peace studies, law, business administration, and leadership and education sciences. The University of San Diego offers 38 different bachelor's degrees in programs ranging from anthropology and biochemistry to international relations and theater arts. The university also offers 44 graduate degrees, including three doctoral programs and a degree in law.
According to its website, the San Diego is the oldest city in California and the seventh largest city in the United States. The university lies on land overlooking the San Diego Bay and is situated amidst all that San Diego has to offer, including miles of beaches, countless outdoor recreation and an array of 16th century Spanish historical and cultural pursuits. The university's campus embraces San Diego's history and features beautiful Spanish Renaissance architecture.
The University of San Diego's campus stretches over 180 acres of land that houses over 2 million square feet of educational, administrative, residential and athletic spaces. The university, according to its website, enrolled 7,868 students in 2009 with 5,111 of those students enrolled in undergraduate programs and 2,573 enrolled in graduate programs. The university also employs over 800 faculty members and boasts approximately 50,000 alumni in nearly 100 countries.
According to its website, the University of San Diego offers 17 different men's and women's NCAA Division I sports including football, basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis and golf. The football team competes in the Pioneer League while the majority of the university's other athletic teams compete in the West Coast Conference.
The University of San Diego also offers intramural sports for students seeking recreation and socialization on campus. The intramural program features sports ranging from basketball and volleyball to dodgeball, kickball and Ultimate Frisbee.