# Universidad de Sonora

The University of Sonora (Universidad de Sonora, abbreviated as Unison) is a public university in the northwestern state of Sonora, Mexico that has a strong research program. The university was founded in 1942 and is considered the main cultural and educational driver in the state. The university motto is "El saber de mis hijos hará mi grandeza" ("The knowledge of my children will be my greatness"). It is the largest university of Sonora with about 30,000 students (about 28,000 for undergraduate studies and 2,000 for postgraduate studies) distributed in five campuses.
Dr. Enrique Velázquez Contreras started his tenure as the University Rector in June 2017 for a period of four years (renewable). Under his leadership the university has prepared its Strategic Initiative putting special emphasis on the Internationalization of its academic and research programs.

## Overview

According to the Mexican National Center for Evaluation for Higher Education (CENEVAL), Sonora has recently ranked fifth in the Mexican university ranking survey. It has six post-graduate subjects accredited in the level of academic excellence for the "Mexican Research Council in Science and Technology" (Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología de México, CONACYT). It is currently, leader of the National Association of Mexican Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES) in northwestern Mexico.

### Academics

The University of Sonora has research departments and teaching schools in most academic disciplines. The university provides educational programs in the following colleges:
* Natural Science
* Engineering
* Exact Sciences
* Biological and Health Sciences
* Social Sciences
* Economics and Administration
* Humanities and Fine Arts

### Postgraduate programs

At the postgraduate level, Unison tends to be biased towards scientific subjects, but it also has a number of strong humanities and social science schools. There are 6 subjects accredited in the level of academic excellence for CONACYT.
* Physics, PhD and Masters
* Mathematics, PhD and Masters
* Material Science, PhD and Masters
* Geology, Masters
* Engineering, Masters
* Food Science and Technology, PhD and Masters
* Inmunohematology, Postgraduate certificate
* Integral postgraduate of social sciences, PhD and Masters
* Psychology, PhD and Masters
* Business Administration, Masters

### Admission

Admissions processes at Sonora are based on qualifications relevant to their chosen undergraduate course, admission tests given by the university, and, in some subjects, interviews between applicants and faculty members.
Postgraduate admission is first decided by the department or research center relating to the applicant's subject. In recent years, UNISON has made greater efforts to attract overseas students.

### Research institutes

* Physics Department (DFUS)
* Research Centre of Physics (CIFUS)
* DICTUS Research Centre
* DIPA Research Centre

## Campuses

There are five campuses. Its main campus is located in the capital of the state of Sonora, Hermosillo.
* Hermosillo
* Caborca
* Navojoa
* Nogales
* Santa Ana
* Cajeme
* Huatabampo

## Mobility of students

UNISON intends to increase the access and mobility of its students within the Americas and the European Union area of higher education, contributing to the improvement of their professional skills and their access to better working opportunities in the northwestern region of the country.

## Other items of interest

The university is part of the UN Regional Coordination of Activities in Basic Space Science for America, an aerospace consortium based in Vienna, Austria, and co-sponsored by the European Space Agency.
Starting in the 2011 season, the university will have a team named "Búhos" (Owls) playing in one league of College Football in Mexico, the CONADEIP premier league.

## Rectors

| Period | Rector's name |
| 1942–1943 | Prof. Aureliano Esquivel Casas |
| 1944–1946 | Ing. Francisco Antonio Astiazarán |
| 1946–1953 | Prof. Manuel Quiróz Martínez |
| 1953–1956 | Ing. Norberto Aguirre Palancares |
| 1956–1961 | Lic. Luis Encinas Johnson |
| 1961–1967 | Dr. Moisés Canale Rodríguez |
| 1967–1968 | Lic. Roberto Reynoso Dávila |
| 1968–1972 | Dr. Federico Sotelo Ortiz |
| 1973–1982 | Lic. Alfonso Castellanos Idiáquez |
| 1982–1987 | Ing. Manuel Rivera Zamudio |
| 1987–1989 | Ing. Manuel Balcázar Meza |
| 1989–1993 | Mat. Marco Antonio Valencia Arvizu |
| 1993–2001 | M.C. Jorge Luis Ibarra Mendívil |
| 2001–2009 | Dr. Pedro Ortega Romero |
| 2009–2017 | Dr. Heriberto Grijalva Monteverde |
| 2017–2021 | Dr. Enrique Fernando Velázquez Contreras |
| 2021–present | Dr. María Rita Plancarte Martínez |

## Collaborations with other universities

* Sonora State University ("Universidad Estatal de Sonora")
* Universidad Miguel Hernández