Program Overview

Diploma in Geotechnical Engineering

Introduction

The Diploma in Geotechnical Engineering is a program designed to provide students with the best technical tools to contribute to the development of high-level engineering, allowing them to contribute to the human, technical, and economic development of the country. The program has been running annually since 2025 and is aimed at engineers and geologists interested in specializing and developing professionally in Geotechnical Engineering.

Program Details

• Duration: The program runs from April 10, 2026, to October 23, 2026, with classes on Fridays from 18:00 to 21:00 hrs and Saturdays from 09:00 to 12:00 hrs.
• Modalidad: The program is offered online with synchronous classes.
• Target Audience: The program is directed at Civil Engineers, Constructors, Miners, Geologists, Geophysicists, and those interested in specializing and developing professionally in Geotechnical Engineering.

Plan of Studies

The program consists of 9 courses of 15 hours each and 1 module of 9 hours, totaling 144 hours of lectures and 288 hours of personal work. The courses include:

1. Applied Geology to Engineering (15 hrs.)
2. Geotechnical Characterization in-situ and Laboratory (15 hrs.)
3. Soil Deformation (15 hrs.)
4. Water Flow in Porous Media (15 hrs.)
5. Foundation Design (15 hrs.)
6. Containment Structures and Slope Stability (15 hrs.)
7. Geotechnical Engineering of Earthquakes (15 hrs.)
8. Geosynthetics (15 hrs.)
9. Computational Geotechnics (15 hrs.)
10. Integrative Geotechnics Project (9 hrs.)

Teaching Team

The program is taught by a team of experienced professionals, including:

• Sebastian Boldrini L: Ingeniero Civil, M.Sc. PUC
• Roberto Gesche S: Ingeniero Civil, M.Sc. U. Hannover
• Marisol Lara C: Geóloga y MSc en Geología U. de Chile
• Felipe Ochoa C: Profesor y Coordinador Académico, Ingeniero Civil, Ph.D. Purdue University
• Cesar Pastén P: Ingeniero Civil, Ph.D. Georgia Institute of Technology
• Francisco Pinto V: Ingeniero Civil e Ingeniero Geólogo, Ph.D. PUC
• Patricia Rodríguez S: Ingeniera Civil y M.Sc. PUC, PhD U. Sao Paulo
• Sergio Sepúlveda V: Geólogo, Ph.D. U. Leeds
• Jorge Zornberg: Ingeniero Civil U. Nacional de Córdoba, M.Sc. PUC, PhD U. of California Berkely

Evaluation and Approval

• Attendance: Minimum 75% attendance required.
• Individual Work: Study of cases in each course.
• Final Note: Average of individual work notes.
• Approval: Final note above 4.0 (on a scale of 1.0 to 7.0).
• A digital Certificate of Approval and Certificate of Notes will be awarded upon completion.

Admission Requirements

To apply, candidates must submit:

• Photo of ID, DNI, or Passport (both sides).
• Certificate of relevant degree.
• Curriculum Vitae with relevant professional experience (minimum 1 year desirable).
• Letter of motivation.

Payment Methods

• Cash Payment: Transfer or WebPay with debit card.
• Installments: Up to 10 installments with credit card (national or international).
• Company Payment: Invoice and transfer for companies in Chile or internationally.

Discounts

• Early Bird Discount: 30% discount until January 31, 2026.
• Cash Payment Discount: 5% additional discount for cash payment (not cumulative with early bird discount).
• Other discounts available.

Value

The total value of the program is 140 UF / 5,700 USD, with a 30% discount for early registration until January 31, 2026.