Mais oui! French factor, location among draws to Concordia
Location is a major factor when students choose a university. And few places offer the same draw as Montreal, which boasts more students per capita than any other Canadian city.
As North America’s largest French-speaking city, Montreal is a fertile terrain for students who seek to learn a second or third language. What’s more, the metropolis is consistently rated as one of the world’s most livable. It is affordable, safe, diverse and renowned for its joie de vivre.
At Concordia the majority of classes are delivered in English, yet students can take extra courses in either language, in almost any subject, at three neighbouring universities. That opportunity is made possible through the Conference of Rectors and Principals of Quebec Universities, which is a consortium of English and French universities.
Big university, small colleges
Concordia has always offered a small-class experience that’s central to its core programs in the John Molson School of Business, the Faculty of Arts and Science, the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science, and the Faculty of Fine Arts.
For students who seek a more personalized experience within a large, urban university, Concordia features several small and renowned colleges: the Liberal Arts College, Loyola International College, the School of Canadian Irish Studies, the School of Community and Public Affairs, the Simone de Beauvoir Institute, and the Science College. Each year, the colleges welcome 765 students who benefit from an intimate education delivered by stellar professors.
Fine arts experience
The Faculty of Fine Arts at Concordia offers an unparalleled range of visual and performing arts programs.
As one of Canada’s first university-level programs in visual and performing arts, with about 3,000 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, the Faculty has enabled Quebec’s art scene to blossom and remain vibrant.
Concordia’s Faculty of Fine Arts, with showcases such as the FOFA Gallery, is a hotbed of innovation. Its programs include Art Education, Art History, Contemporary Dance, Creative Arts Therapies, Design and Computation Arts, Music, Studio Arts, Theatre, and the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema.
The Faculty is an emerging leader in ecologically responsible art practices. Concordia is also a partner in Hexagram, Canada’s pre-eminent media research hub, which features 80 researchers, 400 graduate students and four university partners. One of its highlights is the Hexagram Black Box, which serves as a pole for interdisciplinary research in new media art, design, interactive performance and media technologies.
A leader in psychology
Concordia is a leader in psychological research and features a unique clinical PhD program accredited by professional bodies in Quebec, Canada and the United States. Its world-renowned interdisciplinary centres include the Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology and the Centre for Research in Human Development. Together, Concordia psychology researchers amassed $7 million in research funding for 2009-10.
Genomics of the future
Concordia is set to be pivotal in environmental genomics through its Centre for Structural and Functional Genomics. The Centre received $22 million from Genome Canada, of which $17.4 million will be invested in a project to discover new approaches for biofuel production, which is among the largest investments in Genome Canada’s history.
Sustainable university
As Quebec’s first university to compost the organic waste of both its campuses, Concordia works hard to be sustainable. To educate students and the general public on sustainability initiatives, Concordia operates a greenhouse on the roof of its Henry F. Hall Building that serves as an organic research space. Among other green measures, students and staff who travel between Concordia’s two campuses are encouraged to limit their carbon footprint by boarding the university’s eco-friendly shuttle buses.
A leader in engineering
Concordia’s Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science is, notably, a world leader in aerospace and aviation.
- Its Institute of Aerospace Design and Innovation unites researchers and industry leaders from the highly competitive field.
- Concordia is home to the National Cyber-Forensics & Training Alliance, an international research group that studies cyber crime.
- And scientists at the Concordia Centre for Advanced Vehicle Engineering study ways to make vehicles safer.
John Molson School of Business
Concordia’s John Molson School of Business is one of the leading business schools in the country.
Its MBA program is third in Canada and first in Quebec, according to the 2009 Corporate Knights’ school ranking.
- The John Molson School of Business rated among the top 100 business schools in the Economist and “Best 300 Business Schools” in the Princeton Review.
- Its David O’Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise advances environmentally and socially sustainable core business strategies.
Comprehensive attractions
- Concordia is ranked among the top 500 universities by Times Higher Education.
- Concordia offers a Co-Curricular Record that recognizes volunteer initiatives and a complementary LIVE Centre that connects students with volunteer opportunities.
- Concordia is home to the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, which recently influenced American government policy to prevent genocide.
- Concordia leads the Solar Buildings Research Network that comprises 13 universities and over 20 industry partners.
Related links:
• "Concordia renaissance draws new students" - NOW, April 13, 2011
• Concordia Fast Facts
Media contact:
Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins
Senior advisor, external communications
University Communications Services
Concordia University
Phone: 514-848-2424, ext. 5068
Email: s-j.desjardins@concordia.ca
Twitter: http://twitter.com/concordianews