University of Calgary, Canada
- Open to undergraduate and postgraduate students
The University of Calgary has 14 faculties with more than 60 academic departments and is considered as one of the top research universities in Canada. It is situated on a beautifully landscaped 213-hectare campus in northwest Calgary. The University of Calgary serves 30,000 students registered in degree programmes, including over 1,900 international students from more than 90 countries. The campus is about 15 minutes by train (public transit) from downtown Calgary.
The University of Calgary has the finest combined athletic facilities in Canada, including the country’s only covered speed skating oval, which is frequented by many Olympic athletes for training. Other facilities include two hockey rinks, tennis courts, a triple gymnasium, the city’s largest racquet centre (with squash and racquetball courts), an Olympic-size swimming pool, weight rooms, a newly-renovated health and lifestyle centre, jogging tracks, a gymnastic centre, and a huge indoor climbing wall.
Calgary is one of Canada’s most liveable cities, including being heralded as the safest, friendliest, most affordable, and most dynamic multicultural cities. The Rocky Mountains are invariably cited as the city’s most outstanding feature. The famous town of Banff (a short drive 113 km west of Calgary) is the gateway to thousands of acres of natural parklands, superb scenery, and some of the best hiking, mountain climbing, skiing, fishing, boating, camping, and horseback riding in the world. The University of Calgary recognizes the uniqueness of the nearby wilderness by offering recreational programs for many of the outdoor activities that people enjoy in the Rockies.
Credit system
Four 3-unit courses per semester at Calgary equate to 60 credits at Massey. Courses average 3-4 hours per week of classroom hours each, although science courses may average 5 hours per week. There are 13 weeks per semester at Calgary.
Course codes
200-level course equate to 100-level at Massey. 300-level courses equate to 200-level Massey. 400-level courses equate to 300-level at Massey. 500-level courses equate to Honours-level at Massey. 600 and 700-level are postgraduate courses.
Academic calendar
The University of Calgary has two main semesters (terms) per year, each of which has 13 weeks of lectures and two weeks of examinations:
Fall Semester: September - December
Winter Semester: January - April
Accommodation
Exchange Students may apply to live in university residences during their exchange placement whether for one semester or two. Students must complete the University Housing Application (available online) and return it to the Housing Office with the necessary fee.
On-campus housing can be extremely limited and acceptance as an exchange student does not guarantee placement in Residence. The University of Calgary recommends that students apply as early as possible(even before receiving their acceptance letter) for the best selection of available housing options. Students staying for the academic year and students coming in the Winter (January) semester have the best chances of getting into on-campus housing.
Courses
Communication and Culture, Fine Arts*, Humanities, Kinesiology / Human Movement, Schulich School of Engineering*, Science, Social Sciences, and Social Work.
*Space in many Engineering and Fine Arts courses can be subject to very high demand, and enrolment into specific courses is not guaranteed. Students majoring in these subject areas must be very flexible with their course choices.
Exchange students to Calgary are not permitted to enrol in papers in the following faculties: Education, Medicine, Nursing, Outdoor Pursuits and Veterinary Medicine.
Courses at the Haskayne School of Business have extremely limited enrolment, and students requiring business and management courses should not rely on the availability of any course. The MBA programme is not open to exchange students.