Quick links Student fees Student enrolment Programs and degrees Student facilities and services University research International education Web site: www.cmu.ca

Canadian Mennonite University

500 Shaftesbury Boulevard
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3P 2N2
Telephone: 204-487-3300
Toll-free: 1-877-231-4570

Profile

Rooted in the Anabaptist faith tradition, and with an emphasis on peace, justice, service and community, Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) seeks to inspire and equip students for lives of service, leadership and reconciliation in church and society.

With 52 faculty, CMU offers undergraduate degrees in arts, music, music therapy, theology and church ministries, and graduate studies in theology and church ministries. CMU’s program in peace and conflict studies is among the largest in Canada, and its program in music therapy is the only one of its kind within the prairie provinces. 

CMU operates on two campuses. The Shaftesbury Campus is located in the southwestern part of Winnipeg, near the city’s largest park and beside an urban forest, yet only fifteen minutes from downtown. The Menno Simons College (MSC) campus is located at, and affiliated with, the downtown University of Winnipeg. CMU also offers the Outtatown School of Discipleship, an eight-month adventure and education program that finds students spending the first semester at various wilderness and inner-city locations within Canada. For the second semester, they are located either in Guatemala or in South Africa.

CMU values strong academics, excellent teaching and rigorous thinking. CMU does this within a framework shaped by the Christian faith tradition, and with the conviction that faith makes a difference in how people understand the world, how they live and how they relate to others.

CMU also emphasizes practical preparation for a career. Through its unique practicum program, students can put their education into practice, test career interests and provide needed service in Canada, the U.S. and around the world.

All this takes place in the context of a strong and caring community environment. CMU’s goal is to provide an educational experience where students can develop not just academically, but also emotionally and spiritually.

Through five institutes, centres or schools, CMU partners with various groups to serve the community in areas such as the environment, peacebuilding, congregational resources, music and writing. Through Portable CMU, professors are available to teach across Canada at the request of local agencies or congregations.

History
Year of foundation: 1998
Former names of the institution: Mennonite Brethren Bible College/Concord College; Canadian Mennonite Bible College; Menno Simons College.

Student fees

Canadian student fees  2009 - 2010 *
Undergraduate tuition fees: $5,800 - $7,069
Graduate tuition fees: $5,800

International student fees  2009 - 2010 *
Undergraduate tuition fees: $11,526 - $11,599
Graduate tuition fees: $5,800

* Source: Statistics Canada. Fees for general programs in arts and humanities.

Note: In addition to tuition fees, universities generally charge fees for goods and services supplied to students. This includes areas such as student associations, sports and health. These additional fees vary widely per university and per student and can run from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. Check with the university for details.

Student enrolment

2009 rounded preliminary fall enrolment *
Full-time (undergraduates): 500
Full-time (graduates): 10
Part-time (undergraduates): 80
Part-time (graduates): 24

* Source: Canadian Mennonite University

Programs and degrees

Note: The program information is compiled by AUCC staff in cooperation with staff at member institutions. The programs are classified according to the Classification of Instructional Programs 2000. To search for the programs offered by this institution, please consult the Directory of Canadian Universities’ programs database online at http://www.aucc.ca/can_uni/search/index_e.html.

Student facilities and services

Personal support services
At CMU’s Shaftesbury campus, the Student Life department helps students to get the most out of the university experience through residential and commuter life committees and services, social events, retreats, chapels, athletics, small groups and many other informal activities. CMU also offers counselling, spiritual formation and access to various health services. CMU offers on-campus employment for students at its Shaftesbury campus and provides support for international students and students with disabilities.

At the Menno Simons College campus, the Student Services department provides opportunities for students to interact with each other outside of the classroom through community lunches, social activities, a winter retreat, a social justice job fair and programs that help students envision career possibilities.

Academic support services
In addition to regular academic advising, students are assigned an academic advisor at the beginning of the school year. CMU also provides job fairs and a practicum program that finds students serving and learning in Canada and around the world. These practicum programs are an excellent way to put their education into practice, gain experience and test career interests.

First-year student programs
At the beginning of each academic year, students at the Shaftesbury campus participate in a weeklong orientation. This includes an introduction to CMU’s mission and values, information about campus life, athletics, library, information technology, student-run associations and activities, residence life and various services available to students. The week also includes a welcome and orientation for parents.

Housing
CMU has residence space at its Shaftesbury campus for 275 in three buildings: The Katherine Friesen Apartments, Poettker Hall and Concord Hall. Housing options include furnished one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, studios and separate dormitories for men and women.

All apartments include a full kitchen, bathroom and living room. Utilities are included in the rental price. Each residence has coin operated laundry facilities and large common rooms. Costs range from $935 per semester for a double-occupancy dorm room to $3,749 per semester for a three-bedroom apartment.

All students living in dormitories are required to participate in the full board meal plan ($1,743 per semester). Single students living in apartments are required to purchase a meal plan for one lunch and one supper per week ($278 per semester).

* CMU is a member of the Manitoba Colleges Athletics Conference and the Association of Christian Colleges Athletics. CMU's Student Council organizes additional recreational activities. Students have access to the fitness room.

Student assistance
CMU provides more than $200,000 in scholarships each year; over half of students receive scholarships or bursaries. Full-time students with high school averages above 80 percent automatically qualify for academic entrance awards of between $800 to $1,500. Academic entrance awards are also given to transfer students (those who have attended other colleges or universities). Entrance scholarships are also offered for those gifted in areas of leadership, church service, music and athletics.

Along with these entrance scholarships, CMU has a variety of other scholarships and bursaries available to returning students, including a leadership scholarship valued at $10,000 over four years.

CMU is recognized as a designated educational institution under the Canada Student Loan program. It is also approved for student loans from the U.S. Department of Education for students from the U.S. CMU students are also eligible to apply for tax credits for tuition from the Province of Manitoba if they stay in the province after graduation. International students at CMU can also work off-campus through the federal and Manitoba Off-Campus Work Permit Program.

University research

Although CMU is principally an undergraduate liberal arts university, in which faculty sustain a significant teaching load, research is nonetheless a vital part of the academic life of both faculty and students. Several faculty hold SSHRC awards, and many publish regularly in academic journals specific to their discipline. CMU’s MA programs include substantial research requirements.

The university supports research through the office of the Vice-President Academic. In addition to their faculty professional development allowance, faculty have access to research and development grants, and course release in support of major research projects.

International education

All students who wish to graduate from CMU are required to do a practicum assignment during the school year or during the summer. Students enrolled as International Development Studies majors at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses usually do their practica in the developing world with various non-profit groups in the areas of humanitarian aid, development or peacemaking. CMU also operates Outtatown, an eight-month adventure and education program that finds students serving and learning in Guatemala or South Africa.