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

University of Prince Edward Island

550 University Avenue
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 4P3
Telephone: 902-566-0439

Profile

The University of Prince Edward Island is located in the provincial capital of Charlottetown, a friendly and culturally dynamic city of 32,000. With a legacy of 200 years of history and architecture of its predecessor institutions, small size and mixed rural/urban environment, UPEI has a distinctive character that combines tradition with leading-edge research and learning opportunities.

UPEI offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in six faculties in an atmosphere that provides students with a balanced environment of teaching, research and community service. A decade-long construction boom has resulted in several new buildings and renovations, including state-of-the-art research facilities, residences, sports complex and fitness centre, classrooms and student centre. With programs geared specifically for the transition from high school to university, UPEI does its best to nurture students’ interests and make them feel at home.

The Atlantic Veterinary College and the Faculty of Science offer MSc, MVSc and PhD programs in a wide range of disciplines related to animal and human health, biology and chemistry. The School of Nursing bases its curriculum on the principles of primary health care, with the option of an accelerated bachelor of science in nursing. The Faculty of Arts offers an interdisciplinary master of arts in island studies – the only one of its kind in the world. The Faculty of Education offers two-year post-degree bachelor degrees with specializations in international and Aboriginal education, French immersion and human resources development; a master of education (MEd) in leadership in learning, also offered in Fort McMurray and Nunavut; and a new PhD in educational studies. The School of Business is a recognized leader in business education with a focus on small business, and has a new executive-style MBA with specializations in biotechnology management and entrepreneurship and innovative management. It also offers a new bachelor of integrated studies and a joint bachelor of business studies in collaboration with Holland College. A master of applied health services research is offered in collaboration with Dalhousie University, the University of New Brunswick and Memorial University of Newfoundland. A new Assistant Vice-President of Graduate Studies and a new Office of Graduate Studies provide leadership in the development and delivery of graduate studies.

In recent years, UPEI has become home to an increasing number of international students, providing an international experience right on campus; indeed, one in ten students is from abroad and over 50 different countries are represented on campus. Access to formal exchanges, co-op and internship programs with partner universities around the globe offer students a chance to travel and learn.

History
Year of foundation: 1804
Former names of the institution: St. Dunstan’s University (1855); Prince of Wales College (1860).

Student fees

Canadian student fees  2009 - 2010 *
Undergraduate tuition fees: $4,710
Graduate tuition fees: $2,070 - $3,105

International student fees  2009 - 2010 *
Undergraduate tuition fees: $9,710
Graduate tuition fees: $5,403 - $8,105

* 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): 3,570
Full-time (graduates): 220
Part-time (undergraduates): 590
Part-time (graduates): 60

* Source: Association of Atlantic Universities

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
Accessibility services, advocacy, athletics facilities (gym, fitness centre, rink, pool, eight-lane 400-metre track, lighted synthetic turf field), career development centre, chaplaincy, counselling services, daycare, diversity office, emergency financial aid, equity outreach service, flexible meal plans, health centre, off-campus housing list, residence life programs, security services and campus safety (walksafe program, emergency poles), student health and dental plan, volunteer opportunities, wellness centre.  

Academic support services
Academic advising, adaptive technology lab, bookstore, science help centre, computer services, co-op programs, effective reading program, graduate testing, international student adviser, learning assistance, “live-chat” services (residence, student services, library), math help centre, recital hall, resource centre, scholarships and awards, student clubs and societies, student newspaper, teaching and learning centre, theatre club, tutoring, library, wireless Internet campus-wide, writing centre.

First-year student programs
Campus tours, new student orientation, first-year advisement centre, Global Issues 151 (a critical thinking and writing course), University 100 (credit course), transition program, student success program, residence life program (including free tutoring in residences), international student advisors, international student connections “buddy” program, English academic preparation program, Webster Centre for Teaching and Learning (includes writing, math and science help centres, writing and time management workshops, adaptive technology centre, effective reading program, tutoring), library tours.

Housing
On-campus: UPEI accommodates 434 students in three smoke-free residences, offering single or shared rooms in one-, two- and three-bedroom suites; or two-bedroom, apartment-style. While all residences are co-ed, men and women are not assigned to share suites, unless by special request (upper-year students only). Each student has access to telephone, cable and wireless Internet connections. UPEI offers all-you-care-to-eat meal plans with unlimited access until 10 p.m., with lots of healthy food choices. Prices for accommodation (with meal plan) range from $7,470 – $9,078/year. A private bedroom in a two-bedroom apartment (without meal plan) is $5,092/year.

Off-campus: Housing is readily available and usually within walking or public transit distance. Student Services maintains off-campus housing lists. Price range: room and board, $300/month; room with kitchen privileges, $350 - $450/month; one-bedroom, $450/month; bachelor, $300/month; two-bedroom apartment, $400 - $600/month; house, $800 - $1,000/month.

Student assistance
Undergraduate: First-year students: renewable full-tuition scholarships; various amounts of renewable scholarships, as well as non-renewable amounts. For students with an 85 percent average in grade 12 (conditions apply), guaranteed scholarships of $1,000 non-renewable. Several special entrance scholarships with amounts ranging from $1,000 non-renewable to $5,000 renewable.

Graduate: Internal funding is available for graduate student support, including $50,000 in new graduate scholarships. The university holds annual competitions for a limited number of stipends.

University research

Research is one of the fastest-growing areas at UPEI. Students work alongside their professors in newly renovated laboratory space doing meaningful research that contributes to the local, national and international scientific community.

Since the province's research activities focus around bioscience, it is fitting that UPEI's work is concentrated in aquatic health sciences, cognitive science/neuroscience, comparative biomedical sciences, and human development and health. To that end, eight Canada Research Chairs are based at UPEI, in watershed ecological integrity, marine natural products, psychoneuroimmunology, island studies, youth cultures in transition, biomedical optics, aquatic health science and population health (epi-informatics), education, research and service programs in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine play an increasingly critical role in protecting public health and food safety. A new research communications officer was hired to tell the stories of our innovative research to the public, research community and policy-makers.

UPEI is  part of a collaborative research facility with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the National Research Council, which provides an integrated, open-concept laboratory environment where researchers from UPEI, AAFC and NRC share lab facilities, bench space and support areas.

International education

UPEI has international exchange programs in the U.S., France, Malta, Finland, Sweden, Mexico, Italy, Greece Egypt, the U.K., China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Ireland, Malta, Portugal, the Netherlands, Turkey, West Indies and Australia, as well as opportunities to participate in co-op placements and professional internships around the globe.

The Faculty of Education offers a specialization in international education, with practicum placements in schools in 25 countries. The Atlantic Veterinary College has an ongoing program under the Mobility in Higher Education sponsored by HRSDC with l'Université de Montréal, universities of Iowa and Tuskegee (U.S.), and universities of Nuevo Leon and Guadalajara in Mexico. Farmers Helping Farmers sponsors ongoing projects in Kenya, while the Christian Veterinary Mission sponsors other projects in the Caribbean. The School of Business Administration offers study abroad and co-op education opportunities in Paris, Rennes and Amiens, France; Helsinki, Finland; Kagoshima, Japan; Vasteras and Götland, Sweden; St. Petersburg, Russia; Barbados; Arkansas and South Carolina, U.S.; and Colima and La Paz, Mexico. Nursing students have international study and practice opportunities in the U.S., Mexico, Estonia, Finland, Sweden and England. The Institute of Island Studies has a partnership arrangement for master of arts in island studies students to do international placements on developing islands with the Canadian International Development Agency.

International students have access to work opportunities on and off campus.

Contact
Dr. Rosemary Herbert
Vice-President, Academic Development and International Liaison Officer
Telephone: 902-566-0405
E-mail: rherbert@upei.ca
Website: www.upei.ca