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

St. Francis Xavier University

PO Box 5000
Antigonish, Nova Scotia B2G 2W5
Telephone: 902-863-3300

President: Dr. Sean E. Riley

Profile

St. Francis Xavier University offers what so many of Canada’s top students are seeking: a high quality education, focused principally on the undergraduate, in a vibrant residential setting. StFX is meeting the needs of today’s undergraduates through outstanding teaching, exceptional hands-on research experiences, the very best in a residential community, and unique opportunities to make a contribution to communities at home and abroad.

For more than 150 years, StFX has helped shape the world in which we live. From the halls of StFX have come a prime minister, provincial premiers, Rhodes scholars, scientists, and religious and business leaders.

The university brings together 4,200 students in arts, science, business and information systems, and applied programs. The unique StFX brand of education offers an excellent student-to-faculty ratio and exceptional opportunities for personal growth in a close-knit residential campus.

Because we’re a small university where research is a priority, StFX offers its students individual attention and exceptional hands-on opportunities to participate in research early in their academic career. The results are impressive. StFX students consistently receive more Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council awards for postgraduate study than any university in Canada, on a per capita basis.

StFX offers students and professors in all disciplines access to advanced web communication tools and an innovative computer environment linking students with professors, classmates and the world.

The StFX experience reflects a tradition of social responsibility and community service. The community development work at the heart of the Antigonish Movement has been carried out locally by StFX’s extension department since 1928, and globally by the Coady International Institute on campus since 1959. Since then, the Coady has gained a reputation as a centre of excellence in global education.

StFX is located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, a small town nestled along the beautiful northeastern coast of Nova Scotia, near Cape Breton Island.

History
Year of foundation: 1853
Former names of the institution: St. Francis Xavier College/Seminary (1855); St. Francis Xavier University (1866).

Student fees

Canadian student fees  2008 - 2009 *
Undergraduate tuition fees: $6,335
Graduate tuition fees: $5,929 - $6,690

International student fees  2008 - 2009 *
Undergraduate tuition fees: $12,410 - $12,540
Graduate tuition fees: $12,595

* Source: St. Francis Xavier University

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

2007 rounded preliminary fall enrolment *
Full-time (undergraduates: 4,100
Full-time (graduates): 70
Part-time (undergraduates): 520
Part-time (graduates): 220

* Source: St. Francis Xavier 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
Art gallery, chaplaincy services, contact person for gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual students, counselling centre, financial aid office, human rights and equity services, health services, residence life programs and services, early childhood education centre, nightline helpline for students, observatory, athletics and recreational services.

Academic support services
Aboriginal student advisor, Black student advisor, career and graduate school resource centre, career planning and placement service, international student advisor, mature student advisor, course-based and immersion service learning, services for students with disabilities, and writing centre.

First-year student programs
Orientation program, academic advisers and on-going support and personal development programs and sessions are offered. The writing centre offers an optional, non-credit, full-year course on transition into university: time management, research and writing skills, note-taking and study skills.

Housing
On-campus: The university accommodates more than 1,850 students in single and double rooms in traditional dormitory residences, apartment-style complexes and our new modern suite-style complex (the latter two for senior or mature students). Residences are male-only, female-only and co-ed. Annual costs: traditional residence, room and board, $7,505 - $8,900; apartments and suite-style, $5,850 - $6,965 including minimum $500 commitment to food plan. Rooms are equipped with Internet and cable TV connections, and phones with private voice-mail. Rooms for new students are allotted on the basis of receipt of the room reservation deposit with the resident contract.

Off-campus: Housing is readily accessible. Price range: one-room, $100/week; one-bedroom, $350 - $450/month; two-bedroom, $400 - $600/month; three-bedroom, $800 - $1,000/month; four or more bedroom house, $1,000 and up.

Student assistance
Undergraduate: St. Francis Xavier University offers more than 1,000 scholarships, awards and bursaries. Guaranteed entrance scholarships of $3,500 are provided to students with a minimum high school average of 85 percent; $4,000 is the minimum award for those with an average above 90 percent. Upper level scholarships range from $10,000 to $32,000 over four years. In-course scholarships are also available, ranging from $1,000 to $6,000 annually. The university offers bursaries, grants and other awards based on academic standing, financial need and extra-curricular activities. Student jobs are also available on campus.

University research

Research has played a large role in StFX becoming Canada’s leading undergraduate university. Since 1990, for example, StFX has ranked first among Atlantic Canada’s undergraduate universities in total amount of faculty research grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. StFX now has nine active Canada Research Chairs, half of whom are women of excellence. Undergraduate students in arts and sciences have numerous opportunities to collaborate with faculty and to gain graduate-level research experience; this outstanding work is recognized annually at the StFX Student Research Day. 

StFX’s cutting-edge service learning program adds another rich dimension by integrating experiential learning, academic study and community service.

The university has a new physical sciences complex, and as one of four primary partners in ACEnet (Atlantic Computational Excellence Network), StFX is becoming a major player in computation-based research in Canada. Health research is a major thrust for interdisciplinary work at the university; in 2006, StFX became the home of the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health, one of only six NCCs in Canada.

International education

StFX has agreements with more than 30 colleges and universities in the United States, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, France, Denmark, Czech Republic, Australia, and the United Kingdom. In addition, students have spent their junior year in Russia, Lesotho, Israel, Australia, Scotland and the United Kingdom. Students spend one or two terms studying at partner institutions. Course credits earned at partner institutions are transferred to StFX and satisfy some of the students’ degree requirements. Students from the sciences, arts and business have participated in exchange programs. Students with a GPA of 70 or above, including honours students, have participated. Spaces are limited at partner institutions and the process is competitive. Second language learning, new approaches to academic study, cultural experiences and travel are large motivators. Students regularly maintain or exceed their academic standing while studying at partner institutions.

Contact
Ms. Brenda Berthiaume, International Student Advisor
International Students Office
Telephone: 902-867-3678
E-mail: bberth@stfx.ca

Weblink: Coady International Institute (www.coady.stfx.ca)