Overview
York University is Committed to International Education and Research
York University in Toronto, Canada, is a highly selective institution that attracts the best and brightest students from around the globe. Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world. In fact, 49 percent of Toronto's population was born outside of Canada and more than 100 languages and dialects are spoken in the city. This diversity benefits the students from 155 countries who study at York.
The university encourages students to find opportunities in the global community, through work, study, or exchanges; it offers study abroad as part of an academic York Exchange Program, which includes cooperative agreements with more than 100 international universities. Students can also work abroad as part of the York International Internship Program (YIIP). York University undergraduate students can apply their academic knowledge to an international work environment and enhance their job-related skills. Each placement comes with a $3,000 award. York also allows its students to take part in international programs such as the Emerging Global Leaders Program - an award-winning leadership retreat that gives students the chance to gain skills and work towards goals in building their global awareness and leadership capabilities.
York University students can also add an international component to their schooling by choosing one of York's international Bachelor of Arts (iBA), international Bachelor of Science (iBSc), or international Bachelor of Business Administration (iBBA) programs. Students who fully integrate international experiences into their York University education may earn an International Experience Letter of Recognition and be honored at a special reception.
In addition, York University assists international students with a variety of scholarships. In 2008, York awarded 213 international scholarships, with values ranging from $1,000 to $100,000. International Merit Entrance Scholarships are awarded to entering first-year students with high academic averages and financial need.
York is Canada's Leading Interdisciplinary Teaching and Research University
Toronto's York University was conceived as an interdisciplinary university; it breaks down traditional boundaries and brings together thinkers from every discipline to tackle real-world issues. Its interdisciplinary approach recognizes that a world without borders needs an education without borders. York recognizes that it is the overlap and dialogue among disciplines that often provide the insights that illuminate the entire issue.
Students are welcomed to the Toronto campus of York University with challenges that will test their thinking and prepare them for career opportunities across many fields. Unlike more "traditional" universities, York is set up to deliver a choice of majors and minors across more than 100 programs. Many students combine majors and minors in completely different fields such as music and physics or psychology and business. In this way, York's structural flexibility is designed to match students' intellectual curiosity.
At York, students can get involved in leading research in Canada and around the world. In the last five years, two international university rankings have recognized York University in a substantial manner as a major international research university - the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Top 500, which is heavily weighted towards research in science, medicine, and engineering, and the Times Higher Education magazine's World University Rankings, which placed York 41st on its list of the Top 50 Universities for Social Sciences.
Student-Focused Services at York University are Key to Success
With 2.5 million-plus books and more than 28,000 full-text e-journals, York University libraries in Toronto are known for their outstanding collection of films and documentaries and special collections including personal papers of famous writers, artists, and leaders. York University librarians hold classes on research skills and offer e-mail, IM, and in-person reference services.
To help students reach their personal best, they'll find faculty-specific writing centres on York University's Toronto campus where they can develop and polish their writing skills in workshops and individual tutoring; English-language help from York's ESL Open Learning Centres; one-on-one guidance from tutors; York's Career Centre, offering career advice, workshops, and job listings; mentorship programs that team students with mentors that will share their life experiences, expert advice, and skills; online support available anytime, via a Web site that provides resources to enhance students' research, writing, and critical skills development; and counseling and development centres that offer a range of services to York University students, including personal counseling, group development workshops, learning skills training, and support for learning disabilities.
York University also supports an active campus life, home to more than 290 student clubs and events that are held year-round. The central campus office for international student services in Toronto, York International, offers orientation and a welcome program, a full-time student adviser, and social club. York International also administers the study abroad program and other international programs. From advice about finding employment to leadership programs, York International helps students feel comfortable at York and connect with other cultures.
