The University of Alberta was established in 1906 in Edmonton (Alberta, Canada) as a single, public county university through the University Act, passed during the 1st session of the then-new Legislative Assembly, with Premier Alexander C. Rutherford as the legislation's sponsor. The university was designed and planned on the American state university, with prominence on extension work and applied research. The governance was structured on Ontario's University of Toronto Act of 1906, with a diploid system consisting of a senate (faculty) responsible for academic policy and a board of governors (citizens) controlling financial policies and having formal ascendency in all other matters. The president, delegated by the board, provided a conjugate between the two bodies and performed institutional leadership.
Bitter squabbles took place between the cities of Calgary and Edmonton over the surroundings of the state capital and the university. It was concluded that the capital would be north of the North Saskatchewan Riverside and that the university would be in a city south side. The city of Edmonton became the capital, and the then-separate city of Strathcona on the southern bank of the river, where Premier Alexander Rutherford lived, was sanctioned by the university. When the two cities coalesced in 1912, Edmonton became both the political and academic capital.
The university has had confederations with several religiously-based post-secondary institutions over the years: St. Stephen's College, St. Joseph's College (Roman Catholic), Concordia University College, King's College (mixed/varied). Campus Saint-Jean, which began in 1910 as a Juniorate of the Oblate Order with connections to the University of Ottawa, became part of the University of Alberta in 1963 and now offers bachelor and some master's programs in French. In 2004 the university took over Camrose Lutheran College, which was later recognized as Augustana Campus in that city.
The University of Alberta formulated branches in Calgary and Lethbridge in the 1950s, which became independent universities in 1966 and 1967, respectively.
The university has 5 distinguished campuses, including, in addition to the North Campus, 2 auxiliary satellite campuses: Campus Saint-Jean in south-east Edmonton and Augustana Campus in Camrose, 90 km south-east of Edmonton. An extensively modernized and remodeled historic Hudson's Bay departmental store in Edmonton, renamed Enterprise Square, delivers as a campus for adult students belonging to the Faculty of Extension. The university owns a large area of mostly undeveloped land (used as an experimental farm and the site of several agricultural and sports facilities) slightly south of the main campus, called South Campus (previously the University Farm), in which an entirely new university complex of similar magnitude to the North Campus will be constructed. The existing campuses are:
The U of A has about 40,300 students, including approximately 7,800 graduate students and 7,900 international students representing 152 countries. Various faculties at U of Alberta
Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Arts
School of Business
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Extension
Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
Faculty of Native Studies
Faculty of Nursing
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation
School of Public Health
Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine
Faculty of Science
The university offers post-secondary education in about 390 undergraduate and about 500+ graduate programs.
Academic Year: The academic year is divided into 4sub-divisions known as "terms" as below | |
July to August | Summer Term |
September to December | Fall Term |
January to April | Winter Term |
May to June | Spring Term |
Below are some critical dates for Fall 2022 admission. For more details, please refer to the University Calendar
Schedule for 2021-22 | |
1stOctober 2021 | Date of Opening: application date for admissions, awards, and residences |
1st October2021 | Date of Opening: application date for Spring & Summer 2022 admission |
16thOctober 2021 | Open House |
12thJanuary 2022 | Entrance Award application last date. |
14thFebruary 2022 | Submission of new final high school marks in the application |
15thFebruary 2022 | Deadline for submission Program Change Request form |
1stMarch2022 | Deadline for submission of admission application for most programs |
31stMarch 2022 | Deadline for acceptance of admission offer for Fall 2021 Juris Doctor (Law) program. |
26thApril 2022 | Class Schedule released for planning purposes. |
30thApril 2022 | Last date to self-report final high school marks in application. |
30thApril 2022 | Deadline for new students to apply for North Campus residences for a guaranteed spot. Applications may also be considered after this date. |
April 2022 | Opening of Registration for courses-Fall 2022. |
March & April 2022 | Attend a Registration Workshop |
1stMay 2022 | Deadline for acceptance of admission offers made before 1st April. However, admission evaluations are done on a rolling basis. |
15thJune 2022 | Deadline for submission of transcripts and other requirementsfor post-secondary applicants. |
1stAugust 2022 | Deadline to submit pending documents for high school students. For Alberta applicants, high school transcriptions are automatically obtained on their behalf and are usually received by the Registrar’s Office in early August. |
September 2022 | Classes begin…… |
In the University of Alberta, academic grading follows a format of letter grades (A to D), sentences describing how well one's performance is to the curricular tasks expected, and percentages generally reserved for high percentages are used.
Letter | Percent |
A+ | 95% to100% |
A | 86% to 94% |
A− | 80% to 85% |
B+ | 77% to 79% |
B | 74% to 76% |
B− | 70% to 73% |
C+ | 67% to 69% |
C | 64% to 66% |
C− | 60% to 63% |
D+ | 57% to 59% |
D | 54% to 56% |
D− | 50% to 53% |
F | 0% to 49% |
2003 onwards, the university used a 4-point letter-grading pattern to evaluate Grade Point Averages (GPA).
Grade points indicate acumen of student’s achievement & performance in a class. The educators' gauge in terms of raw scores, pecking order the papers in order of excellence, and accredit an appropriate grade to each paper.
Descriptor | Letter Grade | Grade Point Value |
Excellent | A+ A A- |
4.00 4.00 3.70 |
Good | B+ B |
3.30 3.00 |
Satisfactory | B- C+ |
2.70 2.30 |
Failure | C C- D+ D F |
2.00 1.70 1.30 1.00 0.00 |
In addition to the letter grades described above, the University of Alberta currently registers the following grades and remarks:
Final Grades | |
AE. | aegrotat standing |
AU. | registered as an auditor |
AW. | registered as an auditor and withdrew |
CR. | completed requirements, no grade point assigned |
EX. | Exempt |
IN. | Incomplete |
IP. | course in progress |
IP.* | withdrawn from or failed course in progress |
NC. | fail, no grade point value assigned |
W. | withdrawn with permission |
* Further discussion on the University of Alberta's evaluation procedures and grading system can be tracked in the University Calendar. |
Courses | Duration | Tuition Fees |
Medicine and HealthCare (4 Courses) | 6 Month- 3 Year | C$ 8,070– C$ 10,300 |
MBA (9 Courses) | 16 Month - 4 Year | C$ 36,900– C$ 15600 |
Engineering (13 Courses) | 18 Month - 4 Year | C$ 9,600 |
Science (9 Courses) | 20 Month - 4 Year | C$9,000 |
Arts (2 Courses) | 2 Year - 4 Year | C$ 9,600– C$ 21,000 |
Law (1 Course) | 1 year | C$ 11,300 |
Information Technology (IT) (3 Courses) | 2 Year - 4 Year | C$ 9,400– C$40,000 |
Main factors that will influence how much one’s degree will cost
Living costs vary greatly based on an individual's overall standard of living. These costs and figures are approximate and for a general guideline. All figures are in Canadian dollars (CAD).
8 months ($CAD) | 12 months ($CAD) | |
Food1 | $2,600 | $2,900 |
Clothing | $450 | $650 |
Public Transit Pass2 | $0 | $310 |
Books and Supplies | $1,250 | |
Miscellaneous | $1,500 | $2,230 |
Note 1: Buying a meal plan is mandatory for students living in Lister Hall and optional for those living in other residences. Food costs for students living off-campus may vary.
Note 2: Student public transport pass for September to April is included in U of Alberta's non-instructional fees. From May to August, students may opt for a public transport pass.
Residences are allotted on a first-come, first-served basis based on the date eligible individuals opted to live in residence. This is, however, not applicable to Lister Residence and International House. Offers may reshape depending on inhabitancy and/or operational requirements.
Applications for Winter 2022 will commence in mid-September.
Various residences at the University of Alberta are:
Lister Residence is a traditional 1st-year dorm room residence with five towers branching off of the central building. This residence also has academic and non-academic companion floors, quiet floors, and substance-free floors.
Peter Lougheed Hall
Peter Lougheed Hall is one of the university’s newest student residences, commenced in Fall 2017 with space for nearly 150 residents.
Nipsey House
The newest, state-of-the-art residence has large multi-room apartments, with all the conveniences that one needs. For 2021-2022, Nîpisîy House is the home to the Faculty of Engineering Colleagues as well as upper-year undergraduate students.
Pinecrest and Tamarack House
Modern, walk-up apartments, snuggled in the opulent Garneau environment, steps away from Edmonton's stunning river valley.
HUB
HUB is an unparalleled residence located in the proximity of high traffic campus shopping center. Residence units are accessed through staircases leading to the shopping center.
Aspen and Maple House
Live-in walk-up apartment comprises of one to four bedrooms in Aspen and Maple House, conventionally known as East Campus Village or ECV.
Linden House
Linden House is located in a picturesque adjacency on the eastern side of campus.
Alder House
Located in a spectacular neighborhood on the eastern side of campus, the University’s Alder House residence provides on-campus residence housing in a co-educational community.
International House
I-House is home to residents from Canada and around the world who augment the Global Education program.
Graduate Residence
Graduate Residence consists of four alluring buildings: Rockcress, Stonecrop, Juniper, and Speedwell.
What types of rental accommodation are available?
Edmonton has a wide variety of accommodations available. Here are some options to better acquaint oneself with the options he/she can expect.
University of Alberta World Ranking
The University of Alberta is adequately recognized worldwide. Following are the 2021 World Rankings of U of Alberta by some acclaimed ranking agencies. When we look at the performance of UofAlberta nationally, then its performance has been commendable and stood at #5 rank in QS University rankings Canada 2021. However, it has been placed at #119 pin the QS World University Rankings 2021. Likewise, the University of Alberta has been ranked at #6 position Times Higher Education nationally, and it has been positioned #131 in the World University Ranking 2021.
The University of Alberta has sustained its quality of ranking and research output for the last 5 years and has been placed among the top 150 higher education institutes worldwide by Shanghai Ranking (ARWU). The employment recruiters have acknowledged the University of Alberta and have been amongst the most employable in Canada as per the QS graduate employment rankings.
Ranking By | Year 2016 | Year 2017 | Year 2018 | Year 2019 | Year 2020 | Year 2021 |
ARWU (Shanghai Ranking) - Universities Rankings. | #101to150 | #101 to 150 | #101 to 150 | #101 to 150 | #101 to 150 | NA |
QS - World University Ranking. | NA | #94 | #90 | #109 | #113 | #119 |
THE (Times Higher Education) - University Ranking. | NA | #107 | #119 | #132 | #136 | #131 |
US News & World Report - Global Universities. | NA | NA | #137 | #139 | #139 | #138 |
Here is the basic application process of the University of Alberta and things one needs to take into consideration:
Choosing the right program:
At the University of Alberta, one gets to opt between 300+ UG programs and 500+ graduate programs. Thus, choosing the right option may seem staggering. Before choosing a program it's best to carefully go through the program offerings, time duration, and future prospects.
Check the entry requirements:
It is felicitous to check the entry requirements of the programs of one’s preference and contact the respective department in case of any doubt. This is essential because:
Make an application:
After completing the steps mentioned above, one may then proceed with the online application process. It is better to keep all the documents accessible before applying for admission. Please note that the online application process hardly takes quite less time involvement to complete and will require you to pay an application fee of up to 100 C$.
The completion of the process of applying at the University of Alberta can be accomplished in a few easy steps:
In order to maximize one’s prospects of admission, it is always recommended that the aspirants apply for two programs. When they mention two preferences, they will be required to specify their first choice and second choice of program.
Firstly, one’s first choice program will be taken into consideration, and his/her application will be scrutinized for determining eligibility.
In case if the aspirant’s application and the supporting documents are found to be satisfactory, an offer of a place will be made for the 1st choice program. And if he/she does not qualify, their 2ndchoice program will be considered for evaluation.
On clearing the eligibility criteria, one will receive an offer letter which they need to accept. One can accept the offer for a 2nd choice program even if there’s a delay in the acceptance letter for the 1st program choice.
Since thousands of candidates are applying for admission, it becomes extremely important that one drafts application stand apart by some good letters of reference and an incredibly enrapturing statement of purpose. Also, probable candidates should keep careful track of admission-related deadlines and must ensure to send in all the essential documents on time to bypass any last-minute rush & complications.
Scholarships | |
International Student Scholarships | Value: C$9,000 |
Gold Standard Scholarship | Value: C$6,000 |
University of Alberta International Country Scholarship | Value: C$5,000 |
University of Alberta International Entrance Citation | Value: C$40,000 (payable over 4 years) |
University of Alberta Centenary Scholarship | Value: C$30,000 (payable over 3 years) |
International Leadership Scholarship | Value: C$7,500 |
In terms of employability, the University of Alberta has proved itself as one of the best universities in Canada for obtaining the highest scores for the 'Partnerships with Employers' category (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020).
University of Alberta Placement Highlights | |
Annual Median Salary (Within 6 months) | C$50,00 to 55,000 |
Annual Median Salary (Within 5 years) | C$70,000 to 75,000 |
Students with Permanent Jobs (Within 6 months) | 64.0% |
Students with Permanent Jobs (Within 5 years) | 82.0% |
Students with Temporary Jobs (Within 6 months) | 36.0% |
Students with Temporary Jobs (Within 5 years) | 18.0% |
Companies primarily hiring U of Alberta graduates, and the corresponding pay ranges are mentioned below.
Employer | PPay Range (in C$)D) |
Alberta Health Services | 68,500-1,22,500 |
University of Alberta | 42,000-1,05,000 |
Government of Alberta | 60,000-1,20,000 |
Alberta Blue Cross | 43,500-1,38,500 |
Canadian Western Bank | 51,000-120,000 |
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