Saint Mary's University
Founded 1802 | Halifax, NS
Nestled in the heart of Halifax, Saint Mary’s University is marked by iconic buildings, green spaces and fresh ocean air. The university keeps classes small, with an average of 40 students in an introductory course. Saint Mary’s also has a strong international community; almost a third of its student body hails from more than 118 countries. “Saint Mary’s is a caring, close-knit community more typically associated with smaller universities, combined with the research and student engagement opportunities of the largest Canadian institutions,” says president Robert Summerby-Murray. “We offer a bright, ambitious vision for the future—a world without limits.”
The entrepreneurial spirit is strong at the Sobey School of Business, which offers a solid slate of programs at the graduate and undergraduate level. Bachelor of commerce students get a rigorous grounding in business basics and lots of opportunities for hands-on learning through case competitions, international experience, student-run investment programs and interaction with the business community. The campus is small and intimate, occupying a leafy city block in Halifax’s South End. Downtown, with its restaurants and animated nightlife, is only minutes away. A network of overpasses and tunnels gets students to and from class without having to set foot outside—handy in the winter months.
Standout Programs
• Finance: Students get real-world practice by managing an investment fund and participating in competitions, conferences, co-ops and international exchanges.
• Intercultural Studies: Students in this flexible, interdisciplinary program learn languages and gain intercultural skills in class and through experiential opportunities, such as community service learning and study abroad.
• Forensic Science: Designed to complement a bachelor of science degree, this certificate develops critical thinking and the methods for evaluating information and analyzing data as it applies to the law.
Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)
$8,547 ($9,830 out-of-province students)
Minimum Entering Grades
Arts: 70% · Science: 70.8% · Commerce: 70% · Engineering: 72.4%
Student Body
Undergraduates: Full-time: 5,217 · Part-time: 137
Graduates: Full-time: 448 · Part-time: 154
International Students: First-year: 19.9% · Graduate: 52.9%
Male-Female Ratio: 49 to 51
Housing Facts
Residence Spaces: 918 (first come, first served)
Residence Costs: Single room with meals: $12,600 to $13,050 · Apartment-style: $7,825 to $8,055
Cool Courses
• Arts Beyond Boundaries: First-year students explore a central theme that changes each year. They encounter methods and approaches across disciplines and develop research skills.
• Creative Destruction and Innovation: This course in entrepreneurship examines innovation as a stimulus for economic activity. The focus is on methodologies designed to solve complex problems.