University of Calgary Overview
University of Calgary - Overview & Background
The University of Calgary is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It started in 1944 as a part of the University of Alberta which was founded in 1908 and then went on to become an autonomous university in 1966. The University of Calgary employs a research-centric environment at both teaching and learning levels that gives an edge to Calgary over the other universities. It works with the aim to create a global space by encouraging diverse cultures to drive the learning experience in the university.
| Established |
26 April 1966 |
| University Type |
Public Research University |
| University Motto |
I will lift up my eyes |
|
University City |
Calgary, Alberta |
| Acceptance Rate |
15% |
| Graduation Rate |
78.4 |
| Employment Rate |
94.1% |
| Student to Faculty Ratio |
17:1 |
| Endowment |
C$1.2 billion |
|
Campus Size |
4.13 km2 (1.59 sq mi) |
|
Official Website Link |
|
|
Contact Details |
+1 403-220-5110 |
It strives to provide overall development of the students by providing them with services and programs related to sports and recreational activities. It has under its wing 13 schools including Cumming School of Medicine, Faculty of Arts, Haskayne School of Business and Schulich School of Engineering, to name a few.
It expands into five campuses, namely Main Campus, Foothills Campus, Downtown Campus and Spy Hill Campus.
University of Calgary Virtual Tour
Infrastructure
The University of Calgary has a wide variety of advanced learning facilities some of which are:
- Taylor Institute of Teaching and Learning,
- Energy Environmental Experiential Learning building,
- Taylor Family Digital Library,
- Heritage Medical Research Building,
- Rothney Astronomical Observatory Lab.
The Taylor Family Digital Library is a six-storey building which is open for access not just to the students or faculty of the university but anyone with the Alberta Library card.
Along with the library, it also houses other resource-acquiring facilities such as the Canadian Architectural Archives, Fine Arts and Visual Resource and The Military Museums Library and Archives. Aside from the academic facilities, it also includes University of Calgary Aquatic Centre, Fitness and Lifestyle Centre and Dance Studio.
Residing Options
The university provides on-campus housing options for both students and faculty. It has been noted that a total of 2500 to 3000 students and faculty members reside on campus.
The housing options include Rundle Hall and Kananaskis Hall, which are only for undergraduate students; Glacier and Olympus Hall, for the upper-year students; Yamnuska Hall, for sophomore student, which also includes fast-food facilities such as Starbucks, Domino's Pizza and Subway; Aurora Hall, for the upper-year students; Crowsnest Hall, for professional and graduate students; Varsity Courts is specifically for family housing; Hotel Alma, which belongs to the university, is especially constructed to accommodate guests and visiting professors.
For the first years, the accommodation fees from the month of September to April range from $7,999 to $11,299 inclusive of meal plans. Depending upon the choice of single, double-room, studio, or four-bedroom accommodation, the fees range from $5,893 to $8,369 for the non-first years.
Financial Aid
The University of Calgary offers a standard high-school level scholarship, which is the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship, however, it is only available for students who are the citizens of Canada. Along with this, the university through the Schulich Leader Scholarship program awards one $80,000.00 scholarship to a student enrolling in the Schulich School of Engineering and one $60,000.00 scholarship to a student enrolling in a Science, Technology or Mathematics program.
The O'Brien Centre Continuing Scholarship is available for students who are enrolled in the Bachelor of Health Sciences program and are balancing their academics along with extra-curricular activities. The Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship is valued at $10,000 at the Master's level and $15,000 at the PhD level.
Jobs and Placements
The students of the University of Calgary have rated four out of five stars for job satisfaction on Payscale. The university hosts career workshops for both the students as well as alumni. It also provides students with a number of career support opportunities such as the chance to consult a career advisor for a selection interview, cover letter and resume review, career planning and exploration, mock interviews etc.
The university also follows ‘Wellness Wednesday’ which holds career sessions and workshops for students to explore potential internships and employment areas.It also has options for employers to collaborate with the university to arrange opportunities that will benefit both the employer as well as the students.
Some of the popular recruiters for the university are:
- University of Calgary
- Canadian Natural Resources Limited
- ATB Financials
- Enbridge Pipelines Inc
- Calgary Board of Education.
Notable Alumni
Some famous alumni from University of Calgary include:
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John Anderson, B.A.: Rhodes Scholar
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Chip Wilson B.A, founder of Lululemon
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Pierre Poilievre, B.A.: Member of Canadian Parliament
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Diane Ablonczy, LL.B.: Member of Parliament of Canada
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Allison Beveridge, Olympic bronze medalist, cycling
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Mark Tewksbury, Olympic gold medalist, swimming
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Alan P. F. Sell, academic and theologian
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Steve Rodehutskors, Canadian football player
University of Calgary Location
The University of Calgary spreads at a generous 490 acres. Its main campus along with three other campuses are scattered across the Calgary, Alberta, region with the fifth located in Doha, Qatar. The university can be accessed through transports such as buses and light rails wherein the Transit Route maps are available at various Calgary Public Libraries or at the Calgary Transit Customer Service Centre. Students can purchase transit tickets such as the U-pass which allows unlimited public transit for the semester.
Students can also take a monthly transit pass. The cash fares for transit tickets are $3.40 for adults and $2.35 for children age 6 to 17 years.
The tickets are for purchase at various locations in Calgary, including the Stor on campus, or the Calgary Transit Customer Service Center. Those who wish to take a taxi to the university ought to be mindful of certain things such as the cab fare is determined by the meter and not by the driver, tips are optional, students can get to know the estimate of the fare when they call prior to dispatch, most taxi drivers also accept debit and credit card, taxis are available 24/7 (however during holidays and peak hours, it may get difficult to board one overall) and cabs are a slightly more expensive means to travel than bus or rail.
Suggested taxi companies in Calgary are: Associated Cab, Checker Cabs, Calgary United Cabs, Mayfair Taxi and Delta Cab Ltd.
University of Calgary Map Location
Address: 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
