University of Montreal

Overview

Université de Montréal, or the University of Montreal, is an independent public research university whose primary language of instruction is French. Set in the vicinity of Outremont and Côte-des-Neiges, the university is a leading institution in the realm of scientific inquiry, ranking highly in Canada and the world. It comprises 13 faculties and schools with over 60 departments. The institution has two higher education schools connected to it as well, the Polytechnique Montréal and the HEC Montréal, the former a school for engineering and the latter for business. Overall, the university offers over 600 undergraduate and graduate programs, more than 70 of which are for those who pursue a doctorate.

The three courses it offered when it first opened in 1878—theology, law, and medicine—are some of the most popular in the university. Additionally, UdeM, as the university is referred to for short, is also known for its rigorous approach to computer science education. These, and other classes, are taught in French. Fortunately for English speakers, a few graduate programs—pharmacology, biochemistry, and neuroscience—are available in English. Nevertheless, students who want to enroll in majors that are not offered in English can improve their French language skills through the tutorials, workshops, and classes in the university.

To support the studies of students, the University of Montreal’s library facilities has more than three million books and documents on offer. Students can also access numerous online databases and catalogs. Plus, if the material or resource they are looking for are not in the university, they can check the catalogs of external libraries directly.

Apart from its dedication to academics, Université de Montréal is also engaged heavily in research. Indeed, it has 465 research units and two university-hospital research centers. Among these are the Institute for Data Valorization (IVADO), the International Centre for Comparative Criminology, and the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC). IVADO is concerned with digital intelligence and its possible utilities in areas such as sustainable development, transport and logistics, health, natural resources, and business and finance. Meanwhile, IRIC works extensively to uncover the secrets of cancer and to develop cures for the disease. Lastly, the Centre is looking into processes that have the potential to curb criminal behavior, at the same time actively expanding its collaboration with community, private, and public institutions.

Université de Montréal has other big research projects, some of which are done together with international partners. To ensure that research aims are reached, the university’s researchers receive funding from external sources, including Canadian government units.