University of King's College

Founded 1789 | Halifax, NS

King’s is one of Canada’s oldest and smallest universities, known for its interdisciplinary programs in the humanities and journalism. The campus is nestled on the northwest corner of Dalhousie University; the two universities grant joint degrees. A central quadrangle is surrounded by an award-winning library, stone residences, a chapel and a gym. Most first-year students enrol in the unique Foundation Year Program, where they study great works of Western thought and take part in lectures and small-group tutorials. Then they can take one of King’s honours programs in their upper years while completing one of four undergraduate degrees offered by King’s and Dalhousie.

“We understand that exceptional futures depend on exceptional beginnings,” says president William Lahey. “King’s students gain an education and friendships that serve them for a lifetime in a changing world that needs all they have to offer.” Another big draw is the school of journalism, writing & publishing, which offers a four-year honours bachelor’s degree, a one-year bachelor’s degree for students who already have a degree, a two-year master of journalism, and two master of fine arts programs, in fiction and in creative non-fiction. Extracurriculars include an impressive music scene, a theatrical society, one of the oldest college literary societies in North America and a renowned chapel choir.

Standout Programs

• Foundation Year Program: Students trace the history of ideas through an interdisciplinary exploration of seminal works of Western civilization. The philosophy, literature and art of each historical period are studied in an integrated fashion.

• Journalism: Students learn to conduct independent research, think critically about current affairs and produce stories in multiple media formats. The final year includes concentrated workshops and internships.

• Art History and Visual Culture: Students in this certificate program gain a solid knowledge of art history and criticism while cultivating visual literacy and developing research and communication skills.

Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)

$9,080 ($10,363 out-of-province students)

Minimum Entering Grades

Arts: 71% | Science: 74.8%

Student Body

Undergraduates: Full-time: 841 | Part-time: 41

Graduates: Full-time: 76 | Part-time: 1

International Students: First-year: 7% | Graduate: 28%

Male-Female Ratio: 34 to 66

Housing Facts

Residence Spaces: 245 (200 reserved for first-year students)

Residence Costs: Double room with meals: $10,575 to $11,360

Single room with meals: $11,085 to $12,630

Cool Courses

• Memory, Politics, Place: Berlin’s Twentieth Century: Students travel to Berlin for one month to study the city’s catastrophes—Nazism, the Holocaust and the Cold War.

• Oracles, Omens and Astrology in the Ancient World: Examines the history of astrology and divination in the ancient world from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Student Life on Campus

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