Located in Charlottetown, the capital city of Prince Edward Island, the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) has a rich history with roots in two founding institutions, Prince of Wales College (est. 1834) and Saint Dunstan’s University (est. 1855). Formed in 1969 as the provincial university, UPEI honours its proud legacy through academic excellence and research innovation. In 2019, the University celebrated 50 years of outstanding leadership and achievement in education and research with a full year of commemorative events and activities.UPEI offers a wide range of programs and degrees to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. Home to Canada Research Chairs, UNESCO Chairs, endowed and sponsored research chairs, and 3M National Teaching Fellows, UPEI offers its students access to exceptional faculty, researchers, and staff. Students come from all walks of life and from local, regional, national, and international locations to study and learn at UPEI. In the fall of 2021, international students from 98 countries comprised almost 30 per cent of the University’s total enrolment of students.In addition to welcoming students to its home campus, UPEI extends its reach beyond the province’s shores, with post-secondary exchange agreements in many countries. Students have the opportunity to experience other cultures while studying abroad and earning credits toward their UPEI degree. The University is also offering post-secondary students in Asia, Africa, and Europe the opportunity to earn certain UPEI degrees based on its curriculum and rigorous educational standards.The University’s beautiful 140-acre home campus consists of academic, administrative, residential, and athletics buildings and facilities, the newest of which is the 76,000-square-foot Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering building, which opened in August 2016. Athletics facilities have grown substantially over the past 50 years, including the UPEI Alumni Canada Games Place track and field facility; the Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre; a lit, synthetic-surface sports field; and the community-based Bell Aliant Centre, which features competitive and leisure pools, and MacLauchlan Arena with two NHL-sized ice surfaces. The campus also houses the National Research Council’s Institute for Nutrisciences and Health at the Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre.With millions of dollars in scholarships, international exchange and experiential study opportunities, an active Student Union, expanding graduate programs, and outstanding student-faculty interaction, the University offers its students an educational experience designed to help them reach their potential as future leaders. UPEI’s dedication to the highest standards in education is reflected in its alumni, who enjoy success in their chosen fields around the world.UPEI's campus, located at the corner of Belvedere and University Avenues in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island's capital city, is built on 134 acres (54 hectares) of land. The Confederation Trail runs alongside its eastern boundary. Original SDU buildings in the central quadrangle have been renovated to retain integrity of their exterior aesthetic design while meeting modern standards. Main Building, built in 1854, and Dalton Hall, built between 1917 and 1919, are on the registry of Historic Places of Canada. The War Memorial Hall (more generally known as Memorial Hall) is a landmark building on the campus of UPEI. Built as a men's residence building in 1946, Memorial Hall honours alumni who had enlisted and died in the First World War, and in the Second World War.Over the past three decades, UPEI has experienced significant growth with many new buildings integrated into the campus, including Central Utility Building (1973), Duffy Science Centre (1967), Blanchard Hall (1973), Bernardine Hall (1968), Robertson Library (1975), Atlantic Veterinary College (1986), Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre (1990), Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall (1990), Food Technology Centre, K.C. Irving Chemistry Centre (1997), W.A. Murphy Student Centre (2002), MacLauchlan Arena (2004), Bill and Denise Andrew Hall residence facility (2006), expansions to the Atlantic Veterinary College (2007 and 2009), Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre (2007), a research and development laboratory which is home to the National Research Council of Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and other partners, and Don and Marion McDougall Hall (2008). The most recent addition is the Health Sciences Building, home to the School of Nursing and Applied Human Sciences programs. In October 2004, the UPEI administration undertook an official campus plan to improve the aesthetics of modern buildings constructed since the amalgamation which do not enhance the original SDU design, and to take overall campus aesthetics into account for future developments on and adjacent to the campus.UPEI's seven faculties (arts, business, education, nursing, science, sustainable design engineering and veterinary medicine) and two schools (Mathematical & Computational Sciences and Climate Change & Adaptation) offer a wide range of programs and degrees to undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students. Co-op programs have been established in Business Administration, Computer Science, Physics, and Dietetics. The University is presently developing a Faculty of Medicine, in association with the Memorial University of Newfoundland.Master's and Doctoral degree programs were first introduced through the Atlantic Veterinary College and, beginning in 1999, a Master of Science degree was offered through the Faculty of Science. In that same year the first students were admitted to the university's new Master of Education program. As of 2010, in addition to the MEd graduate program, the Faculty of Education offered a PhD in Educational Studies. The university also now offers a Master of Arts in Island Studies. Recently the Faculty of Business Administration began offering an Executive Master of Business Administration degree. Since 1998, The Centre for Conflict Resolution Studies has been offering courses leading to a Certificate in Conflict Resolution Studies. The Master of Applied Health Services Research (MAHSR) program is coordinated by the Atlantic Research Training Centre (ARTC).The Faculty of Education offers one-year (12 months) post-degree bachelor's degrees with specializations in international, adult, and indigenous education, French immersion and human resources development, a Master of Education (MEd) in leadership in learning, and a PhD in Educational Studies. The Department of Applied Human Sciences has an accredited dietitian program. The university is accredited by a professional organization such as the Dietitians of Canada and the university's graduates may subsequently become registered dieticians. The Faculty Development Office provides professional development courses applicable to many sectors and industries, including development programs for administrative assistants and new managers; collaboration, conflict, and communication training; and, financial management courses.
Watch the videos to learn about the student life-cycle and the teaching environment at the University.
