Major Canadian University Offers Unique
Programs, International Atmosphere
February 28, 2015
Wilfrid Laurier University, located in the bustling urban center of Kitchener-Waterloo and the downtown core of Brantford in Ontario, Canada, offers a globally-engaging academic experience with a wealth of opportunities ranging from unique music programs to one of Canada’s best business programs.
With over 1,000 international students and dozens of exchange programs, Laurier offers students a diverse, international experience both on and off campus. Manager for International Student Recruitment, Christie Schellenberger, explained, “Our focus is on global engagement, and having our undergraduate students graduate as better global citizens. We’re hoping that when they finish their four years, they have an appreciation, respect, and understanding of different cultures and languages.”
Laurier strives to make its many programs available to international students, and the Laurier English and Academic Foundation (LEAF) program, based in Brantford, is the perfect place to start. Eight-week summer courses and fourteen-week academic year courses are offered at all levels of English, fully preparing students for Laurier’s rigorous academic programs. Students who meet the academic requirements but have not achieved English proficiency requirements are granted admission to Laurier, and take a placement test to determine the level of the LEAF program where they will begin before moving into their academic program.
A wide variety of graduate programs are also offered at Laurier, preparing its students to be leaders in their field and community. Students interested in an international experience are welcome to one of Laurier’s graduate programs, particularly in areas such as finance (MFin), management (MSc and PhD), mathematics (MSc), international public policy (MIPP), global governance (PhD), music therapy (MMT), and business administration (MBA). For international students interested in Laurier’s competitive MBA program, the Pre-MBA Program prepares students with valuable business and English language skills, and includes a thirteen-week GMAT preparation course. Many students stay at Laurier, one of Canada’s top business schools, for its well-known business program.
Laurier also offers an exciting new Business Technology Management program in Brantford – one of the only programs of its kind in Canada. The program places an emphasis on experiential learning, and recently had four times as many co-op placements as students to fill them. The school’s relationships in Kitchener-Waterloo provide an attractive option for students looking for practical experience, as the area is home to over 700 high-tech companies, providing essential connections for work experience as well as research collaboration.
In addition to unique business and mathematics programs, students are also drawn to Laurier’s state-of-the-art neuroscience research center, extensive archaeology program, and the only university-based music therapy clinic in the country.
With close proximity to the University of Waterloo, students are able complete double degree programs, receiving a degree from each university in just five years. With two major universities and a college, the Kitchener-Waterloo area is truly a center of student life.
Laurier welcomes both undergraduate and graduate Brazilian students through Science without Borders and other pathways. The university looks forward to forging meaningful bilateral agreements with compatible Brazilian universities, and to establishing a greater network of collaborative research and exchange amongst students, scholars, and faculty.
