Colleges Western University

Western University www.uwo.ca

Built along the banks of the Thames River in the “forest city” of London, Ontario, Western University is one of the largest universities in the province. The university’s 1,300-acre main campus is one of the most beautiful in Canada, surrounded by residential neighborhoods with the river bisecting the campus’s eastern portion. It offers a mixture of modern and historic architecture, and over 1,200 species of animals and plants.
Twelve on-campus residences provide a safe, comfortable, and welcoming living community for students and scholars. Downtown London, just a quick bus ride away, provides plenty of entertainment on the weekends. Western is more than just a regional powerhouse. It is building international recognition with research collaborations on every continent. The school’s international community comprises of students from roughly 126 countries. The John M. Thompson Centre for Engineering Leadership and Innovation helps engineering students to devise early-stage ideas, build prototypes, and found start-ups. In addition to its numerous academic options, students will experience an active campus with more than 200 clubs and organizations to choose from. Drawing on its nearly 300,000-plus alumni worldwide, Western boasts one of the biggest homecoming weekends in Canada.

Academics

Western University is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, and also a founding member of the U15, Canada’s group of most distinguished research universities. The university is divided into 11 faculties including professional programs, graduate, and postdoctoral studies. Its schools include the Don Wright Faculty of Music, the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Information & Media Studies, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Science, Faculty of Social Science, Ivey School of Business, and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. Western offers more than 400 majors, minors, and specializations at the undergrad level and about 160 graduate degree programs and collaborative specializations, including a range of interdisciplinary programs. The student-faculty ratio at Western University is 27:1. Popular majors include Business, Law, Health Sciences, and Engineering.

Special Highlights

Western Research Parks. The oldest research park operated by Western is Discovery Park, adjacent to the university’s main campus. Its tenants range from national government laboratories, to large-multi-industrial research centres. Discovery Park also includes a 48-room hotel and conference centre, Windermere Manor. The Advanced Manufacturing Park is another research park established through a partnership between Western, Fanshawe College, and the City of London. Advanced Manufacturing Park was designed for full-scale manufacturing and large-scale research. It houses the WindEEE Dome, the world’s first hexagonal wind tunnel, allowing for scientists to address certain challenges related to wind. The structure is able to accommodate replicas of buildings, and bridges to test for structural integrity in a variety of high intensity wind conditions such as tornados. The Sarnia-Lambton Research Park is adjacent to Lambton College and is home to Canada’s largest clean technology business incubator.

International Student Services. Western University places great emphasis on its international community by offering a range of services that provide support, training, and engaging activities. International Week is held annually in November as a campus-wide celebration of all things international to help create a dynamic learning experience for students, staff, faculty, and community members focused on an inclusive, globally aware campus. The International Peer Guide Network encourages international students to connect with new friends and upper-year peers at Western. Joining this exclusive network provides access to both virtual and in-person support as students navigate a new cultural, social, and academic environment. The Global Café is a weekly gathering space where students can visit for fun, food, and to make friends. Each event has a unique theme with the opportunity to make crafts, sing karaoke, play ping-pong, enter competitions to earn prizes, and enjoy free snacks and refreshments. Global Café is a great place to meet people from around the world and everyone is welcome to join in.

School Mission & Unique Qualities

At Western, we endeavor to turn what we love into what we do. On and off campus, we engage our interests, explore new ideas and strive to develop innovative and impactful solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. As a leading research and teaching institution, we attract diverse talent from across the globe—people who are making a positive impact in every field and facet of society. On campus, the university features two art galleries: the Artlab Gallery, and the McIntosh Gallery. Artlab showcases approximately 14 projects per year, exploring conceptual and experimental production through a wide range of media. The McIntosh Gallery is a presentation and dissemination centre for both the university and London community, focused on art history and contemporary visual art. It is considered the oldest university art gallery in Ontario. Western also features the Leadership Education Program, which is designed to teach students how to become effective leaders, both individually and in teams.

Student Reviews…

“The academics in most departments were run well. Professors were mostly friendly and reachable. One area of improvement I would like is having more student events. I suggest studying at an affiliate college within the school, rather than main campus, since they offer smaller class sizes and more research opportunities, among many other benefits.”