Address: 6299 South Street, B3H 4R2 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Ocean Studies, Health Professions, Law
Dalhousie University was founded in 1818 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, by George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie, who was then Lieutenant Governor of the province. The college was established as a non-denominational institution modelled on the University of Edinburgh, and it has now taught and carried out research for more than 200 years.
Today the university is organised into 13 faculties: Agriculture, Architecture and Planning, Arts and Social Sciences, Computer Science, Dentistry, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health, Law, Management, Medicine, Open Learning and Career Development, and Science. Its campuses are in Halifax and in Truro and Bible Hill, where the Agricultural Campus is located. Medical teaching also takes place at satellite sites in Saint John, New Brunswick, and in Cape Breton.
The university describes about 21,000 students from across Canada and more than 115 countries. The physicist Arthur B. McDonald earned a BSc in physics at Dalhousie in 1964 and an MSc in 1965, and he shared the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of neutrino oscillations. The Agricultural Campus and the medical sites in Saint John and Cape Breton extend the university’s reach well beyond Halifax, which matters for applicants choosing a programme that is taught away from the main campus. Current programme details, entry requirements and tuition for domestic and international applicants are published on the Dalhousie website.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Ecology and Sustainability, Engineering, Life Sciences, Marine Science, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Certificate, Diploma, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Member of U15. Leading institution for ocean research (Ocean Frontier Institute). Strong links with healthcare sector in Atlantic Canada.
Research:
Research focus on ocean science, health and life sciences, clean technology, and social sciences. Key areas include marine biodiversity, neuroscience, and materials science.
Famous Alumnis:
Lucy Maud Montgomery, R.B. Bennett, Arthur B. McDonald, Kathryn D. Sullivan
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
4500
Current students***:
21000
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
135000
Pros
Leading university in Atlantic Canada, strong in marine/ocean sciences and health professions, vibrant coastal city.
Cons
Older campus infrastructure in some areas, Halifax is somewhat remote from other major Canadian cities.
Best For
Students interested in ocean studies, health professions, or law, seeking a research-intensive university in a historic and lively maritime city.
Memorial University of Newfoundland is the other Atlantic Canadian public university with marine and ocean technology and earth sciences.
University of Victoria, on the Pacific coast, has ocean and climate sciences and engineering as main fields.
University of Ottawa covers health sciences and law along with public policy and international affairs.
Queen's University in Kingston is a public university with engineering, business and health sciences.
McGill University in Montreal is known for medicine, law and engineering, a professional-school profile like Dalhousie's.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
University of Hawaii at Manoa (United States) is a public university noted for oceanography, astronomy and Asian and Pacific studies.
University of Rhode Island (United States) is a public university with oceanography, pharmacy and engineering.
University of Southampton (United Kingdom) offers ocean and earth science, engineering and computer science.
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (Germany) is a public university whose marine sciences sit beside life sciences and health technologies.
Cardiff University (United Kingdom) is a public university with healthcare, engineering and journalism.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
When was Dalhousie University founded and by whom?
It was founded in 1818 by George Ramsay, the 9th Earl of Dalhousie, then Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. The college was non-denominational and modelled on Edinburgh University.
Where are Dalhousie's campuses?
The main campus is in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Agricultural Campus is in Truro and Bible Hill, and there are satellite medical school sites in Saint John, New Brunswick, and Cape Breton.
How many faculties does it have?
There are 13 faculties, covering fields from Agriculture, Dentistry and Law to Computer Science, Engineering and Management. The complete list is on the university website.
How many students study at Dalhousie?
The university reports about 21,000 students. They come from across Canada and from more than 115 countries.
Has a Nobel laureate studied at Dalhousie?
Yes, Arthur B. McDonald took his BSc in 1964 and his MSc in 1965 in physics at Dalhousie. He received a share of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2015.
Who was Dalhousie named after?
The university is named after its founder, the Earl of Dalhousie. He founded it while serving as Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia.
Where can I find fees and admission requirements?
Dalhousie publishes programme requirements, deadlines and tuition on its website, with separate sections for domestic and international applicants. Because fees change each year, the current page should be checked.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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