Concordia University was founded in 1974 as a result of the merger of two well-known academic institutions in Montreal: Loyola College and the Sir George Williams University. The name of the university comes from the motto of the City of Montreal, “Concordia Salus,” which means “well-being through harmony.” Today, the university offers more than 180 undergraduate programs through four faculties: Arts and Science, Engineering and Computer Science, Fine Arts, and the John Molson School of Business. Concordia boasts a student body of over 30,900 drawn from more than 100 countries (as of fall 2004), studying at two campuses: Sir George Williams Campus is in the downtown core of Montreal, and Loyola Campus is in the residential west-end of Montreal.

Course Restrictions: Exchange students would have difficulties accessing business modules (finance and accounting), communications studies, journalism and other courses (in Arts & Science), cinema, digital design, animation (in Fine Arts) and electrical, mechanical, software/computer engineering (in Engineering & Computer Science). A large number of the courses in Fine Arts Faculty run for the academic year (September-May).

Click here for more information.

Programmes not available to exchange students:

• Faculty of Arts & Science (A&S): English as Second Language (ESL), Liberal Arts College (LBCL), Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)
• Faculty of Fine Arts (FA): Digital Image (DFAR), Film Animation (FMAN) , Film Production (FMPR), Theatre Development (TDEV), Theatre Performance (TPER)
• John Molson School of Business (JMSB): Accountancy (ACCO), Finance: FINA 465, Marketing: MARK 460 & 495 (Note: All courses in JMSB are closed to non-business exchange students)

Course Description: For detailed course description, visit the Undergraduate Programme Calendar website: http://registrar.concordia.ca/calendar/calendar.html

Course Schedules: http://webreg2.concordia.ca/class_schedule/ww701.html

Workload: To maintain full-time status UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS “MUST COMPLETE” A MINIMUM OF 12 CREDITS PER SEMESTER. Noncompliance with this condition will result in the violation of the immigration status and eligibility to the Concordia Health Insurance Plan or La Carte Soleil (Quebec medicare card).

Academic Calendar:

• Fall Term: Early September to Late December
• Winter Term: Early January to Early May

On-campus Housing:
Concordia's Residence, Hingston Hall, is located at the Loyola Campus. The Loyola Campus is relatively far from the downtown core, but there is a free shuttle bus service that will take you from Loyola Campus to the Sir George Williams downtown campus. Concordia’s residence is ideal for students who will be taking most of their courses at Loyola, or who prefer sharing living quarters with other relatively new students in a friendly but enclosed environment. Space is limited, however, so see the details and fill out an application form by visiting http://residence.concordia.ca/.

As an exchange student, you will probably only receive your admission letter after the March/April deadline for applying to Concordia’s Residence. If you would like to ensure yourself a spot in the residence, we suggest that you apply to the residence independently.

On-campus housing application deadline is two months before arrival date. To download the application form, visit http://residence.concordia.ca. When submitting your housing application, in the “comments” section, you must include, “Marie Marceau, Student Mobility Office”.

Off-campus Housing:
Montréal is a relatively affordable city and it is not too difficult to find lodging once you have arrived. Our International Students Office provides a Housing Support group that is staffed by volunteers who can help you find a nice apartment or room in Montréal. For further information on this service please consult the ISO (http://supportservices.concordia.ca/iso/).

Concordia’s Undergraduate Student Union also maintains an off-campus housing website that is accessible to all undergraduate students.

Useful Links:

• University website: http://www.concordia.ca  
• International Students Office (ISO): http://supportservices.concordia.ca/iso/
• Student Mobility Office: http://international.concordia.ca
• Concordia International Students Association (CISA): http://cisamontreal.com  
• Information Guide for International Students:  http://supportservices.concordia.ca/pdf/ISO_Guide.pdf

Health Insurance:
Québec Immigration Services and the Québec Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport require that all International students be covered by a health insurance plan while studying and living in Québec. To this end, Concordia University has implemented a compulsory health and accident insurance plan for its International students. Health insurance fees are charged automatically every year when International students register for courses.

For details, please refer to http://supportservices.concordia.ca/pdf/50657_eng.pdf

Estimated Cost of Living: Amount varies depending upon lifestyle & material requirements. It is prudent to have access to approximately CAN$1,000 - CAN$1,200 (S$1,433 – S$1,721) per month for all potential expenses.

Note: Exchange rate as of Jul 14, 2008: CAN$1 = S$1.344