St. Thomas University offers a unique undergraduate experience with a core focus on social justice and global studies. As Canada’s only public university dedicated entirely to the liberal arts (social sciences and humanities), students come from all over the world to earn their undergraduate degrees at Canada’s small university of big opportunities. St. Thomas is home to Canada’s only undergraduate Moot Court Team, and is a partner with the Harvard School of Business HBX CORe program. STU is home to the Atlantic Institute on Aging, the Institute for World History, and notably, won the 9th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition on International Law in Geneva, Switzerland in July 2017 against teams from Yale Law School, Oxford University, and the University of Buenos Aires. The STU team was the only Canadian and undergraduate team to qualify for the competition. St. Thomas has built a strong campus community of 2,000 student leaders in a welcoming, open-minded, and rigorously academic environment.
St. Thomas University History
Located in the heart of New Brunswick’s beautiful capital city of Fredericton, St. Thomas University has been dedicated to excellence in liberal arts education since 1910. St. Thomas is ranked #1 in Canada for helping students develop critical thinking skills and strong writing skills; and is ranked in the Top 10 for small class sizes, professors who know students’ names, and scholarship and bursary opportunities (Maclean’s 2017). Professors at STU are dedicated to teaching and research and do not use Teaching Assistants (TAs) in the classroom. St. Thomas is Canada’s only university where 100% of its full-time faculty members have the highest–level degrees in their field (MacLean’s).
Subject Areas
STU is dedicated to an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree, with majors offered in the social sciences and humanities. Specialty programs include Communications and Public Policy, Criminology, Digital Journalism and New Media, English Language and Literature (with concentrations in Creative Writing and Drama), Gerontology, Human Rights, International Relations, and Psychology.
St. Thomas also offers two, one-year, post-degree programs in Education (BEd) and Social Work (BSW).
Admission requirements for St. Thomas University
International applicants must demonstrate academic strength in a high school program of college/university preparatory courses with subject distribution, other minimum requirements, and academic standing comparable to that required of Canadian applicants. Criteria such as academic achievement and rank in class will also be considered in admission decisions. SAT/ACT scores are not required. Admission decisions are awarded on a rolling basis opening in October for the following September intake. Apply on the Common Application or at ConnectSTU.ca.
Student Life at St. Thomas University
Home of the Tommies! STUdents have access to hundreds of clubs, student societies, campus facilities, study halls and lounges, and a lively residence community. STUdents can ride city buses for free, and receive discounts at grocery stores, shopping malls, museums, theatres, and free admission to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery. STUdents also enjoy studying at one of Canada’s “Most Beautiful University Campuses” (Huffington Post, 2014), as Fredericton offers all four, distinct seasons in this riverside college town. On campus, join the newspaper; host a radio show; push change with Students for Sustainability or the Pre-Law Society; present a poem or musical composition at open-mic nights; perform a play or musical in the Black Box Theatre, Kinsella Auditorium, or Ted Daigle Auditorium with Theatre St. Thomas (TST); or hold auditions for your newest script in the student-led drama society. Stop by the English department for breakfast and idea-sharing during November’s novel-writing competitions or find help publishing your newest short story.
Business-savvy students compete each fall in the provincial-wide Business StartUp Competition, where St. Thomas students took home 1st and 3rd place in 2016 with funding to launch their business idea. Walk to the gym for yoga classes or the bike share program, or catch a hockey game at STU’s geothermal Grant Harvey Arena. Upper-year students can get involved with freshmen orientation programs, international-student buddy programs, or become Welcome Week Leaders to experience the traditional Cheer Off competition again. If you’re looking for a part-time job, visit the Jobs Board on our website for hundreds of campus jobs or research opportunities. During exam time, take advantage of de-stressing activities and dog therapy rooms; or visit the Writing Centre, Peer Tutoring Office, Accessibility Office, or computer lab. As a community of liberal arts STUdents, there is always an opportunity to get involved on and off campus. If there’s a club STU doesn’t offer, get some friends together and start one with funding from the St. Thomas Students’ Union (STUSU) or St. Thomas University International Students Association (STUISA).
