Academics and Research
At Laurier, we share a deep commitment to research and learning within a culture that supports and celebrates teaching and research excellence. It’s what allows our instructors to engage and inspire tomorrow’s leaders in classes that tackle big ideas but are small enough for faculty to know your name. It’s also what binds us across our nine faculties, 19,000 students, and locations in Waterloo, Brantford, Milton, Kitchener and Toronto.
Innovative Teaching
Laurier offers an exceptional range and depth of study. Our students can choose from more than 100 academic programs, taught by award-winning faculty.
Our faculty are not just people who stand in front of a lecture hall. They explore student-centred learning and collaborative teaching in active learning classrooms, taking learning beyond the classroom walls into the community. They are leaders, innovators and trendsetters who work to actively engage their students – helping you to find your passion, connect with your learning material, and focus on your personal growth.
Real-World Research
Laurier offers plenty of opportunities to do hands-on research, whether you want to work with nanomaterials or disadvantaged children. Our faculty members pride themselves on their mentoring skills and it’s not unusual to see world-class professors working closely with motivated students, both undergraduate and graduate.
Right from your first year, many courses require labs and research papers, which will give you the skills you need to pursue more independent research as you advance through your studies. Upper-year undergraduate students have opportunities to take courses centring on a thesis, major research project or capstone project. Undergraduates at all levels have the chance to serve as research assistants or publish in academic journals, whether the Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts or an international peer-reviewed journal. Brantford campus students may have the chance to participate in the Research Apprenticeship Program.
Most Laurier graduate programs and postdoctoral fellowships concentrate heavily on research. Our students and postdoctoral fellows have won prestigious provincial and national awards for their research on topics such as food security in African cities, forests in the Arctic, spinal cord injury, and Indigenous female identity. Whatever you want to research, chances are good you’ll find a great mentor to guide your work.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
You’ll meet faculty here who will literally change your life. But we think some of the most enduring lessons you learn during university don’t come off a syllabus. That’s why we keep track of your extracurricular involvement on your experience record, an official document you can share with employers – they love to see that you jumped into your university experience feet-first. You can even get work experience that ties in with your career goals: Laurier’s co-op office connects students with paid jobs that integrate academics with real-world experience.
