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University of Toronto Mississauga
University of Toronto campus in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The University of Toronto Mississauga (U of T Mississauga or UTM) is the second-largest division of the University of Toronto and one of its three campuses, located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Established in 1967, the campus is set upon 225 acres along the valley of the Credit River approximately 33 kilometres west of Downtown Toronto. It offers more than 180 undergraduate and graduate programs in 90 areas of study, across 15 academic departments and 3 institutions.[7] It is both the second-largest division of the university[8] and its second-largest campus in terms of enrolment, the other two of which are the St. George campus in Downtown Toronto and the Scarborough campus.
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History
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The site of the Mississauga campus is the former estate of Reginald Watkins, which was acquired by the University of Toronto in 1963.[9] Founded as Erindale College in 1965 as a constituent college of the Faculty of Arts & Science, construction of the campus's main building began in 1966. Although this building was originally meant to be temporary, it remained part of the North building until 2016. Erindale College welcomed its first class, consisting of 155 students in September 1967. In 1969, the college hosted the first showcase of Moon rock samples in Canada.[10] In 1970, it saw its first graduating class, which consisted of 70 students.[11]
In 2003, the campus became an independent division of the university separate from the Faculty of Arts & Science,[2] and in 2007, was rebranded as the University of Toronto Mississauga.[1] The turn of the century saw substantial growth in UTM's student population.
In 2007, UTM celebrated its 40th anniversary, a milestone which was capped off with the grand opening of the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre and campus library on June 2, 2007.[12]
In 2017, the campus celebrated its 50th anniversary, a milestone that coincided with Canada's sesquicentennial.[13]
The campus is used as the primary filming location of Godolkin University in the Amazon Prime Series Gen V.
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Campus
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The campus consists of a number of buildings arranged across a large, treed lot. Wild deer are commonly spotted around the grounds and are beloved by students and faculty. The surrounding suburban neighbourhood, the Mississauga Road area and the Credit Woodlands, is a fairly affluent section of the city of Mississauga. The largest campus building, the William G. Davis Building, was built as a megalithic structure, predominantly out of concrete, as was typical of the brutalist architecture style of the late 1960s. It was one of architect Raymond Moriyama's first major commissions. Other buildings were added over the decades, and with the enlarged enrollment at the beginning of the new millennium, the pace of construction increased.
In September 2014, UTM opened Deerfield Hall, the first phase of the two-phase reconstruction of the former North Building. It features four storeys with theatre rehearsal space, computer labs, classrooms, offices, formal and informal study space and an expanded food services area.[14] The North Building Phase B, later named Maanjiwe nendamowinan[15]—a 220,595-square-foot, six-storey structure—opened in September 2018.[16][17] The LEED-certified project cost approximately $89 million.[17] The Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) on whose traditional territory the campus now stands, recommended Maanjiwe nendamowinan (pronounced Mahn-ji-way nen-da-mow-in-ahn), a formally endorsed Anishinaabemowin name meaning “gathering of minds.”[18]
The Communication, Culture & Technology (CCT) Building, designed by Saucier + Perrot, was opened in September 2004. It is characterized by a black and glass exterior. The interior is finished in concrete and gray paint, with black plastic melamine on many surfaces. The campus library in the and Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre, designed by Shore Tilbe Irwin + Partners and named after former Mississauga mayor, opened on October 8, 2006, and the Recreation, Athletics and Wellness Centre (RAWC), also by Shore Tilbe, opened less than a month previous to that. The library consists of four floors with a mixture of group study tables, study rooms, and individual silent study space.
The Mississauga Academy of Medicine (MAM), which opened in August 2011 with 54 first-year students, is a partnership between UTM, the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, and the three hospitals of the Trillium Health Partners system.[19] The facility is located across two floors inside the Terrence Donnelly Health Sciences Complex and provides brand new classrooms, seminar rooms, computer facilities, learning spaces and laboratories.[20] Students are provided with fully equipped student lounge and outdoor terrace to relax and socialize. Students are able to share lectures and learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom through advanced technologies.[20]
In 2013, $1 million dollars was spent on constructing a large stone monument at the entrance way to the campus, along with general repairs to nearby sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, lighting, and electrical equipment. The stone monument became the centre of a controversy, with an almost universally negative reaction from students due to what was seen as excessive expenditure and lack of student involvement in the approval process, though the university said that a student was on the committee that approved the project.[21][22]
In 2024, the University of Toronto Mississauga celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Innovation Complex, a $35-million expansion of the former Kaneff Centre that serves as a multifunctional hub for academic, administrative, and social activities. The complex features a central rotunda, designed with warm-toned travertine and white oak, providing an engaging gathering space for faculty, students, and industry partners, while intimate alcoves encourage collaboration. It houses the Institute for Management and Innovation (IMI), which offers a new business education model that integrates management studies with key industry sectors. The facility includes lecture rooms, behavior research labs, and a mock trading floor, and is built to LEED Silver standards, incorporating sustainable features like a green roof and natural light harvesting. The building was designed by Moriyama & Teshima Architects and built by PCL Constructors Canada Inc.[23][24] It is also the location of the campus's registrar's office.
The new Science Building[25] at the University of Toronto Mississauga, which officially opened in Fall 2024, sets a new standard for green wet lab design in North America, featuring one of the most energy-efficient biological and chemical laboratory facilities in the region. Designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, the building incorporates advanced sustainable systems such as a geothermal heating and cooling system, a rooftop solar photovoltaic array, and a rainwater harvesting system. Spanning 15,550 square meters over four stories, it fosters interdisciplinary collaboration by connecting existing research communities and offering state-of-the-art infrastructure including wet research laboratories, faculty and student offices, gathering and conference spaces, and a high-performance data center. The facility emphasizes transparency and community engagement, with extensive interior glazing that showcases research activities and a thoughtful landscape that enhances ecological connections. Seamlessly linked to the adjacent William G. Davis Building, the New Science Building exemplifies UTM's commitment to sustainability and innovation, aiming to significantly reduce its carbon footprint by 2030.[26][27][28][29][30]
Sustainability
The University of Toronto was ranked the most sustainable university in the world in 2024 and 2025.[31] The Mississauga campus specifically emphasizes maintaining sustainability through various initiatives. It earned Canada's first Silver Fair Trade Campus designation for its locally and ethically sourced food options. Every new building at UTM since 2006 has been LEED-certified Silver or higher, and the Science Building as well as the Instructional Centre use geothermal heating to save energy.[32] Some buildings also use reclaimed rain water in their plumbing for water efficiency.
UTM is a Gold-certified institution under the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education's (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS).[33]
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Academics
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The campus offers more than 180 programs among 95 areas of study with bachelor's degrees in arts, science, commerce, and business administration.[34] Popular programs include Anthropology; Biology; Chemistry; Commerce; Communication, Culture, Information and Technology (CCIT); Computer Science; Criminology, Law & Society; Earth Science; Economics; English; Environmental Studies; History; Management; Philosophy; Psychology, and Sociology.
Many courses at UTM are counterparts to those offered by the Faculty of Arts & Science at the St. George campus, and students may take courses at any of the three University of Toronto campuses provided that program requirements are met. There are also various joint-degree programs with Sheridan College in Art and Art History, or Theatre and Drama, leading to both a university degree from the University of Toronto and a college diploma from Sheridan.
Undergraduate programs unique to the Mississauga campus include the oldest Forensic Science program in Canada and a Biomedical Communications program which is the only of its kind in the country.[35] The campus also hosts the Continuum Robotics Lab, where researchers develop machines using cutting-edge gripping methods for surgical applications among others.[36] The campus offers upper-year robotics courses in the Computer Science program area which utilize the lab.
The campus offers a Game Studies minor that explores video games as cultural, artistic, and technological forms. Developed by the English & Drama department in partnership with the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology (ICCIT), the program focuses on the analysis, history, theory, and design of games, emphasizing their narrative potential. This initiative is bolstered by the acquisition of the Syd Bolton Collection,[37] Canada’s largest video game archive, featuring over 14,000 games and numerous gaming consoles and literature. Donated by the widow of collector Syd Bolton, this collection enhances the curriculum and provides essential resources for research. To celebrate the minor's launch, UTM also partnered with EP Media to archive 10,000 videos from popular Canadian gaming shows. Together, the Game Studies minor and the Syd Bolton Collection position UTM as a leader in the field, addressing the need for preservation while promoting a deeper understanding of video games as a vital form of modern entertainment.[38][39][40]
UTM also hosts one of the few palaeomagnetism laboratories in Canada. This lab investigated the palaeomagnetic properties of rocks collected from the Apollo missions in the 1970s and was run by now professor emeritus Dr. Henry Halls. U of T Mississauga's best-known president was Dr. J. Tuzo Wilson, a geologist and pioneer in plate tectonics. A research wing in the William G. Davis building of U of T Mississauga is named after him.
Program entry
Undergraduate students are admitted into one of 12 general Admissions Categories: five of which are in the arts, two in business, and five more in the sciences. Students apply to their desired program of study (POSt) at the end of their first year. Certain programs are competitive and enrolment is limited. Type 2 and 3 programs may require certain marks or CGPA to be eligible. Applications to these programs become first available during the summer following first year.
UTM Co-op Internship Program
In 2024, UTM launched its Co-op Internship Program (UTMCIP) across five departments. Students in 20 programs can enrol in a stream that prepares them for a 12- or 16-month paid internship. Additionally, six programs in the Department of Management will join the initiative in Fall 2025.[41]
Departments and program areas
Undergraduate
UTM consists of numerous undergraduate departments and institutions in a range of disciplines.[42] Departments that offer UTMCIP-stream programs are marked with CIP.
- Department of Anthropology
- Department of Biology [CIP]
- Department of Chemical & Physical Sciences [CIP]
- Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology (ICCIT) [CIP]
- Department of Economics [CIP]
- Department of English & Drama
- Institute of Forensic Sciences
- Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment
- Department of Historical Studies
- Department of Language Studies
- Department of Management (UTMM) [CIP coming Fall 2025]
- Department of Mathematical & Computational Sciences [CIP]
- Department of Philosophy
- Department of Political Science
- Professional Accounting Centre
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
- Department of Sociology
- Centre for South Asian Critical Humanities
- Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy (ISUP)
- Centre for Urban Environments
- Department of Visual Studies
- Environment Programs
- Women and Gender Studies Program
Graduate
The University of Toronto offers research and training across all three campuses including U of T Mississauga.[43] Many of these programs are organized in collaboration with faculties and departments across the university, such as the Faculty of Arts & Science and Temerty Faculty of Medicine. Below is a list of the areas of study available at UTM.
- Anthropology
- Art History
- Cell & System Biology
- Chemistry
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Geography & Planning
- Earth Science (Geology)
- Medicine (Mississauga Academy of Medicine)
- Occupational Therapy
- Management (Institute for Management & Innovation)
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Psychology
- Sociology
Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre
The Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre (RGASC) is a hub for learning and teaching at UTM. It is located on the third floor of Maanjiwe nendamowinan, and offers workshops, facilitated study groups, and skill-development appointments for all students, specifically in writing, math & numeracy, and study skills.
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Student life
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UTM has many spaces for students to eat, study and socialize. Students can spend time at The Student Centre, two Starbucks locations in the Library and Deerfield Hall, a Second Cup Cafe location in the Kaneff Centre, the Davis Building's Meeting Place and Food Court, Oscar Peterson Hall's Colman Commons, CCT's Circuit Cafe, and the IB Court dining and lounge area, among others.[44][45] There are also various outdoor patio and seating areas to enjoy the campus's natural scenery.
The UTM student centre offers a variety of events and programs available to students and is located on the UTM campus.[46] Events offered to students include movie nights held every Monday evening,[47] occasional guest speakers,[48] and a variety of other events run by the student centre.[46] The student centre also houses other student organizations including the UTM student newspaper, a campus radio station, the UTM Student Union, and numerous other student clubs.[46]
The Blind Duck Pub, located in The Student Centre, is popular eating spot on campus[49] where students and staff are able to socialize.[44] The menu includes chicken wings, halal meats, vegetarian dishes, French fries and more.[50] The Blind Duck Pub also hosts many student events including the First Pub, Last Pub, and Halloween Pub where various artists such as Shawn Desman and Mia Martina have performed.[51] Students can find on-campus employment opportunities[52] at the Blind Duck Pub as it is owned and operated by the UTM Students' Union.[50]
In 2024, UTM opened the newly renovated Student Services Hub on the main floor of the William G. Davis Building. This engaging space serves as a "first stop" for students seeking resources and support, uniting several essential services, including the Career Centre, Accessibility Services, and the International Education Centre. The Hub features a central service desk, an expanded career exploration resource area, and various workshops and meetings spaces. Designed to streamline access to student services, it offers students a convenient location to address topics such as career opportunities, housing searches, international exchanges, and wellness activities. With a commitment to making support more accessible, the Hub aims to enhance the overall student experience at UTM.
The campus is home to CFRE-FM, broadcasting twenty-four hours a day at 91.9FM out of the Student Centre. With a focus on Canadian and independent music, students and community members are encouraged to apply for a show, as no experience is required. There is also a student newspaper, The Medium.[53]
The main practice facility of the Toronto Argonauts football club was located on campus until 2014.[54]
Students who contribute much to student life are recognized through various awards including the University of Toronto Student Leadership Awards (UTSLA)[55] and the UTM Student Leadership Awards.[56] Students can also receive awards for their involvement and academic excellence through individual academic departments, such as the Department of Political Science's Most Promising Theory Student award.[57] In addition, the Centre for Student Engagement and UTM Student Union reward successful student groups by hosting yearly award ceremonies and galas for student clubs and societies that have excelled throughout an academic year.[58][59]
Athletics
The Recreation Athletic and Wellness Centre (RAWC), attached to the Davis Building, expanded the Campus Rec Intramural Program in 2006–07.[60] The RAWC supplies sports equipment for drop-ins with a student card or membership. These sports include basketball, soccer, volleyball, table tennis, and racquet sports. In addition to these sports, the Centre offers organized classes in dance, martial arts, yoga, and swimming.[61] There are two gymnasiums, one North American-sized squash court, two international-sized squash courts, one pool with a whirlpool on deck, and a fitness and training centre, among other studios and multipurpose rooms.[62] The RAWC hosts frequent drop-ins for students to play sports casually.
The University of Toronto has a Tri-Campus Intramural League in which students from all three campuses, including UTM, are welcomed to try out. These teams are competitive, and include men's ice hockey, men's outdoor soccer, men's indoor soccer, women's basketball, women's indoor soccer, and women's volleyball.[63]
Varsity Sports
UTM became the 30th member of the Ontario College Athletic Association (OCAA) in April, 2014.[64] The Eagles inaugural Varsity athletics program included badminton, cross country, and men's and women's indoor soccer.
The program stopped competing in 2020 following the suspension of OCAA athletics and the program did not resume when OCAA resumed competition. The program formally ceased operations following the 2021-22 academic year.
University of Toronto students from all three campuses, including UTM, can participate in varsity sports through the Varsity Blues, which are based at the St. George campus.[65]
Residence
UTM houses over 1,600 students in residence and guarantees housing to those in first year. Undergraduate residences include Oscar Peterson Hall (OPH), McLuhan Court, Putnam Place, Leacock Lane, Roy Ivor Hall, Erindale Hall, MaGrath Valley, and Schreiberwood. First-year residence includes OPH, McLuhan Court, Roy Ivor Hall, Erindale Hall, MaGrath Valley, and Schreiberwood. Upper-year housing includes Putnam Place and Leacock Lane.
OPH is a traditional-style residence with single rooms and shared bathrooms. Colman Commons, located in OPH, is the main dining facility for students living on residence. Putnam Place and Leacock Lane are townhouse-style residences with four single rooms, one bathroom, a living room and a kitchen per house. Roy Ivor Hall and Erindale Hall are first-year apartment suites with four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and kitchen per suite. Each bedroom in Erindale hall is a double bedroom while each bedroom in Roy Ivor hall is a single bedroom.[66] Each residence is fully equipped with laundry machines and common lounges.[67]
UTM held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new student residence scheduled to open in 2026. Located next to Oscar Peterson Hall, this residence will be UTM's first new housing facility since 2007 and is part of a tri-campus initiative to add 1,446 new student housing spaces over the next three years. The building will feature 115 single bedrooms, 135 double bedrooms, and 15 rooms for support staff, totaling 400 beds and covering 116,560 square feet and six stories. It will include study spaces, lounges, laundry facilities, and areas for social programs, increasing UTM's housing capacity to approximately 1,900 students. Designed by Montgomery Sisam Architects and Christensen & Co., the residence is harmonized with UTM's natural ravine setting, featuring wood and stone cladding at the podium and copper-toned aluminum on upper levels. It aims for LEED Silver certification, incorporating eco-friendly systems such as solar panels and water-efficient fixtures, and aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This project is part of UTM's 2021 Campus Master Plan, which includes plans for enhanced outdoor spaces and improved cycling infrastructure.[68][69][70]
Transportation
The University of Toronto operates a free UTM shuttle bus service for Mississauga students to travel to and from the St. George campus.[71]
There are various city bus routes that stop at the campus, the majority of which are operated by MiWay, the city of Mississauga's transit agency. These include express routes that run on weekdays to connect the campus to places such as Mississauga City Centre. GO Train connections can be made using express routes to Clarkson and Kipling on the Lakeshore West and Milton lines respectively. The latter station also provides access to the Toronto subway.[72]
Theatre
The Erindale Studio Theatre is a black box theatre with an audience capacity of up to 85, depending on the stage configuration. The building itself was formerly a bus garage and science lab, but was converted into a theatre in 1993. It has a modern lighting and audio system, as well as a full carpentry shop, costume shop, box office and painting facilities.
Theatre Erindale is a theatre production company at UTM for students in the joint Theatre and Drama Studies program with Sheridan College. The company presents a season of 5 plays in the Erindale Studio Theatre.[73] These plays include classics, modern pieces and a yearly collective developed by the third year class. Several shows have been included in the Ontario Arts Review Top 10 List since 2005.[74] The season's shows are also supported by students of the Technical Production program at Sheridan College who do placements in stage management, lighting operation, and sound operation.
The Multimedia Studio Theatre (MiST) is a modern, flexible theatre space used as a venue for drama lectures, performances by touring companies, independent student productions, Theatre Erindale's annual Beck Festival of student-directed performances, and the UTM Drama Club's annual production. The Blackwood Gallery on campus has used MiST on several occasions for receptions, conferences, and art exhibits.[75] The theatre is contained in the CCT building designed by Saucier + Perrotte Architectes.[76]
Blackwood Art Gallery
Mississauga's first public art gallery was established on campus in 1969 as the Erindale College Art Gallery. It was renamed in 1992 as The Blackwood Gallery in honour of Canadian artist David Blackwood who was artist-in-residence at UTM from 1967 to 1973. The gallery, located in the Kaneff Centre, collects, maintains, preserves, and exhibits over 450 works of UTM's permanent collection, and exhibits student work from the Art & Art History Program at Sheridan College and UTM.[77][78] It also maintains numerous light box art exhibits around campus.
UTM Students' Union
The University of Toronto Mississauga Students' Union (UTMSU) represents the interests of the undergraduate students at UTM through various clubs and events. A wide variety of clubs exist to represent different religions and cultures. Students are welcomed by meeting other students who share the same values and beliefs as they do.[79] The Arab Students for Peace and World Change, Muslim Student Association, Christian Unity Association, Erindale College of African Student Association and Chinese Students and Scholars Association (UTMCSSA), are just a few of the 86 clubs that UTM offers to students. The UTMSU also offers many clubs that represent student hobbies such as Music Club, Drama Club, Anime Club, Cricket Club, Cycling Club and many more.[80]
At UTM, almost every academic department has an academic society. These societies are student-led organizations that focus on a specific program that the campus offers. Students are able to work with others who are enrolled in the same program where they can discuss and participate in a variety of academic goals.[79]
Prior to the incoming school year, the UTM student union organizes frosh week, an event held annually aimed at welcoming first year students into the University.[81] Hosting approximately 1,200 students every year, UTM frosh week offers a variety of events and activities meant to introduce students into University life and allow first year students to meet other incoming students.[81] Frosh week events are held both on and off the UTM campus.[82] Featured at the 2011 frosh week Shawn Desman performed for students at The Blind Duck.[81] Other frosh week activities included off campus visits to Medieval Times, Canada's Wonderland and the St. George U of T campus.[82]
Demographics
The Mississauga campus comprises 17 per cent of the University's student enrolment as a whole, with about a quarter as many students as the St. George campus. The UTM gender ratio is more balanced than St. George at the undergraduate level, however there is a notably higher proportion of female students at the graduate level. UTM also has the smallest proportion of international students of the three campuses with 25.7 per cent, as opposed to 29.0 per cent at UTSG and 30.7 per cent at UTSC.[83]
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Notable people
Alumni
- Roberta Bondar – neurologist and astronaut, first Canadian woman in space[84]
- Kirstine Stewart – media executive and author[85]
- Dionne Brand – poet, novelist and community activist[86]
- Claire Carver-Dias – Olympic synchronized swimmer, writer[87]
- Alicia Brown – two-time Olympian (track)[88]
- Ruslan Gaziev – competitive swimmer and 2020 Olympian
- Susan Fennell – former mayor of Brampton, founder and commissioner of the National Women's Hockey League
- Lesley Hampton – fashion designer
- Bruce Dowbiggin – journalist[89]
- André Dae Kim – actor, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Vampire Academy (TV series)
- Vikas Kohli – musician and music producer
- Richie Mehta – film director and writer
- Nisha Pahuja – documentary filmmaker
- John Roberts – journalist
- Wali Shah – singer-songwriter, educational speaker[90]
- Zaib Shaikh – actor, writer and director[91]
- Andrea Scott – screenwriter and playwright
- David Yee – playwright and actor
- Cody Caetano – author
- Lindsey Middleton – actor
- Sven Spengemann – politician, former Member of Parliament for Mississauga—Lakeshore
- Belinda Karahalios – president of the New Blue Party of Ontario and former Member of Provincial Parliament for Cambridge, Ontario
- Fares Al Soud – Member of Parliament for Mississauga Centre
Faculty
- Sanja Fidler – Associate Professor (Mathematical & Computational Sciences), Director of AI at NVIDIA, co-founder of the Vector Institute[92]
- John Tuzo Wilson – former Principal of Erindale College, geophysicist and geologist known for his contributions to the theory of tectonic plates, former Director General of the Ontario Science Centre
- Daniel Zingaro – Associate Professor (Mathematical & Computational Sciences) specializing in computer science education and online learning[93]
- Tanjim Hossain – Chair of the Department of Management, Professor of Marketing at UTM and Rotman known for research in behavioural economics and industrial organization[94]
- Henry Halls – Professor Emeritus (Chemical & Physical Sciences) known for research in geophysics and tectonic plates[95]
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References
Further reading
External links
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