The University of Saskatchewan (U of S, or USask) is a Canadian public research university, founded on March 19, 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An “Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan” was passed by the provincial legislature in 1907. It established the provincial university on March 19, 1907 “for the purpose of providing facilities for higher education in all its branches and enabling all persons without regard to race, creed or religion to take the fullest advantage”.Coordinates: 52°7′47″N 106°37′58″W The University of Saskatchewan is the largest education institution in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The University of Saskatchewan is one of Canada’s top research universities (based on the number of Canada Research Chairs) and is a member of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities (the 15 most research-intensive universities in Canada).
The university began as an agricultural college in 1907 and established the first Canadian university-based department of extension in 1910. There were 120 hectares (300 acres) set aside for university buildings and 400 ha (1,000 acres) for the U of S farm, and agricultural fields. In total 10.32 km2 (3.98 sq mi) was annexed for the university. The main university campus is situated upon 981 ha (2,425 acres), with another 200 ha (500 acres) allocated for Innovation Place Research Park. The University of Saskatchewan agriculture college still has access to neighbouring urban research lands. The University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) facility, (2003) develops DNA-enhanced immunization vaccines for both humans and animals. The university is also home to the Canadian Light Source synchrotron, which is considered one of the largest and most innovative investments in Canadian science. Since its origins as an agricultural college, research has played an important role at the university. Discoveries made at the U of S include sulphate-resistant cement and the cobalt-60 cancer therapy unit. The university offers over 200 academic programs.
Academics
Ranking
| University Rankings | |
|---|---|
| Global rankings | |
| ARWU World | 301-400 |
| QS World | 458 |
| Times World | 501-600 |
| U.S News & World Report Global | 510 |
| Canadian rankings | |
| ARWU National | 13–18 |
| QS National | 17 |
| Times National | 18–19 |
| U.S News & World Report National | 20 |
| Maclean’s Reputation | 21 |
The University of Saskatchewan has placed in post-secondary school rankings. In the 2021 Academic Ranking of World Universities rankings, the university ranked 301–400 in the world and 13–18 in Canada. The 2023 QS World University Rankings ranked the university 458th in the world and 17th in Canada. The 2022 Times Higher Education World University Rankings placed the university 501–600 in the world, and 18–19 in Canada. In U.S. News & World Report 2022 global university rankings, the university placed 510th, and 20th in Canada. In Maclean’s 2022 rankings, Saskatchewan placed 15th in their Medical-Doctoral university category, and 21st in their reputation ranking for Canadian universities.
Programs
The University of Saskatchewan offers a wide variety of programs and courses. Agriculture and Bioresources, Arts and Science, Biotechnology, Edwards School of Business, Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Kinesiology, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and Nutrition, Physical Therapy and Veterinary Medicine.
In addition, the university’s affiliated colleges and Centre for Continuing and Distance Education offer degree programs, certificates, and training programs. Many affiliated colleges allow students to complete the first two years of a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree, and some offer full degrees in education, native studies, and theology.
Research
In 1948, the university built the first betatron facility in Canada. Three years later, the world’s first non-commercial cobalt-60 therapy unit was constructed. (The first female chancellor of the university, Sylvia Fedoruk, was a member of the cobalt-60 research team. She also served as Saskatchewan’s lieutenant-governor from 1988 to 1994.) The success of these facilities led to the construction of a linear accelerator as part of the Saskatchewan Accelerator Laboratory in 1964 and placed university scientists at the forefront of nuclear physics in Canada. The Plasma Physics Laboratory operates a tokamak on campus. The university used the SCR-270 radar in 1949 to image the Aurora for the first time.
Experience gained from years of research and collaboration with global researchers led to the University of Saskatchewan being selected as the site of Canada’s national facility for synchrotron light research, the Canadian Light Source. This facility opened October 22, 2004 and is the size of a football field.
The university also is home to the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization. Innovation Place Research Park is an industrial science and technology park that hosts private industry working with the university.
Partner universities
- Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
- Xi’an Jiao Tong University, Xi’an, China
- University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Darmstadt University of Technology, Darmstadt, Germany
- Vellore Institute of Technology, India
- University of Oslo, Norway
- University of Canterbury, New Zealand
- University of Oxford, Oxford, England
- Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden