The (UQAM; ), is a

French-language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. French evolved from Northern Old Gallo-Romance, a descendant of the Latin spoken in ...

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

research university A research university or a research-intensive university is a university that is committed to research as a central part of its mission. They are "the key sites of Knowledge production modes, knowledge production", along with "intergenerational ...

based in

Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Canada. It is the largest constituent element of the system. UQAM was founded on April 9, 1969, by the government of Quebec, through the merger of the , a fine arts school; the , a classical college; and a number of smaller schools. Although part of the UQ network, UQAM possesses a relative independence which allows it to choose its rector. In the fall of 2018, the university welcomed some 40,738 students, including 3,859 international students from 95 countries, in a total of 310 distinct programs of study, managed by six faculties (Arts, Education, Communication, Political Science and Law, Science and Social science) and one school (Management). It offers

Bachelors A bachelor is a man who is not and never has been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". (). Etymo ...

, Masters, and

Doctoral A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

degrees. It is one of Montreal's two French-language universities, along with the , and only 1% of its student population is of English-speaking origin.

History

UQAM was created on April 9, 1969, by the

Government of Quebec The Government of Quebec (, ) is the body responsible for the administration of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. The term is typically used to refer to the executive of the day (i.e. Minister of the Crown, mini ...

, following the merger of the

École des beaux-arts de Montréal École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * Éco ...

, the

Collège Sainte-Marie In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 14. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for students between ...

and three colleges. In mid 1970, construction on UQAM's campus began in the Saint-Jacques neighbourhood. The old Saint-Jacques Cathedral was condemned and the worshipers were moved to the

Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are o ...

. The architect of the university,

Dimitri Dimakopoulos Dimitri Dimakopoulos (14 September 1929 – 7 November 1995) was a Greek-Canadian architect. He was best known for having been involved in the design of several notable buildings in Downtown Montreal. Early life Dimakopoulos was born in Athens ...

, chose to respect the plans of

John Ostell John Ostell (7 August 1813 – 6 April 1892) was a British-Canadian architect, surveyor and manufacturer, was born in London, England and emigrated to Canada in 1834, where he apprenticed himself to a Montreal surveyor André Trudeau to learn ...

and Victor Bourgeau by deciding to graft the new construction around the wall of the nave of the church overlooking

Saint Catherine Street Sainte-Catherine Street ( ) () is the primary commercial artery of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It crosses the central business district from west to east, beginning at the corner of Claremont Avenue and de Maisonneuve Boulevard in Wes ...

and highlighting the bell tower and its gateway. These remains are classified as historic monuments by the Quebec government. The new campus of UQAM was inaugurated in September 1979. Before the arrival of the Université du Québec à Montréal, access to higher education was limited for the French-speaking working classes. Thanks to the policy of admitting adults with relevant professional experience, the student population was able to broaden the student population to include social categories previously excluded from higher education, thus creating a climate of openness. UQAM is the first Canadian university where faculty unionism is developing. The Université du Québec professors' union, which has been affiliated since its birth in 1970 with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), has participated in the effort to democratize the functioning of university authorities. In November 2006, UQAM underwent a major financial crisis. It was revealed that the former president, Roch Denis, was partially responsible for the financial mismanagement of the Science Complex and the Ilot Voyageur real estate projects. A recovery plan, required by the Ministry of Education, Sport and Leisure, is still in progress, raising significant challenges from groups of employees, students, lecturers and professors. With the addition of the Télé-université in June 2005, UQAM, with a student population of close to 60,000, was the largest French-speaking university in the world. On 13 January 2012, it was announced that the TELUQ would again become a separate university from UQAM, but would remain in the

Université du Québec The Université du Québec () is a system of ten provincially-run public universities in Quebec, Canada. Its headquarters are in Quebec City. The university coordinates 1400 programs for over 100,000 students. The government of Quebec founded ...

system.

Campus

UQAM's campus was designed by

and is located in

downtown Montreal Downtown Montreal (French language, French: ''Centre-Ville de Montréal'') is the central business district of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The district is situated on the southernmost slope of Mount Royal, and occupies the western portion of the ...

in the borough of Ville-Marie, with most of its buildings in the

Quartier Latin The Latin Quarter of Paris (, ) is an urban university campus in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne. Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistros, th ...

neighbourhood near the Berri-UQAM Metro station and the newer Complexe des sciences Pierre-Dansereau near

Place des Arts frame, View of the Place des Arts esplanade. The Musée d'art contemporain is on the left; behind it is the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, with the Théâtre Maisonneuve on the right. Place des Arts () is a major performing arts centre in Montreal, Q ...

. The university is also involved in the troubled Îlot Voyageur project, a 13-storey student residence and intercity bus terminal, but has had to scale back its involvement due to financial problems. In September 2013, the university announced that it had acquired the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; ) is a Canadian public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary films, animation, web documentaries, and altern ...

's former CineRobotheque facility for its communications faculty. The university provides training on its campus in Montreal and its four regional centres: UQAM Lanaudière in Terrebonne, UQAM Laval, UQAM Montérégie in

Longueuil Longueuil () is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie, Montérégie administrative region and the central city of the urban agglomeration of Longueuil. It sits on the South Shore (Montreal), south shore o ...

and UQAM Ouest-de-l'île. A three part virtual exhibition was made to showcase the university's history.

Academics

Faculties

* Faculté des arts (Faculty of Arts) * Faculté des sciences de l'éducation (Faculty of Education) * Faculté de communication (Faculty of Communication) * Faculté de science politique et de droit (Faculty of Political Science and Law) * Faculté des sciences (Faculty of Sciences) * Faculté des sciences humaines (Faculty of Social Sciences) * École des sciences de la gestion (ESG) (UQAM's School of Management Sciences)

Schools and institutes

* École supérieure de mode de Montréal (Montreal Graduate School of Fashion Design) * Institut de recherches et d'études féministes (Institute of Feminist Studies) * Institut des sciences cognitives (Institute of Cognitive Sciences) * Institut des sciences de l'environnement (Institute of Environmental Sciences) * Institut d'études internationales de Montréal (Montreal Institute of International Studies) * Institut Santé et société (Health and Society Institute) * École supérieure de théâtre (Graduate School of Theatre) * École des langues (Language School) * École de travail social (School of Social Work) * École des arts visuels et médiatiques (School of Visual Arts and Media) * Institut du patrimoine (Heritage Institute) * International Research Group on Animal Law The university is represented in

Canadian Interuniversity Sport U Sports (stylized as U SPORTS) is the national sport governing body for universities in Canada, comprising the majority of degree-granting universities in the country and four regional conferences: Ontario University Athletics (OUA), Résea ...

by the UQAM Citadins.

Distance and online learning

UQAM is part of the Université du Québec network, which has a distance learning component called Télé-université (Teluq). It offers courses and degrees in

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

communication Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...

, environmental science, and

management Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a Government agency, government bodies through business administration, Nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, or the political s ...

. University of Québec has improved geographical accessibility through multiple campuses spread throughout the province and by offering distance education by Télé-Université.

Other programs

The university is an active member of the

University of the Arctic The University of the Arctic (UArctic) is an international cooperative network based in the Circumpolar Arctic region, consisting of universities, colleges, and other organizations with an interest in promoting education and research in the Arcti ...

. UArctic is an international cooperative network based in the Circumpolar Arctic region, consisting of more than 200 universities, colleges, and other organizations with an interest in promoting education and research in the Arctic region. UQAM participates in UArctic’s mobility program north2north. The aim of that program is to enable students of member institutions to study in different parts of the North.

Notable people

Bianca Beauchamp Bianca Stéphanie Beauchamp (, born October 14, 1977) is a Canadian Pornographic film actor, pornographic actress and fetish model best known for her glamour model, glamour, Erotic photography model, erotic, and Rubber and PVC fetishism, latex F ...

, fashion model *

Louise Beaudoin Louise Beaudoin (born September 26, 1945 in Quebec City, Quebec) is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Rosemont in the National Assembly of Quebec until 2012, as a member of the Parti Québécois (PQ). She sat as an ...

, former Quebec minister of international relations *

Steven Blaney Steven Blaney (born April 8, 1965) is a Canadian businessman and Conservative politician. He served as the Minister of Public Safety Canada (July 15, 2013 – November 4, 2015) and previously as the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Minister ...

, businessman, politician, minister of public safety, minister of Veterans Affairs and minister of State *

Pierre Bourgault Pierre Bourgault (January 23, 1934 – June 16, 2003) was a politician and essayist, as well as an actor and journalist, from Quebec, Canada. He is most famous as a public speaker who advocated sovereignty for Quebec from Canada. Biography ...

, former leader of the RIN party and Quebec independence activist * Pierre Dansereau, pioneer of ecology *

Joseph Facal Joseph Facal (born 12 March 1961) is a Canadian politician, academic, and journalist in the province of Quebec. He was a Parti Québécois member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1994 to 2003 and was a cabinet minister in the government ...

, politician, academic, and journalist * Anne Fortin, accounting professor * Pierre Fortin, economist * Alexandre Gauthier, Software Engineer, co-founder of Crusader Technologies and DecisionPoint Software *

Louis Hamelin Louis Hamelin (born June 9, 1959 in Saint-Séverin, Mauricie, Quebec, Saint-Séverin-de-Proulxville, Quebec)

, journalist and fiction writer *

Stevan Harnad Stevan Robert Harnad (Hernád István Róbert, Hesslein István, born 1945) is a Canadian cognitive scientist based in Montreal. Early life and education Harnad was born in Budapest, Hungary. He did his undergraduate work at McGill University an ...

, Open Access activist *

Arthur Lamothe Arthur Lamothe, (December 7, 1928 – September 18, 2013) was a French-Canadian film director and film producer. Biography Born in Saint-Mont, France, Lamothe immigrated to Canada in 1953 and immediately got a job as a lumberjack in the Abitibi ...

, film director, screenwriter, and film producer *

Bernard Landry Bernard Landry (; March 9, 1937 – November 6, 2018) was a Canadian politician who served as the 28th premier of Quebec from 2001 to 2003. A member of the Parti Québécois (PQ), he led the party from 2001 to 2005, also serving as the leader ...

, former Quebec Prime Minister *

Daniel Langlois Daniel Langlois (6 April 1957 – 2023) was a Canadian businessman who was the president and founder of the Daniel Langlois Foundation, Ex-Centris, and Media Principia Inc. He was founder and inaugural president of Softimage Inc., which i ...

, Founder of Softimage, Ex-Centris * Léo-Paul Lauzon, left-wing activist and former NDP candidate *

Gérald Larose Gérald Larose (born October 24, 1945) is a Canadian activist, professor, and former President of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux labour union. Between 2003 and 2013, he was president of the Organisations unies pour l'indépendance, ...

, union leader *

André Éric Létourneau André Éric Létourneau is a French Canadian media and transmedia artist, researcher, author, musician, composer, curator and professor based primarily in Montreal and Saint-Alponse-Rodriguez, Québec, Canada. He uses several pseudonyms, most ...

, artist * Scott McKay, politician, former Green Party of Quebec leader and Montreal council member * Viviane Namaste, scholar, author, researcher, and professor *

Gilbert Paquette Gilbert Paquette (born October 19, 1942) is a Canadian university professor, businessman, researcher and politician. Paquette is a researcher at the ''Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur le téléapprentissage'' (CIRTA-LICEF), which he fo ...

, former Quebec minister of science and technology *

Pierre Karl Péladeau Pierre Karl Péladeau (; born 16 October 1961), also known by his initials PKP, is a Canadian businessman, billionaire and former politician. He was also the MNA ( Member of the National Assembly) for Saint-Jérôme. Péladeau is the president ...

, Canadian businessman, billionaire, and former politician *

Léa Pool Léa Pool C.M. (born 8 September 1950) is a Canadian and Swiss filmmaker. She has directed several documentaries and feature films, many of which have won significant awards including the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, and she was the first wom ...

, filmmaker * Régine Robin, novelist *

Yves Séguin Yves Séguin (; born March 30, 1951) is a former Canadian politician in Quebec. He was first elected as the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP) member for Montmorency in 1985. He was the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Revenue from 1985 to ...

, former Quebec minister of finance *

Jean-Marc Vallée Jean-Marc Vallée (March 9, 1963December 25, 2021) was a Canadian filmmaker, film editor, and screenwriter. After studying film at the Université de Montréal, Vallée went on to make a number of critically acclaimed short films, including '' ...

, filmmaker *

Jovette Marchessault Jovette Marchessault () (February 9, 1938 – December 31, 2012)

, writer * Marc Parent, Montreal Police Department director *

Denis Villeneuve Denis Villeneuve Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, OAL (; ; born October 3, 1967) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. He has received seven Canadian Screen Awards as well as nominations for four Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, and two ...

, filmmaker *

Martin Villeneuve Martin Villeneuve () is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, director, actor, and art director. He was nominated at the Canadian Screen Award (formerly Genie Award) in 2013 for Best Adapted Screenplay, for '' Mars et Avril'', his feature film debu ...

, screenwriter, producer, actor, art director, and TED speaker

Reputation

* Charles-Rousseau competition in international law. Third victory in a row (2007) * NMUN Outstanding Delegation Award: 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019; Distinguished Delegation Award 2015 * International NATO Simulation 2014: Distinguished Delegate Award NPG, Distinguished Delegate Award DG, Superior Delegation Award * International NATO Simulation 2015: Committee Leadership Award * School of business is ranked sixth in Canada by EFMD-EQUIS

Finances

A commissioned report by

PricewaterhouseCoopers PricewaterhouseCoopers, also known as PwC, is a multinational professional services network based in London, United Kingdom. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is one of the Big Four accounting firms, alon ...

has called for cost-cutting measures at UQAM to help the university out of a financial crisis, brought on by $100 million in construction cost overruns for its sciences centre and costs for Îlot Voyageur, which soared from $226 million to more than $400 million when the Quebec government pulled out of the project, citing unauthorized design changes. The Quebec government has said that unless UQAM cuts costs, the university's total project-related debt could be $500 million by 2012. The Îlot Voyageur has been bought back by the government of Quebec in November 2010, thus solving a painful financial problem for UQAM.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Universite Du Quebec A Montreal Université du Québec Universities and colleges in Montreal Universities and colleges established in 1969 1969 establishments in Quebec Quartier Latin, Montreal Quartier des spectacles