March 13, 2012

Ryerson University at a Glance

• Ryerson University is Canada’s leader in innovative, career-focused education and a university clearly on the move. Located in downtown Toronto, Ryerson is a distinctly urban university with a mission to serve societal need and a long-standing commitment to engaging its community.
  
  
• Ryerson is the most applied-to university in Ontario relative to available spaces, and its reputation with business and community leaders continue to rise.

• The university has 26,000 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students – a culturally diverse student population from 146 countries. The university employs 780 faculty and 1,700 administrative staff.
  
  
• Ryerson offers more than 100 undergraduate, Master’s and PhD programs.
  
  
• 95.3% of Ryerson graduates report employment two years after graduation.
  
  
• The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is the country’s largest, offering 1,400 courses and 80 certificate programs.

ACADEMICS

• Many Ryerson programs are distinguished by experiential learning opportunities, including co-op, internships and placements.
  
  
• The university has a range of partnerships with organizations in the community and around the world. Ryerson recently launched joint programs with Osgoode Hall Law School and St. Michael’s Hospital.
  
  
• Entrepreneurship education is in the spotlight at Ryerson with more than 10 per cent of the student population actively engaged in entrepreneurial-focused degrees or courses, research, mentoring programs or workshops.
  
  

Five Faculties:

Ted Rogers School of Management:
Largest business school in Canada and accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – a designation achieved by less than five per cent of business schools worldwide.

Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Science:
One of the largest faculties of its kind in Canada, and home to one of the fastest-growing biomedical physics groups in the country. It offers one of only two aerospace degree programs in Canada.

Faculty of Communication & Design:
Offers eight programs, many that are unique in Canada. The Faculty is a leader in experiential learning and creative research.

Faculty of Community Services:
Home to nine schools offering professional programs that prepare students for addressing the health and social care needs of Canada’s population.

Faculty of Arts:
Brings the traditional university focus on liberal arts to Ryerson’s unique brand of education, with degree programs in English, history, sociology and a range of other disciplines.

Recognizing the growing depth and breadth of science-related activity at the university, Ryerson will launch a Faculty of Science in 2012 with four schools: Chemistry and Biology, Physics, Math and Computer Science.

Yeates School of Graduate Studies

• Graduate students from 57 countries around the world study at Ryerson.
  
  
• 10 PhD and 42 master’s programs
  
  
• Three new PhD programs launched in fall 2011: molecular science, physics and computer science.
  
  
• The Master’s of Architecture program at Ryerson is the first new professional program in architecture to be launched in Canada since 1971.

OUTSTANDING FACULTY

• The university attracts and retains outstanding faculty from around the world. In 2011, Ryerson history professor Arne Kislenko won the most prestigious university teaching award in Canada: the 3M National Teaching Fellowship.
  
  
• Distinguished visiting scholars and practitioners include: Tony Burman and Diane Francis, journalists; Marie Bountrogianni, politician; Stephen Lewis, humanitarian and activist; Atom Egoyan, filmmaker; and Buzz Hargrove, labour leader.
  
  

DIGITAL MEDIA ZONE (DMZ)

• Overlooking Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto, the DMZ is a multidisciplinary workspace for young entrepreneurs to innovate, collaborate and take their digital ideas to the marketplace.
  
  
• Since its launch in April 2010, there have been more than 188 innovators in 41 teams through the Zone. 39 startups have been incubated and accelerated; 357 jobs fostered and created through newly formed startups and market-driven research; and 48 new jobs created at Ryerson. Seven companies have outgrown the space and since leased on their own.
  
  
• The university has established six fellowships for students from India to join DMZ.
  

RESEARCH

• Research at the university is focused on these themes: digital media; energy, sustainability and the environment; health and well-being; civil society; design, creative expression and cultural industries; innovation and entrepreneurship; and learning and teaching effectiveness.
  
  
• Research funding and publications have doubled in the past five years and the university has established a reputation nationally and internationally with a focus on digital media, energy, biomedical, creative industries and social innovation.
  
  
• The university ranks in the top half of Canadian non-medical universities for research, with a focus on real world solutions to real world challenges.
  
  
• Ryerson was ranked #1 in the undergraduate category for research publication intensity by Research Infosource 2011.
  

NOTABLE ALUMNI

• There are 140,000 alumni worldwide including Isadore Sharp, founder, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts; Wendy Mesley, broadcast journalist; Jeremy Laing, Lida Baday, fashion designers; Eric McCormack, actor; and Ed Burtynsky, photographer.
  
  
• Three alumni have won Academy Awardsfor technical achievements -- Frieder Hochheim, for the Kino Flo lighting system; Doug Walker, for his Maya special effects software; and Mike Lewis, part of a team of four who won the Scientific And Engineering Award for high-tech camera technology that helps moviemakers take better aerial film.
  
  

WE ARE GROWING

• Ryerson has a host of new capital projects underway:
  
  
• Mattamy Athletic Centre at the Gardens opens in 2012 featuring a multi-purpose court with 1,000 seats for volleyball and basketball; an NHL-sized rink with 2,800 seats; and fitness and recreational facilities.
  
  
• The Ryerson Student Learning Centre is a university space for the 21^st century. Located on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, the centre will add study and collaborative space for students and help revitalize the city’s downtown core. It has won a national design excellence award from Canadian Architect magazine.
  
  
• The School of Image Arts building recently underwent a state-of-the-art renovation and expansion, made possible with $32.9 million from the federal and provincial governments. The building will also house the Ryerson Image Centre, set to open in 2012.
  
  
• The university expects to open a new student residence in 2016, housing 500 students.
  
  
• With $56 million from the province, Ryerson is planning construction of a Health Sciences building to house health-related programs. The new building will facilitate and enrolment increase of 1,800.