Guidebook Info Sheet:
University Information
Student Population
• 600 full-time undergraduate students registered in Arts.
New Programs
• None.
Program Changes
• Honours Arts Co-op: Students in Honours Arts can apply directly to co-op, which is available for all Honours Arts majors.
Our students today are civic-minded and want to make the world a more just, peaceable and inspiring place to live. They want to be leaders. And we want to help them do it.
At the University there are many opportunities for students to harness their potential, pioneer ideas and develop their leadership skills.
At St. Jerome’s University we aim to advance learning and share knowledge in a manner consistent with Roman Catholic tradition and the honest pursuit of wisdom and understanding. We encourage the intellectual, spiritual, social, moral, and personal development of the members of the University community, and the betterment of society consistent with the ideals of the contemporary Roman Catholic Church, and in alignment with our Academic Plan 2015-2020.
We are committed to educating the heart as well as the mind. Learning and serving go hand in hand. Compassionate action towards those facing illness, poverty and disenfranchisement is not only rooted in our values. It's truly lived by our students.
Through academic programs like Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies, and co-curricular initiatives like Beyond Borders, Beyond U, Encounter KW, and SJU in Peru, students find meaningful and intentional engagement opportunities to connect their academic studies with experiences of service, encounter and solidarity.
What’s more, through our active engagement in initiatives like Relay for Life and Movember, and our involvement with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, students experience a connection to national movements targeted at advocacy, service, and justice.
This focus on service learning starts early for our students—as early as our community service day during orientation week where over 300 students and staff take to the community and lend their time and talents to agencies and organizations in the community we’re partnered with. It’s important to us that these aren’t one-off engagements—they are part of an ongoing commitment to our partners in the community.
Much of this work flows out of our Centre for Responsible Citizenship where there is a teaching, research and learning focus on responsible citizenship. Our Office of Student Experience and Student Success Office support these initiatives operationally and from a student support perspective.
Our students today are civic-minded and want to make the world a more just, peaceable and inspiring place to live. They want to be leaders. And we want to help them do it. At the University there are many opportunities for students to harness their potential, pioneer ideas and develop their leadership skills.
Whether it’s our Residence Dons that support students in their time in residence, or our other senior leadership roles like Assistant Activities Coordinators, Student Activities Team, Student Campus Ministers, and Peer Academic Leaders that challenge and support students to grow and experience all aspects of University Life, our focus is on building the next generation of leaders. Through extensive training and ongoing mentorship, these student leaders are pushed to develop their soft skills through community building.
Our Advancement and Student Success Offices further support the work of these leaders through targeted scholarship opportunities that recognize their contributions and growth. In addition, each year at our Students’ Union’s Green & Gold Gala, the University distributes graduating and continuing student awards to those who have made exceptional contributions through their leadership and participation.
We see community beyond the classroom. Through student life, community partnerships, and innovative lecture series, we build relationships on campus and in the community that allow us to connect to new people, ideas, and opportunities for learning.
Relationships and partnerships are the backbone of community and at St. Jerome’s University, we take community seriously.
From our small classes, intimate dining hall, or intentionally designed residence experience, to the experiences students have as part of the St. Jerome’s University’s Worshipping Community or House System, students experience community around every corner.
Through the Catholic Education Partnership, we work with school boards within the Hamilton Diocese to foster community and drive outcomes of mutual interest in Catholic Education. It’s important to us that students have the opportunity to explore Catholic Education beyond the secondary level. Through initiatives like the Unity Conference, From Information to Transformation Conference, and Board Professional Development Day we foster community with educators and students at all levels.
What’s more, we work hard to foster community and connection through celebration. Though formally a part of the University of Waterloo, our students experience some unique events that are homegrown and designed to build connection through intentionality. Our Investiture ceremony is a formal welcoming into the academic institution and our graduation ceremony dovetails with Waterloo’s Convocation week as a way to celebrate the special accomplishments of our students.
But the community doesn’t end there. Through our various Advancement Department and alumni events we continue to engage graduates well after they formally leave our campus. The friendships and families that grew out of their time at St. Jerome’s are as important to us as the new members we greet each year.
Mission, Vision, & History
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about St. Jerome’s University you’ll find right here! Quick facts, stats, where we come from, and maybe even something fun.
Who are we?
St. Jerome's University registers full-time and part-time students in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Waterloo. Students enjoy the advantages of a small, vigorous academic community while having access to all courses, facilities, and services of the University of Waterloo and its affiliated University Colleges: Conrad Grebel, Renison, and St. Paul's.
The University offers its students a wide range of courses informed by the latest scholarly research, and supports their educational efforts with academic counselling, scholarships, and bursaries, administrative services, library resources, information technology, and residences. The campus is also a centre for a vibrant Catholic community in the region.
St. Jerome’s University is a public Roman Catholic university federated with the University of Waterloo and historically associated with the educational vision of the Congregation of the Resurrection.
We are committed to learning and academic excellence; the gospel values of love, truth, and justice; and the formation of leaders for the service of the community and the Church. In all of our activities and practices, St. Jerome’s University functions within the context of the Roman Catholic tradition and the principles of academic freedom.
At St. Jerome’s University we steward each students’ unique talents, nurture their ability to think critically, and inspire them to become life-long learners who seek knowledge and truth, act with compassion, and advocate for human dignity for all.
We educate our students to become informed, courageous citizens who have the humility to work together for the common good and the courage to lead by example to build a more just society.
St. Jerome's University, like most institutions and religious establishments, had a very humble beginning. In 1865, two years before Canada achieved nationhood, St. Jerome's College was founded by the Reverend Dr. Louis Funcken, of the Congregation of the Resurrection. Over the years, the College grew in size and occupied various locations in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
In 1959, through an Act of the Ontario Legislature, St. Jerome's College was granted independent university status. The name was changed to the University of St. Jerome's College to reflect new university powers and the authority to grant degrees. As an independent university, St. Jerome's College entered into federation with the newly established University of Waterloo.
Given the federation, St. Jerome’s University graduates receive a University of Waterloo degree, as St. Jerome’s University holds in abeyance its degree-granting privilege, except for degrees in theology. In 1998, the University of St. Jerome's College officially and legally changed its name to St. Jerome's University.
Founded in 1865, St. Jerome’s University became a university in 1959 through an Act of the government of Ontario. Within a year, the University agreed to a federation with the new University of Waterloo. St. Jerome’s University enrolls students in Faculty of Arts.
All its students must fulfill the admission, promotion, and graduation requirements of the University of Waterloo. St. Jerome’s students enjoy courses offered at the University of Waterloo, and access to all campus resources as part of their education experience, and UWaterloo students regularly take courses at St. Jerome’s University.
Students registering here enjoy all the benefits of being part of a small, welcoming community at the heart of a world-renowned university, and students graduate with a University of Waterloo degree.
Come home to St. Jerome’s University.
Sitting in the heart of the University of Waterloo campus, we are a public Roman Catholic university federated with the University of Waterloo. Here, teaching excellence and undergraduate education are the highest priorities.
Our lively campus is situated at the centre of the University of Waterloo’s wider campus, on a beautiful 900 acre site in northwest Waterloo. At St. Jerome's University you will find classrooms and community spaces that make up our thriving academic environment to reflect a fresh new design for students to learn, study, and develop.
St. Jerome’s University offers a wide range of services and spaces for our extended community. Grab a coffee at the Funcken Café before tasting our chef’s latest locally sourced dish in our Servery; study in the calm quiet of the Library or collaborate in one of our study rooms; dig into our Archives for a glimpse into the past; take in a yoga class or get active with some friends in the gym or wellness studios; or plug in your guitar or PlayStation in our games and music rooms. Looking for some reflection time? Stop by the chapel for quiet introspection, or book the creative space to get out some cathartic artistry. Our academic facilities are newly renovated and top-of-the-line: tech enabled, accessible, and bright – perfect for learning and idea generation.