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Université Laval
Laval University (English)

Latin: Universitas Laval
Former names	Séminaire de Québec (1663-1852)
Motto	Error {{native name}}: a name as parameter {{{2}}} is required (help)
Motto in English	By the grace of God, to no one equal
Type	Public
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Academic affiliations	ACU, CARL, UArctic, Universities Canada, U15
Endowment	CAD$377 million
Rector	Sophie D'Amours
Students	47,690
Undergraduates	33,430
Postgraduates	14,260
Location	Quebec City, Quebec , Canada
Campus	Urban/Suburban
Language	French
Colours	Red & gold
Nickname	Rouge-et-Or
Sporting affiliations	CIS, QSSF

Université Laval (also known as Laval University in English) is a big public university in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It's a place where students go to learn and do advanced research.

This university has a long history, starting way back in 1663. It began as the Séminaire de Québec, founded by François de Laval. This makes it the oldest higher education school in Canada. It was also the first in North America to offer university-level studies in French.

The university started in Old Québec. But in the 1950s, it moved to a new, larger campus in the Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap-Rouge area. Today, Université Laval is known for its research. It's among the top 10 Canadian universities for research funding.

History of Université Laval
Buildings and Features
Programs of Study
Faculties and Schools
University Research
University Press
University Cooperative
Athletics and Sports Teams
Notable People from Université Laval
Images for kids
See also

History of Université Laval

The story of Université Laval began in 1663. That's when the Grand Séminaire de Québec was founded. A few years later, in 1668, the Petit Séminaire was also started. Both were created by François de Laval, who was the first Bishop of New France.

Early Education in New France

During the time of French rule, the school mainly trained priests. These priests would then serve the communities in New France. After 1760, when the British took over, education in Canada started to include more subjects like the arts.

French Canadians at that time didn't have many chances for higher education. So, Bishop Bourget of Montreal suggested making the Séminaire de Québec into a full university. A priest named Louis-Jacques Casault, who taught physics, traveled to Europe. He wanted to learn about the best university systems and get a special permission called a royal charter.

Becoming a University

The Séminaire de Québec officially became Université Laval on December 8, 1852. This happened when Queen Victoria granted it a royal charter. This charter gave the school "the rights and privileges of a university." Later, Pope Benedict XV also approved the plan. This allowed the university to teach theology and give out degrees.

In 1878, Université Laval opened another campus in Montreal. This campus later became its own university, the Université de Montréal, in 1919. In 1971, a new charter gave all power to the Université Laval council.

Moving to a New Campus

By 1925, the university had grown too big for its original spot in Old Quebec. The area was very crowded, making it hard to build new buildings. So, in the 1950s, the university moved to Sainte-Foy. This was a quieter, more rural area outside Quebec City.

However, the School of Architecture moved back to the old building in 1989. This old building is now lovingly called Le Vieux Séminaire.

How the University is Run

Université Laval is managed by a board of governors and a faculty senate. The senate handles academic rules, while the board of governors takes care of money and other important matters. The president of the university connects these two groups and leads the school.

In the early 1900s, people wanted to study more than just theology, law, and medicine. So, the university added new departments like forestry and home economics. They also started offering advanced studies where students could do research for a thesis.

In 1929, the Quebec Seminary building was named a national historic site of Canada. The royal charter that started the university in 1852 was also named a National Historic Event in 1972.

The original location at 1 Rempart Street in Quebec City still trains Roman Catholic priests. Part of the old building has been home to the university's school of architecture since 1987.

In 2017, Université Laval became the first university in Canada to stop investing its money in companies related to fossil fuels.

Buildings and Features

After Université Laval became a university, several buildings were built in Old Quebec. These included the School of Chemistry (1923) and the Mining School (1938). However, the area became too crowded. So, the university's main activities moved to the more spacious Sainte-Foy area.

Campus Buildings

Today, the main campus covers about 1.2 square kilometers. It has over 30 buildings, also called pavillons. Many of these buildings show off modern architecture. The first buildings and green spaces were designed by Edouard Fiset in the 1950s. A large part of the campus, 56 percent, is made up of forests, grassy areas, and sports fields.

Ferdinand Vandry Pavilion, hosting health sciences faculties
L'Homme devant la Science (1963), mural by Jordi Bonet on Adrien-Pouliot Hall
Social science library building
Palasis-Prince building (administrative sciences)
Pavillon Charles-De Koninck (social sciences, humanities and law)
Abitibi-Price building (forestry, geography and geomatics)
Gene-H.-Kruger building (wood research)
Félix-Antoine-Savard and educational sciences buildings
Western end of the campus

Other Campus Features

Almost all the buildings on campus are connected by 10 kilometers of underground walkways. These tunnels are very helpful in winter. Their walls are often covered with colorful murals painted by students over the years.

The campus also has the Roger-Van den Hende botanical garden. This garden is home to about 67 types of trees and 60 different kinds of birds. The Louis-Jacques-Casault building houses a local branch of the National Archives of Quebec.

The main sports building is called PEPS. It is said to be the biggest sports complex in eastern Canada. Next to it is the covered TELUS stadium, which opened in 2012.

Pedestrian tunnel
Water Garden at Roger-Van den Hende botanical garden
A branch of the National Archives is found in Pavillon Casault
Olympic swimming pool inside the PEPS complex
TELUS stadium

Off-Campus Locations

Most of the university is on the main campus. However, the school of architecture is in Old Quebec. The school of visual arts is in the downtown area of Saint-Roch. There is also an experimental forest called Montmorency forest [fr], which is about 70 kilometers north of Quebec City.

A facility of the experimental forest
The school of architecture
La Fabrique building hosts the school of art

Programs of Study

As of 2002, Université Laval offered over 350 different programs. More than 38,000 students attended the university. Each year, over 2,500 students from other countries come to study here. Also, almost 1,000 students come from other Canadian provinces.

Many international students come for the Français pour non-francophones program. This program teaches French as a second language. Université Laval is also the only university in Quebec that trains forestry engineers. Since the mid-1980s, the university has offered distance learning. This means students can take over 30 programs and 400 courses online from anywhere.

Faculties and Schools

Université Laval has many different faculties and schools. Each one focuses on a specific area of study. Here are some of them:

Administrative Sciences
Agriculture and Food Sciences
Architecture, Urban Planning and Visual Arts
Dentistry
Education
Faculty of Law (Faculté de Droit)
Letters and Humanities (Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences humaines)
Forestry, Geography and Geomatics
International Studies (Hautes Études Internationales)
Arts
Medicine
Music
Nursing
Pharmacy
Philosophy
Postgraduate Studies (for advanced degrees)
Science and Engineering
Social Sciences
Theology and Religious Studies

University rankings
Global rankings
ARWU World	301–400
QS World	441
Times World	251–300
U.S News & World Report Global	397
Canadian rankings
ARWU National	12–17
QS National	18
Times National	11–13
U.S News & World Report National	15
Maclean's Medical/Doctoral	11
Maclean's Reputation	16

University Research

Université Laval is a leader in research. It holds four of the 19 Canada Excellence Research Chairs given across the country. These chairs focus on important topics like:

Remote Sensing of Canada's New Arctic Frontier (studying the Arctic from afar)
Microbiome-Endocannabinoidome Axis in Metabolic Health (research on gut health)
Photonic Innovations and Communication (new light technologies)
Neurophotonics (studying the brain with light)

University Press

Les Presses de l'Université Laval is the university's own publishing house. It was started in 1950. It publishes about 120 books each year. These books cover many subjects like Canadian history, literature, law, and science.

University Cooperative

The Coopérative de l'Université Laval, or University Co-op, sells products to students and staff. You can buy books, lecture notes, and computers there. They have two locations: one on campus and another near the Arts building in Old Québec.

Athletics and Sports Teams

Sports at Université Laval happen at the Pavillon d'éducation physique et des sports (Physical Education and Sports Complex), also known as PEPS. The university's sports teams are called the Rouge-et-Or, which means Red & Gold.

The men's football team is very successful. As of 2024, they have won the Vanier Cup 11 times. This is the most titles in the country, showing they are a top team!

Notable People from Université Laval

Many famous people have studied at Université Laval. These include Prime Ministers of Canada, Premiers of Quebec, Supreme Court Justices, and important athletes. Here are some of the most well-known: