Lise Bazinet
In recent years, the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies has seen an unprecedented increase in a number of areas — student numbers, programs and national exposure.
Between 2002 and 2004, the University of Ottawa saw the greatest increase in doctoral students among universities in Ontario. The University’s growth allocation for graduate studies for the fall of 2007 over 2002 is 10 per cent of the growth objective of the province. This allocation reflects the University’s past success in achieving significant growth in enrolment over the past five years.
It has been several years since graduate studies have seen such increases. In September 2006, the University saw an increase of 17 per cent in new admissions in four particular fields: health sciences (46 per cent increase), social sciences (38 per cent), law (36 per cent) and the arts (30 per cent).
“The numbers will continue to rise next September when we welcome Ontario’s double cohort students completing their undergraduate degrees and applying for master’s degrees and graduate certificates,” explains Dean Gary Slater. However, unlike the 2003 double cohort, this one will not swell total student numbers now sitting around 34,380. Instead, it will simply change the student profile. Whereas graduate students represent about 11 per cent of today’s student body, within four years that proportion will likely reach 16 per cent.
In preparation for the increase, the FGPS has created several new highly anticipated programs. For example, starting in September, physiotherapy and occupational therapy will be offered at the graduate level. The goal is to eventually offer doctoral programs in all disciplines. Presently there are 10 programs being prepared for approval over the next few years. The rate of program development has risen dramatically over the last five years.
“The FGPS is not like other faculties. Its role is more akin to a service because on a daily basis it controls activities common to all other faculties such as program development, thesis management, student aid, supervising postdoctoral research internships in all the University’s fields of endeavour, not to mention marketing and program quality evaluations,” explains Dean Slater.
In brief
-Dean Gary Slater indicates that the greatest challenge facing graduate studies in the next few years will be augmenting the number of francophone students.
-A sixth of the graduate studies population is found at the health sciences campus.
-Approximately 80 per cent of our Canadian doctoral students and approximately 45 per cent of our master’s students have received an admissions scholarship.
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The Gazette will feature an occasional series of articles on what’s new and on the horizon for the University’s ten faculties.
