Established in 1838, Acadia University is a highly-ranked liberal arts university in Nova Scotia, Canada. Set up as Horton Academy in 1828, the university was an extension of a Horton-based institution. Through the years, the institution’s name was changed several times: Queen’s College in 1838 and Acadia College in 1841. The college started operating in 1839 with 21 students and two faculty members and adopted its current name in 1891. It has affiliations from the Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate (CUSID) and the International Association of Universities (IAU).
Nestled in Annapolis Valley of Wolfville, the 250-acre campus of the university features world-class academic, administrative, recreational and housing facilities. The university library holds an extensive and unique collection of print, digital and multimedia resources. It offers group and individual study spaces along with facilities like scanning, photocopying and printing. Athletic facilities on the campus include a swimming pool, dance studio, cardio centre, fitness centre, football field, two gymnasiums, squash and racquetball courts, walking tracks and tennis courts. Over 1600 students stay in 12 on-site residences offering options like high-rise, heritage, double sharing rooms and deluxe suites equipped with modern amenities. Facilities offered to students include local phone service, high-speed Internet, housekeeping and in-house laundry. Other on-campus facilities include a convenience store, medical centre, student lounge and two food outlets.
The academic structure of Acadia University is divided into four faculties – Theology, Pure and Applied Science, Arts and Professional Studies. Each faculty further sub-divides into various schools and departments specialized in different areas of teaching and research. It offers about 200 programmes in business, education, music, engineering, applied sciences, history, theology, gender studies, theatre and economics. The university has a separate Division of Research and Graduate Studies that supervises the research programmes and graduate students. It has six research chairs and about 15 research centres equipped with techno-scientific equipment and modern facilities. Open Acadia offers distance learning and correspondence courses for working professionals.