Welcome to Montreal
Université de Montréal: Evolve in excellence
Given the great number of excellent law faculties in Canada, why choose Université de Montréal? Montréal’s dynamic cosmopolitan vibe and the incredible diversity of the Faculty’s student community are certainly major assets. Yet, as important as these aspects may be to the quality of a student’s life, they cannot by themselves justify the choice of a higher education institution – neither can the fact that university fees are relatively low when compared to the rest of North America. And while it is true that the Faculty, one of the top Francophone Law Faculties in the world, offers a great variety of programs to its postgraduate students, this is not its most important asset either.
A unique combination of intellectual pluralism and ground-breaking scientific research
Undoubtedly the Faculty of Law at Université de Montréal is set apart from other law faculties for its unique combination of intellectual pluralism and ground-breaking scientific research undertaken by professors and students in numerous fields of law, all in a truly diversified cultural environment. Our professors are positivist and pluralist jurists; they undertake economic analysis of law and they engage in contract theory; they are both theoretically inclined and practically oriented; they reconceptualize justice through the prism of cyberjustice – while continuing to pay attention to its more traditional forms. And they accomplish all of this, and even more, in an environment that brings together civil law and common law, without neglecting other non-state legal traditions, all the while taking intellectual diversity and interdisciplinary research extremely seriously.
Even though the Faculty offers a predominantly French-speaking environment, it takes concrete steps to ensure that all of its students are exposed to legal thinking in all the most influential languages. In a globalized world where English is the lingua franca, the Faculty of Law’s engagement to linguistic diversity is anything but superficial, as one’s understanding of a language cannot be limited just to its instrumental capacity. Language actually gives one access to a “world”, opening you up to explicit and implicit cultural references that those who do not speak it often miss, as well as intellectual networks that are more dynamic in law than in other disciplines. Université de Montréal offers a truly North-American learning experience – including libraries stocked with considerable resources and frequent interactions between professors and students – while cultivating its European roots and extending its networks to numerous developing states. Our Faculty of Law succeeds better than any other in bridging worlds.
Montreal: A great city to live in
Several factors contribute to attract an ever-increasing number of students to Montreal from all over the world:
The BOCOM Sea Turtle Index has ranked it as the world’s number one university destination;
Lonely Planet considers it to be one of the best student cities in the world;
IIt is regarded to be one of the safest cities in Canada;
It is well-situated in relation to Quebec City, Ottawa and Toronto, and in close proximity to the Canadian-American border (New York State and New England);
Its affordable cost of living, its incomparable cultural diversity and its award-winning design and architecture – all aspects that contribute to make Montreal one of the most liveable cities in the world.
A city renowned for its hybrid culture
Living and studying in Montreal means experiencing a cosmopolitan North American city, but one that has a definite European identity. Highly reputed for its distinctive hybrid culture, Montreal offers a stimulating social environment where students are bound to share in cultural experiences that enrich their intellectual development.
Montreal has over the course of the years produced internationally acclaimed talents ranging from Leonard Cohen, Arcade Fire, the Cirque du Soleil, Oscar Peterson and Rufus Wainwright to Céline Dion. The city offers numerous festivals and hosts fairs, exhibitions and dance companies of international renown. Those whose taste veers more towards the classical will undoubtedly appreciate performances by the Symphonic Orchestra of Montreal, or a visit to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
As for more adventurous spirits, they will find themselves at home in the Montreal independent music scene. Montreal thus clearly represents an ideal choice for foreign students in search of a learning experience that is both inspiring and enriching.