Mount Allison University

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

Mount Allison University, founded in 1839 and located in Sackville, New Brunswick, is a highly respected Canadian undergraduate liberal arts institution known for its academic excellence and rich history. It was the first university in the British Empire to award a baccalaureate degree to a woman—Grace Annie Lockhart in 1875—and the first in Canada to grant a Bachelor of Arts degree to a woman, Harriet Starr Stewart in 1882. With 57 Rhodes Scholars to date, Mount Allison holds the highest per capita rate in the British Commonwealth. Originally established through the efforts of Charles Frederick Allison and rooted in Methodist traditions, the university evolved from three founding schools: the Wesleyan Academy for Boys, the Ladies College, and Mount Allison College, which received degree-granting authority in 1862. In 1941, it became the first Canadian institution to offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in visual arts. Distinguished figures such as George Stanley, the designer of the Canadian flag, and Nobel Laureate James B. Sumner have contributed to its legacy. The university remains committed to providing a high-quality, undergraduate-focused education in the liberal arts, sciences, fine arts, and commerce, fostering a close-knit campus environment that emphasizes academic achievement, leadership, and community engagement.