Higher education in Manitoba includes institutions and systems of higher or advanced education (including post-secondary/tertiary and vocational education) in the province of Manitoba.
Manitoba was the first western territory to join confederation and the first to establish a university. Today, just under 10 per cent of the total population holds at least a bachelor's degree.
Education in Canada is a provincial responsibility, as there is no national regulation nor accrediting body. Accordingly, education in Manitoba falls under the portfolio of the provincial Ministers of Advanced Education and of Economic Development, Investment and Trade.
Currently, The Advanced Education Administration Act outlines the post-secondary education and advanced learning system in Manitoba.
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Institutions The current public post-secondary institutions in Manitoba are:
Assiniboine College Brandon University Red River College Polytechnic Sundance College Winnipeg Université de Saint-Boniface École technique et professionnelle University College of the North University of Manitoba University of Winnipeg Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology The University of Manitoba also has three religious-based independent constituent colleges located on the university's Fort Garry campus:
St. Andrew's College St. John's College St. Paul's College
There are four private religious institutions in Manitoba with degree-granting authority:
Booth University College Canadian Mennonite University Providence University College and Theological Seminary in Otterburne, Manitoba Steinbach Bible College Other post-secondary institutions in Manitoba include:
Mid-Ocean School of Media Arts (MOSMA), a private vocational institution located in Winnipeg. Yellowquill University College, owned and operated by the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council as the first First Nations-controlled post-secondary institution in Manitoba.
Campus Manitoba is a consortium of all of the public colleges and universities in Manitoba. Through distributed learning mechanisms such as the Internet, it allows students to complete a significant portion of a college certificate, diploma, or university degree while staying in their home community.Ministry of Advanced Education and Literacy. (2011). Advanced Education and Literacy annual report 2010-2011. Retrieved November 22, 2011
College system Manitoba's college system consists of:
Two traditional colleges — Red River College Polytechnic and Assiniboine College; Three hybrid institutions, which are specialized in terms of region or mission: Two university/college hybrids — Université de Saint-Boniface for the Manitoba's francophone community and University College of the North for northern Manitoba One secondary school/college hybrid with a mandate for trades and technology — Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology.
Booth University College is a private postsecondary institution, and one of the newest university colleges in Manitoba. It offers degrees in religion, English and film, general studies, behavioural sciences (psychology and sociology), psychology, business administration, and social work.
Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) offers degrees in the arts, music, music therapy, theology, and church ministries.The Mennonite College Federation Act
Red River College Polytechnic is primarily located in Winnipeg with satellite campuses in Portage la Prairie, Southport, Selkirk, Winkler, and Steinbach. It offers more than 100 degree, diploma, and certificate programs in applied arts and sciences, technology, and trades.Red River College. Programs and courses. Retrieved September 27, 2011 The smaller Assiniboine College in Brandon offers certificate and diploma programs in trades, business, nursing, and agricultural training.
The École technique et professionnelle is the only francophone college in the province, and is operated under the Université de Saint-Boniface. It offers courses in business, computing, early childhood education, nursing, and tourism.
History
One-university system
Established only seven years after the province of Manitoba and four years after the city of Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba (U of M), in 1877, became the first university in not only Manitoba, but in all of western Canada. Founded under the University of Manitoba Act,University of Manitoba Act, CCSM c. U60. Retrieved on July 15, 2008 the U of M was modelled after the University of London on the principle of a "one-university" system, or a federation of denominational colleges, which was proposed to counteract sectarian conflicts developing in the post-secondary systems in eastern Canada.Gregor, A.D. (1997). Higher education in Manitoba. In Jones, G.A. (Ed.), Higher education in Canada: Different systems, different perspectives (pp.115-136). New York: Garland.
The original role of the University of Manitoba was to examine and confer degrees on students graduating from its three founding affiliated colleges: St. Boniface College (Roman Catholic), St John's (Anglican), and Manitoba College (Presbyterian).Our History: The First Years (n.d.). Our History: The First Years. Retrieved on July 15, 2008 Consolidating other institutions was intended to strengthen the smaller, financially insecure institutions. Later, Wesley College (Methodist) and Brandon College (Baptist) joined the federation along with other colleges.
In 1880, the U of M granted its first degrees. In 1892, with increasing influence from other post-secondary systems, the University of Manitoba Act was amended to allow for the university to instruct teachers. After growing demand for a science curriculum, a Faculty of Science was formally established in 1900, followed by the appointments of five professors in 1904, made possible due to a generous donation. By 1920, the University of Manitoba offered a wide range of undergraduate programs and several professional schools.Harris, R.S. (1976). A history of higher education in Canada, 1663-1960. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Community of colleges
In 1942, the federal Vocational Training Co-ordination Act founded three public colleges in Manitoba: Red River Community College (now Red River College Polytechnic), Assiniboine Community College (now Assiniboine College), and Keewatin Community College (now University College of the North). Soon after, the Mennonite Brethren Bible College (later known as Concord College) was established in 1944, followed by the Canadian Mennonite Bible College in 1947."Governance." Canadian Mennonite University. Retrieved on February 14, 2021.
In 1967, Manitoba's public policy of a one-university system ended with the establishment of the University of Winnipeg (formerly United College, previously Wesley College) and Brandon University (formerly Brandon College) under the Universities Establishment Act. (As colleges, prior to their incorporation as universities, these two institutions had been affiliated with the University of Manitoba.) The legislation also established its first intermediary agency, the Universities Grants Commission, to provide general oversight of the province’s universities.The Universities Grants Commission Act, RSM 1987, c U50. Retrieved on 2021-02-14.
The remaining colleges still affiliated with the University of Manitoba continued developing under the new concept of a "Community of Colleges." Arts and science teaching functions were taken over by the U of M, and the colleges lost control over eligibility requirements to teach and study. This solved the classical colleges' financial concerns regarding the provision of more expensive science-oriented curricula and allowed them to concentrate on theological studies and an interdisciplinary collegial environment. At the same time, this concept allowed the university to respond to cultural diversity in the province, yet honour long-standing historical relationships with the colleges.
Special arrangements were made with the Collège Universitaire de Saint-Boniface (now the Université de Saint-Boniface) due to its specific language and cultural mission. While answerable directly to the University of Manitoba Senate on academic matters, the Collège retained public funding and some administrative autonomy, including the appointment of faculty.
In 1989, Menno Simons College was established. In 1998, the Manitoba government proclaimed a new charter for the creation of a university-level, degree-granting federation of Mennonite colleges. The following year, the Mennonite College Federation (now Canadian Mennonite University) was incorporated through the amalgamation of the existing Canadian Mennonite Bible College, Concord College, and Menno Simons College, offering joint academic programs.
Booth University College (originally Catherine Booth Bible College, and later William and Catherine Booth College) was founded by the Salvation Army in 1982.
In November 1996, an Act of the Manitoba Legislature established the Council on Post-Secondary Education (COPSE) to replace the Universities Grants Commission as an arm’s length agency that acted as a semi-autonomous intermediary between post-secondary institutions and the provincial government. Beginning operations in April 1997, COPSE purposed to advise government on the financial needs of institutions, distribute annual grants authorized by the legislature to public institutions and private denominational institutions, and coordinate program and policy development.
Recent Other special arrangements include those made with the Ukrainian Orthodox St. Andrew's College,St. Andrew's College (n.d.). University of Manitoba Colleges. Retrieved on June 20, 2015 jointly sponsoring a Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies which, although not formally linked as an institution, is located on the U of M's campus.Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies (n.d.). Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies. Retrieved on May 15, 2008 Approved Teaching Centres have also been created to teach specific University-approved courses that are offered by other denominational colleges. These approved courses may also be applied towards a bachelor's degree at the U of M.The Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies (n.d.). The Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies. Retrieved on July 15, 2008
Today, the University of Manitoba enrols almost 30,000 students—25,000 undergraduates and 4,000 graduates, with 13 per cent being internationalUniversity of Manitoba. By the numbers. Retrieved June 20, 2015—and offers the most comprehensive selection of degree programs, including professional and graduate, of any university in the province. In all, 100 diploma and certificate programs are offered, more than 60 of which are at the undergraduate level.University of Manitoba (2015). Academic programs. Retrieved June 20, 2015 The university also contributes $1.8 billion to the social and economic fabric of the province in annual economic activity.University of Manitoba. More impact. Retrieved September 27, 2011
Established in 2004, University College of the North is Manitoba's newest post-secondary institution.
In June 2010, Booth University College received university college status from the Manitoba Legislature, making it one of the newest university colleges in Manitoba.
Government oversight Education in Canada is a provincial responsibility, as there is no national regulation nor accrediting body.
Financial oversight, policy development, and accountability in Manitoba's post-secondary system is the responsibility of the provincial Department of Advanced Education and Training, under the Advanced Education Division. Vocational institutions, in particular, are overseen by the Registration and Accountability Office.