Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU), often referred to as "The Mount," is a public liberal arts university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Established in 1873 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, it was one of the few institutions of higher education for women in Canada at the time.
| Acronym | MSVU |
| Nickname | Mystics |
| Motto / Slogan | Truth Leads to God |
| Colour | Dark Blue |
| Mascot | Captain Crow |
| Founded | 1872 |
| Location | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Address | 166 Bedford Highway, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3M 2J6 |
At Mount Saint Vincent, a student’s education extends beyond knowledge, skills, and preparation for work. The university's seek the development of the whole person. In the spirit of Vincent de Paul and Elizabeth Ann Seton, we foster an understanding of our common humanity, a commitment to human dignity, and a full appreciation of our obligations to each other.
MSVU will be a model of creative teaching and research that nurtures socially responsible global citizens.
The MSVU Accessibility Plan 2025–2028 outlines how the university will remove barriers and better support staff, students, and visitors. Its goal is to ensure full, equitable access to education, programs, and services across Nova Scotia post-secondary institutions through a shared, accountable, human-rights-based approach to accessibility.
MSVU is one of 17 universities and colleges from across Canada – and the only Nova Scotia institution – selected to work with the Tri-Agency Dimensions team to foster increased research excellence, innovation and creativity within the post-secondary sector across all disciplines through increased equity, diversity and inclusion.
MSVU is nationally recognized for excellence in Social Sciences and Humanities research and for its low student-to-professor ratio. Our faculty and staff are dedicated to delivering an exceptional university experience and shaping engaged, impactful citizens. A rich history and strong community attract outstanding faculty, staff, and over 4,000 students from around the world.
MSVU hosts the longest-standing and second-largest accredited co-op program in Atlantic Canada, offering hands-on learning across all programs. Since 1979, students have been able to apply classroom knowledge in real workplaces, and more than 7,000 students have completed co-op work terms.
Entrance requirements vary by program. Check the program page for requirements.
International Students:
For international Students, besides academic requirements, you will also need to complete language requirements, if English is not your first language. Be sure to check out the English Test Score Requirements page.
Entrance requirements vary by program. Check the program page for requirements.
International Students:
For international Students, besides academic requirements, you will also need to complete language requirements, if English is not your first language. Be sure to check out the English Test Score Requirements page.
Email: [email protected]
Phone : 9024576117, +1 8777336788, 902-457-6400
Accommodation: We are excited for you to join the Residence Life community and make MSVU your home far away from home. Staying on campus is a great way to get involved with on campus activities, to make amazing connections, and have a lot of fun!
ICT: There are many technology services available to assist you with your studies, such as wireless internet, access to over 200 desktop computers across campus, and fully equipped classrooms for your presentation needs. With Office 365 you can access your email, calendar, 1TB OneDrive storage, along with many other useful tools! IT&S encourages you to take advantage of them all during your school year.
Library: We are a dedicated academic team supporting teaching, learning, research, and scholarship. Our librarians and staff take pride in offering quality services and scholarly content to meet the ever-changing needs of the MSVU community.
Before joining MSVU, Dr. Dickinson was Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Laurentian University and also held the positions of Acting Associate Vice-President of Teaching and Learning (2020-2021), and Chair of the university’s Department of Psychology.
Throughout her ... read more
Dr. Dickinson has taught at the University of New Brunswick and Mount Allison University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and PhD in Psychology from the University of New Brunswick.
A first-generation university student, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Francis Xavier University, a Master of Science degree from McMaster University, and a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Guelph. “I look forward to working with faculty, staff and students at MSVU, and working to identify and remove barriers to inclusion in academic settings,” said Lori. “I am excited to be joining MSVU; I have long admired the mission and vision of the institution, including the commitment to EDIA. As the Vice-President Academic and Provost, I want to be a champion for faculty and staff, celebrate successes, and foster growth.
Dr. Card’s areas of teaching and research interests include pre-service and teacher education focused on health and physical education and health promoting schools. His research projects have focused on children and youth in Newfoundland and Labrador and engaging policy makers, practitioners and researchers in jointly setting priorities for youth health in schools across Canada, such as with the development of Core Indicators and Measures of Physical Activity.
Keltie brings to MSVU a strong commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and EDIA. As college-wide lead for Algonquin’s most recent strategic planning process, she incorporated Indigenous ways of knowing by utilizing an Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing) approach. During her time with Dalhousie’s Faculty of Agriculture, she led development of an Indigenous Student Support Program and Indigenous Student Access Pathway. In 2019, Keltie was the recipient of an Eagle Feather from Millbrook Community in recognition of her support for Indigenization. She instituted an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity Advisory Committee at Algonquin College’s Pembroke campus, served as a member of Dalhousie University’s Employment Equity Council, and led equity planning for Dalhousie’s Faculty of Agriculture.
By 1912, the Sisters recognized the need to offer greater opportunity through university education and adopted a plan to establish a college for young women. Two years later, in 1914, the Sisters partnered with Dalhousie University, enabling Mount Saint Vincent to offer the first... read more
In 1925, the Nova Scotia Legislature awarded Mount Saint Vincent the right to grant its own degrees, making it the only independent women’s college in the British Commonwealth. By 1951, the college offered degrees in Arts, Secretarial Science, Music, Home Economics, Library Science, Nursing and Education.
In 1966, the college became Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU); university ownership and operations was transferred from the Sisters of Charity to a Board of Governors and Senate in 1988. This was also a period of tremendous growth with enrolment increases, new construction and new agreements. In 1967, MSVU began admitting men as students. In the decades that followed, the university continued to evolve, expanding its creative academic offerings to include Child & Youth Study, Public Relations and Gerontology (to name just a few), and furthering its research impact in a range of areas. In the 1980s, MSVU was also breaking ground in distance (now online) learning and co-operative education.