Université de Sudbury now offers French-language science courses

For the first time in over 60 years, Université de Sudbury will offer French-language science courses after agreeing to lease laboratory space and equipment from Collège Boréal.

For the first time in more than sixty years, Université de Sudbury will offer science courses and laboratory access in French. The change follows an agreement with Collège Boréal to lease science lab space and equipment, the two institutions said in a joint release. The partnership is presented as a way to expand access to STEM studies and to share resources between the region's francophone institutions. The announcement is described as part of a wider revitalization of the university after its separation from Laurentian University. Key facts: - The university will provide French-language science courses and laboratory access through a lease agreement with Collège Boréal, the release states. - Students in Université de Sudbury science programs will have access to "modern, high-quality laboratory facilities," according to the release. - The partnership is intended to expand access to studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to generate economies of scale while strengthening ties between the two francophone institutions. - Université de Sudbury began planning a French-language university in 2021 after Laurentian severed ties with its federated universities and has since invested in the project. - Recent milestones noted in the release include accreditation from the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board in 2022, a partnership with the University of Ottawa for French-language classes announced in 2024, provincial funding secured in 2025, and the arrival of a first student cohort in September 2025; the university has also invested $18 million since 2021. Summary: The lease agreement with Collège Boréal provides Université de Sudbury students with access to laboratory facilities and supports the university's broader effort to expand French-language STEM programming as part of its revitalization. Undetermined at this time.