The University of Toronto is the largest and most prominent university in Canada and was ranked first in 2004 among all medical-doctoral research universities in the nation by Maclean’s Magazine. In fact, even though comprising 7 percent of all professors in Canada, for the past 18 years the faculty of the University of Toronto has won 25 percent of Canada’s elite awards for research. Some of the University’s current notable faculty members include John C. Polanyi, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his major contributions in the development of the laser, Peter St. George-Hyslop, the leader of a team of researchers whose work uncovered 2 genes responsible for the early-onset of Alzheimer's, and Tak Wah Mak, the geneticist who originally cloned a T-cell gene, an integral component of the immune system. The University of Toronto has the highest number of Nobel Prize winning graduates in Canada with six. The University has also been the centre of some major medical and scientific discoveries including insulin, the electric heart pacemaker, and the gene responsible for the more dangerous stream of Alzheimer's disease. The University currently holds classes at the main St. George Campus, at campuses in Mississauga and Scarborough, and at nine associated teaching hospitals. Students are allowed to take courses for credit in any of the University’s associated colleges, which are smaller and more intimate. Additionally, with over 15 million holdings and spanning 3 campuses, the University of Toronto is home to the second largest university libraries and one of the top 4 research libraries in North America. The University is dedicated to making post-secondary education accessible and therefore offers numerous financial aid and scholarship programs to individuals in need; the School is a pioneer in providing financial support to doctorate-level students as it is the first university in Canada to ensure a guaranteed base of at least $12,000, plus tuition and fees, to such students for up to 5 years of study.
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As the most extensive post-secondary institution in Canada, the University of Toronto offers over 300 undergraduate programs, consisting of degrees, diplomas, and certificates, in over 74 areas of study from 14 professional faculties and in excess of 250 graduate programs, including some 25 interdisciplinary options, from more than 80 graduate departments. Post-doctoral fellowships are available to individuals with a doctorate degree or its equivalent; “fellowships” allow an individual to work alongside the faculty of a specific discipline on his/her path to becoming a professional scholar. The University does offer 68 co-operative learning opportunities from 30 disciplines but only through its campus in Scarborough, Ontario. Students are also afforded the option of earning credit towards their respective degrees through various study abroad programs in 33 countries worldwide. One such program is the “UTIHP Summer Scholarship,” administered through the Centre for International Health, which enables first- and second-year students to engage in formal, structured research in various health issues in a developing country. Additional educational opportunities are available through the Faculty of Continuing Education; these options, however, are primarily designed for working professionals who want to enhance and/or upgrade their respective knowledge and/or skills in order to be better practitioners of their respective crafts. To this end, courses and programs are available in the areas of dentistry, education, engineering, general interest, human services, information studies, medicine, social work and theological and ecumenical studies. The University’s offering in the field of information studies is the most comprehensive and prolific in Canada.
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