If you just took a breath and said wow, welcome to Trent University's Peterborough Campus, the perfect place for you to live, learn and be inspired.
Welcome to Trent
If you just took a breath and said wow, welcome to Trent University’s Peterborough Campus – the perfect place for you to live, learn and be inspired.
And welcome to our virtual tour – think of this as your guide to all things Trent.
Students tell us the natural beauty of our campus is one of their favourite things about studying at Trent in Peterborough. We agree. It’s pretty spectacular. It’s not unusual to see students and even faculty and staff stopping in their tracks to take in the stunning 360-degree panoramic view from the Faryon Bridge.
What’s not to love? Architecturally-stunning building and sweeping riverside views combined with stateof-the-art facilities, lecture hall and labs, and friendly faces – it’s all right here.
As one of Canada’s greenest campuses, Trent also offers incredible opportunities to connect not only with nature through experiential learning and our vibrant student life, but also with downtown business, NGOs and start-ups. It’s the perfect balance between nature and innovation – no matter what program you choose.
And what choice you have! Here at Ontario’s #1 undergraduate university (a title we have held proudly for nine consecutive years), you can challenge the way you think in any of our renowned programs that span the arts, sciences, social sciences – as well as professional programs.
At Trent, we pride ourselves on the personal, purposeful and transformative learning environment we offer to all students.
Discover Trent and discover a truly transformative student experience.
Athletics Centre
Open the doors to our state-of-the-art Athletics Centre and prepare to be amazed.
The Trent Athletics Centre is where our active student body finds their fit– everyone from varsity athletes and competitive campus rec enthusiasts to intramural players and community members.
Here at the AC, you can access state-of-the-art fitness spaces and athletic equipment. Outside, there’s the Justin Chiu stadium, natural turf playing fields and even a beach volleyball court. Inside, you can check out our climbing wall, and North America’s only indoor rowing/paddling tank.
Our Athletics Centre is also home to renowned 1Ex, the Trent Excalibur.
Did you know that we have 12 varsity teams donning the green and white to compete with the Trent Excalibur at the highest competition in university sport?
In recent years, the Excalibur have taken home several championship medals – including gold in Women’s lacrosse; OUA all-stars in rugby; and many national titles in rowing, just to name a few.
Speaking of rowing, this is where Trent really shines. With a river running through campus (literally), Trent is an ideal environment for competitive and aspiring rowers. As one of only five Rowing Canada Next Gen Hubs in the country, Trent is also an official training ground for future Team Canada Olympians.
Many athletes. One team. With this combination of ways to get active, stay healthy and involved, you will see how together, we truly are ONE EXCALIBUR.
Student Centre
Centrally located and central to the student experience: welcome to the new Student Centre.
Since opening in 2018, the Student Centre has quickly become “the place” to go on campus, meet friends for a study session, grab a latte and a snack at Starbucks, and get involved through clubs, groups and student government.
This building, with its breathtaking views of the Otonabee River, is also home to academic spaces, including active learning classrooms and lecture halls.
Fun fact: Stohn Hall, our 200-seat lecture hall is named after alumnus and now chancellor of Trent University, Stephen Stohn, who also happens to be creator and executive producer of the Degrassi series.
At Trent, academics are just the beginning of your university experience. Expand your social circle. Enhance your resume. Drive positive change as a student leader. The Student Centre – and the services here – provide a great place to explore your potential.
Careerspace
Careerspace – our on-campus career centre and experiential learning hub – is located on the top floor of the Student Centre.
All Trent students are guaranteed to have a career-related experiential learning opportunity before they graduate. Talk about an incredible way to gain the upper hand as you enter the workforce.
Through Careerspace at Trent, students in all programs have the opportunity to tap into nearly limitless combinations of academic, in-class and practical career experiences with access to interview training, resume assistance and a list of companies ready to give you some real experience.
Let Careerspace show you the way to your own unique idea of success.
Bata Library
An iconic and architectural marvel, recently transformed for twenty-first century learning and research: this is the Bata Library, the academic heart of Trent.
Not only does our newly-transformed library have lots of space to study – in groups, individually and even in private study spaces – there are also modern, new resources to help you thrive academically at Trent.
Having computer issues? Find IT Services with staff on hand to help you, right here. Working on a lab report? Use the Data Visualization Lab. Need to rehearse a presentation? Book the Presentation Practice Room. Interested in start-ups and change projects, or thinking of a career as an entrepreneur? You will definitely want to connect with the Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Centre.
An expansive collection of books and digital resources are, of course, also available to support your learning.
Bring your laptop, pick up a coffee at the Bata Bean café and bask in the greenness next to our living green wall – this architectural gem on campus has it all.
Our library of the future is bound to become one of your favourite spots at Trent.
Living on Campus
Living on-campus at Trent means being up close and personal with our unique collegiate environment.
Our residences are knit into the Colleges of Trent – communities that promote learning, embrace diversity and foster meaningful connections among students and faculty.
You can learn more about the advantages of studying at a collegiate university in the colleges section of this tour, but for now, let’s explore Trent the residence side of college life at Trent.
Quite literally, your residence at Trent will become your home away from home. And what a home it is!
There are so many advantages to living in residence at Trent. Let’s jump in and share just a few.
Choice! This is a huge advantage of residence at Trent. Here, you can choose to live in any of our colleges (which have personalities as unique as you are) in a variety of room styles.
Single, double or triple rooms; traditional dorm style or apartment style – the choice is yours.
Our unique room self-selection service also puts you in the driver’s seat. Pick your college, choose your room and even let us know what kind of roommate you’re looking for.
Another advantage? Your room in residence is guaranteed. Apply by the deadline and we will save you a spot for you. Yes, it’s that simple.
Now, let’s talk about convenience. Access to campus resources and supports like academic advising, health services, career mentoring, and more – pretty much right on your doorstep. On campus you can find it all.
Most importantly, living in residence provides you with a chance to connect. This is where you will expand both your mind and your circle of friends.
It’s an experience you will never forget.
Dining at Trent
At Trent, we think about food differently.
Chef Christopher – our very own, award-winning chef – will tell you just that. Better yet, he’ll show you. This chef caters to all foodies (and dietary restrictions) and treats our students’ taste buds to homestyle and gourmet recipes…many made with ingredients sourced right here on campus.
Forget the hundred-mile diet: we’re talking the hundred-metre diet!
Your food options at Trent are as fresh as the perspectives you’re gaining in your classes.
Globally-inspired cuisine, vegan, plant-based, on-the-go options and comfort food favourites – the range of options at Trent make dining a dream for you…and a comfort to your mom.
Best of all, your campus meal plan is portable and flexible – both on and off campus.
You can spend your meal plan dollars at any of our eateries on campus, including Canada’s very first (and second…yes, we have two) three-star green certified university dining halls.
You can also spend some of your dollars in select downtown restaurants, too. The dining experience at Trent doesn’t stop at the borders of campus.
Food that fuels you. That’s what you have to look forward to at Trent.
Science Labs & Facilities
Looking to pursue the sciences? Gain hands-on experience, and scientific understanding in state-of-the art labs, where you’ll be taught by leading experts from Canada’s science community.
The sciences span a variety of disciplines.
Think conservation biology, psychology, health sciences and medical pathways, environmental studies, forensics and biomaterials – just a sample of the programs and courses you can explore at Trent.
And all of our science majors have access to state-of-the-art labs and facilities on campus. Let’s take you on a tour of just a few…
Within the Environmental & Resource Sciences Building, you will cross disciplinary boundaries and collaborate with students and profs in spaces from labs and lecture halls to the rooftop garden and picturesque courtyard spaces.
In the Chemical Sciences Building, you’ll find some of the most interesting equipment in science – including the state-of-the-art Water Quality Centre: the most comprehensive mass spectrometry facility in Canada.
These facilities are used by Trent’s esteemed researchers, faculty, and graduate students as well as undergrads like you.
Our DNA, Life & Health Sciences Building is home to some of Trent’s largest and most popular programs including Forensics, Psychology and Biology. Innovative labs include the Biology Genetics Lab and Forensics Labs. Here, explore connections to your future career paths with innovative start-up Noblegen as well as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
Although the facilities are impressive, the commitment to excellence in teaching and dedicated studentto-faculty ratio is paramount.
At Trent, you can study among the best and brightest minds in science and innovation – including our seven Canada Research Chairs – who focus on research including wildlife conservation, research, environmental geoscience, understanding of health and aging, biomaterials, and environmental archaeology.
There are so many advantages to studying the sciences at Trent. What science path will you choose?
Forensics Crime Scene Facility
Interested in forensics? Your investigation of Trent won’t be complete without a sneak peek into our new Forensics Crime Scene Facility, currently being built on campus.
If you’re interested in a career in forensic science, then prepare to be hands-on in this professional forensics training facility.
It’s the first of its kind to be constructed on a Canadian university campus and offers an environment— in fact multiple environments—to put your crime scene investigation skills to the test.
The 4,100 square-foot building has room inside to stage not just one but eight different crime scenes. And, while you’re conducting your investigation and collecting evidence, be sure to watch your step and science. The rooms are equipped with video cameras to record your methodology, providing you with your own personal educational evidence.
It’s a forward-thinking facility that also has space to train students in less-controlled environments…like the outdoors. Dig up bones, learn to cast footprints and analyze vehicles in these special lab spaces.
When you’re done collecting evidence, it’s only a short distance to the classroom and laboratory to complete your analysis. The practical experience is all-in-one.
The facility also combines our renowned leadership in forensics with our long-standing reputation as one of Canada’s top environmental universities.
Step inside the hemp-block walls, and get in the zero-carbon certified zone. This facility is set out to boast a first-of-its-kind certification in Canada.
It’s definitely a facility designed for the new century. And it’s built to provide a hands-on educational experience that will lead you to career success in this fascinating field.
Nursing Simulation Labs
When you study nursing at Trent you will start placement from year one, and go on to become a leader and change-maker in an essential industry.
In Trent’s state-of-the-art clinical learning centre, you can explore what it is like to work in healthcare – both in hospital and home settings.
Here, you will gain training through real-world scenarios such as working in a hospital, providing care at home or in long-term care facilities, and working in the community as a first-responder or street nurse.
Students can practice technical, critical thinking and decision making skills while caring for the critically ill, the elderly and newborns.
Simulation runs the gamut from the use of high-tech dolls (some mannequins are even designed to give birth), to working with actors who simulate patient-nurse interaction, or recreating clinical experiences using computer avatars.
Here, theory and practice occur simultaneously.
This type of real-world learning equips our students with career-ready skills for a successful future in nursing.
Faryon Bridge
On Trent’s Symons campus, the Faryon Bridge, connects the east and west banks of our campus community.
The result? This stunning 360-degree panoramic view.
The river is a defining feature of our campus – providing not just a gorgeous aesthetic, but also hands-on living labs for students, and a training ground for our accomplished rowers at our Olympic training facility.
It’s a beautiful view in any season.
Come in the fall, and you can also take part in an amazing Trent tradition – the Head of the Trent Rowing Regatta and Homecoming Weekend. Join thousands of students, alumni and the community and enjoy rowing, homecoming activities, varsity games, and special events on campus.
This view is even better with friends. Bring a couple along for your campus tour and see for yourself.
Nature Areas
1,400 acres on the banks of Otonabee River and over 30 kilometres of nature trails: Trent’s Peterborough campus truly is one of the most picturesque University campuses in the country.
Lush forest. Drumlins. Streams. Open fields. That’s what you’ll find right here on campus.
Our expert faculty take it outside (and often) where you can explore a learning environment that is uniquely Trent.
Step out of the lab and get back to nature in one of 12 on campus nature areas. Here, you can really get your hands dirty while gaining valuable career experience.
Looking for a break from classes? Take a hike (or ski) through the drumlin. Find a quiet study space along the river or in the forest by following one of our many nature area trails. In the summer and early fall, students gather to jump from the steps of Bata Library and cool off in the river.
Picture yourself here.
Which path will you take?
Downtown Peterborough
Welcome to Peterborough – a place to flourish, connect and gain experience.
Trent students fall in love with this vibrant city. It’s electric.
If you don’t live on campus, chances are you’ll be living close-by in downtown Peterborough. And it’s here that you will definitely make many lasting memories.
Picture yourself sampling all of the international flavours as you tour the vibrant food and restaurant scene, cheering on the local sports teams (go Petes go), checking out the annual film festival, heading out for a night on the town with friends, singing along at a concert, and connecting with local artists at studio tours, stages and galleries. In Peterborough, you can do it all.
This down-to-earth and friendly community offers you a perfect backdrop to connect with local businesses and start-up companies, as easily as you can connect with new friends.
This community is also great place to get active, whether you’re enjoying the amazing cycling trails, getting out for a paddle on the river in Canada’s Canoe Capital, and get involved with local community organizations where your work can make a difference.
Your new hometown awaits. What will you discover?