Academics and Curriculum

A UTS education is transformative. Our school is a hub where the boldest and brightest young minds – from across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond – come together. Rigorous academics are the foundation, but the learning goes much deeper.


Innovation at our heart

Every day, students are emboldened among a community of like-minded peers. They are welcomed with a culture committed to inclusion. They learn from exceptional educators. They benefit from our affiliation with the University of Toronto, our stunning, modern building on the U of T campus, and access to U of T libraries and athletics facilities.

The school of your dreams

Our new home is the school that dreams are made of, bringing the curriculum to life. At the heart is a communal gathering place, the sky-lit Fleck Atrium. The Lang Innovation Lab gives students the space and tools they need to bring their great ideas to life. Students learn in state-of-the-art science labs and purpose-build music and art rooms. The 700-seat Withrow Auditorium allows the entire community to gather together and gives student performers the opportunity to experience a professional stage. The Jackman Theatre allows students to workshop in an authentic studio theatre environment. The McIntyre Gymnasium provides a double gym, complemented by the Ridley Centre for fitness.

Education for the whole person  

We believe in education for the whole person. UTS sets the academic bar high with impressive results. An extraordinary breadth and depth of course options are available, including exceptional STEM opportunities.

  • Here, students have greater opportunities to broaden their academic horizons with 10 courses per year in Grades 7 to 9, instead of eight typically offered in Ontario.
  • Core academics such as the sciences, math and English are balanced with diverse liberal arts.
  • The Expressive Arts department gives the school a vibrant cultural life with Visual Art, Music, and Drama.
  • Mind-body balance is built-in with students taking Health and Physical Education until Grade 11, going far beyond physical exercise to teach students strategies for life such as healthy living and mental wellness.
  • UTS also offers a full Advanced Placement® program, taking a balanced approach to these rigorous courses.

It starts with empowerment

Academics are complemented by vibrant co-curriculars where students explore interests as diverse as robotics, entrepreneurship, mathematics, performing arts and more. They become leaders in their own right, champions of causes, and organizers of major events such as Southern Ontario Model United Nations and the Girls in Technology Conference. An equally robust Athletics Program features more than 30 competitive sports teams, plus plenty of opportunities for fun.


Curriculum for our changing world

The UTS curriculum evolves with the world around us. Curriculum renewal is ongoing as we deepen our culture of inclusion. There is no one story, but many. We continue to widen our scope to embrace underrepresented narratives and groups across the board. Learning themes for younger students focus on Truth and Reconciliation, and Sustainability, grounding them on the most pressing issues of our times.

The synergies of exceptional students, extraordinary educators, and the University of Toronto connection converge. Students come to UTS as engaged young people with big ideas. They graduate as empowered leaders and champions of change with the means to have an impact on our world.

Languages

The robust global languages program at UTS enables students to study multiple languages, participate in language competitions and international exchanges, take proficiency tests, go on exchange trips to live and study abroad, and even earn official bilingual certification.

  • Activities are designed to develop critical thinking and creativity in the oral and written language, with grammar and vocabulary taught within cultural context and integrated into stories, plays, letters, debates, and group discussion. 
  • At UTS, students don’t just learn the language, they learn about global issues and develop new perspectives and empathy by studying history, geography and the cultures related to the languages.

Learning to communicate on the global stage

Languages offered at UTS
French - Core and SpecialRequired in Grades 7 to 9, available until Grade 12
GermanAvailable from Grades 9 to 12
LatinRequired in Grade 8, available until Grade 11
MandarinAvailable in Grades 9 to 12
SpanishAvailable from Grade 9 to 12

Student take their learning beyond the classroom. Co-curricular opportunities abound for students looking to deepen their understanding and enjoyment of language, from the Classics Conference to the multi-lingual student publication Écho, Eco, Echo, and language clubs to practice language fluency and explore international cultures.

Expressive Arts

Expressive arts – Music, Drama and Visual Art – is an integral part of the UTS curriculum. At UTS all students take three arts courses in their F1 (Grade 7) year, developing creative and critical thinking skills, as well as vital forms of communication. 

  • Enhancing their dramatic, musical, interdisciplinary and visual art skills enables students to foster awareness and appreciation in the arts in their own and other cultures. By producing their own creative works, students communicate their insights while honing artistic skills and aesthetic judgment.
  • Curriculum renewal at UTS drives our award-winning teachers to bring perspectives of racialized and diverse communities into the classrooms.
  • Students learn in newly revitalized facilities including purpose-built art studios with ample light, music rooms and practice rooms, as well as the new Jackman Theatre, and the 700-seat Withrow Auditorium, and can access facilities in the Lang Innovation Lab and the UTS media lab to bring their creations to life. 
  • Students in Expressive Arts courses are given the tools and space to explore and practice their creativity, and investigate interdisciplinary intersections, to truly integrate what they learn throughout the rest of the student experience. Bolstered by this approach, many students proceed to exhilarating and global careers as performing artists.
Expressive Arts at UTS 
DramaAll Drama courses explore creative problem-solving through collaboration and experiential learning. In the Foundation years, students explore basic drama skills, processes and styles through workshops, rehearsal, and performance. From then on, students expand and deepen their knowledge of theatre and film, and move towards independently creating, directing, producing and presenting their own works.
MusicThroughout the six-year program at UTS, students engage in musical performance, creation and analysis. The study of Music is intended to develop students’ understanding and appreciation through a focus on practical skill development and creative work. Students gain creative problem-solving skills, individual and collaborative work habits, knowledge of themselves and others, a sense of personal responsibility, connections to their communities and future careers.
Visual ArtsThe Visual Arts program encourages discovery, independence and self-awareness through the study of studio workshops, historical analyses and contemporary art practices. Each year, students will build and diversify their collection of works within an individualized portfolio.
Interdisciplinary Art and DesignOur world is increasingly interconnected and interdependent. We are facing an unprecedented range of issues that cannot be truly understood in isolation. Contemporary understandings and solutions are achieved by bridging between distinct academic disciplines and categories of knowledge. This course examines how artists, designers, cultural theorists and others construct “quality connections” through the use of interdisciplinary methods and perspectives. To become effective global citizens and change-makers we must use interdisciplinary lenses: to conduct inquiry with depth and breadth; to synthesize acquired knowledge; and then design with empathy for the user to communicate new understandings.
Canadian and World Studies

UTS calls upon students to become socially responsible, equity-oriented global citizens. Social responsibility and global citizenship lie at the heart of the Canadian and World Studies curriculum. We reflect on our shared past, seek to understand the present, and grapple with the increasingly complex global challenges that confront us. In Canadian and World Studies courses, students develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes they need to become informed, innovative and engaged citizens, with the means to have an impact on the world at large.

  • We learn for the real world. Experiential learning enhances student understanding of these subjects, through interacting with physical geography, human geography, and urban geography in new and exciting ways. Students look at how city planning can be more sustainable economically, socially and of course environmentally through creative reimagining.
  • We look for diverse perspectives. Law classes investigate human rights, justice, and equity through a lens of practical legal systems, and our Philosophy classes explore the notion of humans as ethical agents while learning from different philosophical traditions. Students investigate the histories of different parts of the world and the forces of change brought by human behaviour.
  • Elective courses in economics and politics give students the space to understand the structures of power and the costs and benefits of choice.

There is no one viewpoint, and no one story, but a multitude. We embrace courageous curiosity, seeking solutions for a better world. 

Math and Computer Science

UTS Math and Computer Science courses bring students to a deeper understanding of the fundamental techniques on which to build their knowledge. We meet students at their level to expand their mathematical horizons and practice real-world applications in areas like finance, statistics, digital recognition and more.

  • Starting with strong conceptual underpinnings in the Foundation years, students move on to mastery of core concepts and through the accelerated and enriched curriculum at UTS.
  • Senior students see greater options in specialized subject matter including vectors, data management, and Advanced Placement opportunities.
  • Our classrooms welcome learning, ambiguity and learning from mistakes while letting curiosity guide discovery.
  • UTS offers strong Math and Computer Science Co-curriculars with many students joining Math Club, and competing in Olympiads and other competitions with great success.
Science

At UTS, our Science classes encourage students to take risks, make mistakes, learn from them and let curiosity guide their way to new discoveries.

  • UTS offers an exceptional science program with award-winning teachers, in state-of-the-art Science labs purpose-built for Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
  • Our accelerated curriculum in Grade 7 gives students the opportunity to study multiple higher level science courses without limiting course options in other subject areas. The design of the program also supports students who wish to pursue AP courses in their senior years.
  • As students progress through the science program and the core disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, they develop critical skills in hypothesis generation, observation, problem solving, data management and synthesis, essential for further scientific training as well as an appreciation for science in everyday life. 
  • UTS students are invited to compete in national and international Science Olympiads and other science competitions, and even see their research published in accredited journals.

Students have countless opportunities to deepen their understanding of science with co-curricular activities, including Let’s Talk Science, Robotics Club, Sci-Club, Physics Club, Canadian Young Physicists' Tournament, Neuroscience Club, Dissection Club, Hemoglobal, Envirothon, Brain Bee and the annual Girls in Technology Conference, organized by UTS girls for Grade 6 to 8 girls in Ontario.

Health and Physical Education

Our greatest focus is to help students make positive connections with healthy active living that last for life. That's why Health and Physical Education curriculum is core to the UTS curriculum, required for all students from Grade 7 to 11.

Students hone their prowess and leadership skills in our new McIntyre Gymnasium, a double gymnasium, and work on their fitness in the adjacent Ridley Centre. Facilities also include gender-neutral changerooms. The UTS Affiliation with University of Toronto gives students access to athletics facilities on the U of T campus, including Robert Street Field, Varsity Stadium, Back Campus Field and swimming pools.

UTS Athletics offers co-curricular opportunities for students to strive for excellence in many sports or just have fun, from playing at the intramural level to competing in a provincial OFSAA championship.

At UTS, Health and Physical Education is ultimately about empowerment. Our school’s commitment to physical and mental health earned the OPHEA Healthy Schools certification for the third year in a row. We provide education for the whole person, so students become resilient in mind and body.

 

Core Elements of  Health and Physical Education at UTS
Living SkillsStudents establish positive relationship skills, positive self-concept and resilience. The Foundation program is grounded in mental health, digital citizenship and other important health issues, while our Middle and Senior students explore other health skills like self-management, interpersonal communication and managing goals for healthy active living. UTS cares deeply about the overall wellbeing of our students. Empowerment is core to our Strategic Plan, which includes fostering relationships and belonging, cultivating student leadership and supporting mental health and wellness.
Physical LiteracyHealth and Physical Education classes enhance physical literacy by helping students become more confident, competent and enthusiastic about being physically active. The program ranges from sports like basketball, soccer, handball, football, floorball, ultimate, badminton, squash and table tennis, to movement-based activities like dance, mobility flows and yoga. 
Active LivingThe program fosters habits for active living and healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
Health LiteracyThe health curriculum enhances students' understanding of factors that contribute to healthy development and instills a sense of personal responsibility for lifelong health and wellbeing. It covers mental health, healthy eating, sexual health, substance use, addictions and related behaviours and personal safety and injury prevention. We also focus on the seven essential health skills common to health and wellbeing: analyzing influences on our health, accessing valid and reliable health resources, self-management of healthy habits, goal setting for good health, decision-making for health, self-advocacy and advocacy for others’ health, interpersonal communication for health and wellbeing.

 

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