International Community and Cultural Diversity

Students choose Concordia because they want to live and learn among a diverse, open-minded, globally aware community. They find such a community at Concordia, whether they’re studying halfway across the world or just strolling across campus.

Our students come from 40 different countries, speak dozens of languages and offer personal encounters with different cultures simply by striking up a conversation on the benches beside Prexy’s Pond.

The Concordia administration and international student groups also sponsor dozens of engaging cultural events throughout the year that helps students and the campus community explore the wide range of human diversity and cultures that shape us. 

International Students
Roughly four percent of Concordia undergraduates are international students, and because of our concerted international recruiting efforts, those numbers are sure to rise. International Student Services helps make the transition to college life smooth for international Cobbers. Office members are in close contact with students before, during and after their time at Concordia to help with visas, work permits, cultural transition, and whatever questions or concerns may arise.

The International Student Organization is open to all Concordia students who want to engage with issues of diversity and cultural awareness on campus. The student organization sponsors the annual international Students Festival featuring an international food fair, concerts and student dances.

The Friendship Family Program is a free service that connects interested international students with local families. Students don’t live with families, but take advantage of the program for open cultural exchange and a welcoming “home away from home.”

Intercultural Life
Around five percent of Concordia students identify themselves as students of color, but far more than that number are concerned with promoting ethnic, cultural and religious harmony and working for human rights at home and abroad. The Office of Intercultural Affairs brings in speakers, authors and performers, and organizes community-wide awareness events.

The Martin Luther King Intercultural Center is the hub of cross-cultural exploration and student activism on campus. Student groups such as Train Our Campus Against Racism, the Concordia Straight and Gay Alliance (SAGA), African Student Union, Students for Social Justice, International Students Organization and Amnesty International hold meetings, open discussions and informal classes at the center.

Information For:

current students
faculty and staff		 parents
alumni		 high school students
admitted students