Course Unions have been the main link between the UTGSU Executive and the members since 1970. There are over 80 UTGSU Course Unions, represented on the UTGSU’s Assembly by individuals elected by the Course Union’s membership. A list of Course Unions can be found at the bottom of this page.
what is a course union?
A course union is a student organization or association, with a democratically-elected executive responsible to the students in the department. Students in virtually every graduate department, centre and institute at U of T have organized themselves into course unions.
Direct student involvement and participation in one’s education is a fundamental right. Course unions evolved as students at the grass roots level sought to gain input into departmental decisions directly affecting their education, such as curriculum and content, degree requirements, grading and hiring. Course unions act within their own departments, while the UTGSU deals with issues of the entire graduate community with U of T as a whole.
What do they do?
Course unions are active in representing students at the departmental level, campaigning for democratic student representation on departmental committees and developing course evaluations. Course unions organize seminars, sports teams, orientation activities for new students, parties, and much more. They represent students on departmental committees and at the UTGSU Assembly meetings, passing on information from around the campus. From time to time, the UTGSU organizes opportunities for grad students to meet colleagues from other departments and faculties, including a fall and spring social. Annually we maintain a UTGSU Course Union President listserv and a Course Union Rep listserv to help course unions talk to each other.
How are they funded?
The UTGSU provides funds for all course unions, with extra funding for the smaller departments, and a Membership Coordinator to help course unions organize and address problems.
why become involved?
Many crucial decisions are made at the departmental level, ranging from determining student funding packages and extension recommendations to comprehensive exam changes and regulations, course offerings, the ranking of applicants for scholarships, residence-housing and the hiring of teaching assistants. Who better than experienced students to contribute to departmental decision-making, to explain to new students both the formal and informal rules and requirements of the department, to participate in the creation of new curricula? Your course union knows who to talk to, what the deadlines are, how to avoid the minefields, where the parties are.
UTGSU Course Unions
If you cannot find the contact information for your representative, email membership@utgsu.ca with your name, department, and campus for information.
Division 1: Humanities
- Graduate Union of Students of Art (GUStA)
- Cinema Studies Graduate Student Union
- Classics Graduate Student Union
- Comparative Literature Student Course Union
- Drama Centre Student Union Executive Council
- East Asian Studies Graduate Student Union
- Graduate English Association (GEA)
- Graduate French Association (SESDEF)
- German Graduate Student Association
- Graduate History Society
- The HAPSAT Society (History and Philosophy of Science and Technology)
- Graduate Students’ Association of Italian Studies (GSAIS)
- Linguistics Graduate Course Union
- Centre for Medieval Studies Course Union.
- Museum Studies Graduate Student Association
- Music Graduate Students Association
- Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations Graduate Students Association
- Graduate Philosophy Student Union
- Department for the Study of Religion Student Association
- Association of Slavic Graduate Students
- Spanish & Portuguese Graduate Student Union
- Women & Gender Studies MA Course Union
Division 2: Social Sciences
- Anthropology Graduate Student Union
- Graduate Architecture Landscape and Design Student Union (GALDSU)
- CERES Graduate Student Union
- Graduate Students’ Criminology Association
- Graduate Economics Union
- Masters of Financial Economics Students’ Association
- Graduate Geography & Planning Student Society (GGAPSS)
- Master of Global Affairs Students’ Association (MGASA)
- Association of Students of Industrial Relations & Human Resources
- Master of Information Student Council (MISC)
- iSchool Doctoral Students’ Association (DSA)
- Graduate Law Students’ Association
- Graduate Business Council – Rotman School of Management (Management MBA)
- Rotman PhD Association (Management PhD)
- Master of Management & Professional Accounting Program Student Union
- Graduate Association of Students in Political Science (GASPS)
- School of Public Policy & Governance Students’ Association (SPPGSA)
- Social Justice Education Departmental Student Association
- Social Work Graduate Students Association (Social Work – MSW)
- PhD Student Association (Social Work – PhD)
- Graduate Sociology Students Association (GSSA)
Division 3: Physical Sciences
- Aerospace Students’ Association
- Graduate Astronomy Student Association
- Biomedical Engineering Student Association (BESA)
- Chemical Engineering Graduate Students Association (CEGSA)
- Chemistry Graduate Student Union
- Civil and Mineral Engineering Graduate Student Association (or CivMinGSA)
- Computer Science Graduate Student Benevolent Society (CSGSBS)
- Electrical & Computer Engineering Graduate Student Society (ECE)
- Association of Geology Graduate Students (AGGS)
- Materials Science & Engineering Graduate Students’ Association (MSEGSA)
- Mathematics Graduate Students Association
- Association of Mechanical & Industrial Graduate Students (AMIGAS)
- Physics Graduate Students Association (PGSA)
- Statistics Graduate Student Union
Division 4: Life Sciences
- Biochemistry Graduate Student Union (BGSU)
- Cell & Systems Biology Graduate Union
- Graduate & Postgraduate Dental Student Society
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Graduate Student Association
- Kinesiology and Physical Education Graduate Society (KPEGS)
- Forestry Graduate Students Association (FGSA)
- Health Policy Management & Evaluation Graduate Students’ Union (HPME)
- Immunology Graduate Student Association
- Confederation of Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology Students (CLAMPS)
- Medical Biophysics Graduate Student Association
- Medical Research Graduate Students’ Association
- Institute of Medical Science (IMS) Student Association
- Molecular Genetics Graduate Student Association
- Graduate Nurses’ Student Society (GNSS)
- Nutritional Sciences Graduate Students’ Association (NSGSA)
- Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy Student Association
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Student Association (PSGSA)
- Pharmacology Graduate Student Association (PGSA)
- Physical Therapy Graduate Student Association
- Graduate Association of Students in Physiology (GASP)
- Psychology Graduate Students Association (PGSA)
- Public Health Students Association
- Rehabilitation Science Graduate Student Union
- Speech Language Pathology (SLP) Class of 2013/2014
- UofT Mississauga (UTM) Association of Graduate Students (UTMAGS)
- Graduate Student Association at Scarborough