AMPD ranked among top 100 in the world for Performing Arts

York University’s high-quality academic programming continues to position the institution as a leader in post-secondary education and drive positive change to right the future, both nationally and internationally, according to the 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject report.

The University ranks among the top 100 in the world for three subject areas: English language and literature, philosophy, and for the first time, performing arts.

York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) is internationally recognized as an incubator for performing arts innovation. The first university in Canada to offer jazz and gospel as part of its Music degree program, York continues to advance and modernize its programming for a diverse student performers. More recently, the School’s Theatre and Dance programs collaborated with colleagues in Digital Media and Film, as well as professional partners, to incorporate digital technologies into its programs. The QS rankings demonstrates AMPD is a global example of how performance programs – such as dance, music and theatre – can connect to all forms of arts, media and design to create positive change.

The report, released in March, ranks a total of 54 disciplines grouped into five subject areas: Arts and Humanities; Engineering and Technology; Life Sciences and Medicine; Natural Sciences; and Social Sciences and Management. The 2023 ranking is noted as the biggest QS World University Rankings by Subject, with more than 15,700 from 1,594 institutions evaluated.

“These rankings reflect the world-class education and purposeful research for which York University is known,” says York University President & Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. “We continue to drive positive change locally and globally guided by our values as a progressive university dedicated to excellence, social justice, diversity, inclusion and sustainability, and we are thrilled that we are being recognized for our leadership in shaping the future of higher education, providing the talent needed for the 21st century workforce, and solving the complex problems facing society today and in the future.”

Among Canadian universities, York ranks in the top 10 in a total of 17 subject areas.

In the QS World University Rankings category of Arts and Humanities, York University ranks in the top five universities in Canada in the subject areas of English language and literature (#4); history (#4); performing arts (#4) and philosophy (#4). The University is in the top 10 in Canada for modern languages (#7); and linguistics (#10).

In the QS World University Rankings category of Life Sciences and Medicine, York University ranked in the top five in Canada for psychology (#5).

The University’s program in the subject area geography (#7) appeared in the top 10 in the 2018 QS World University Rankings category of Natural Sciences.

In the category of Social Sciences & Management, York University programs that ranked in the top five in Canada are development studies (#4); and social policy and administration (#4). Listed in the top 10 across Canada for York University are the subjects of accounting and finance (#8); anthropology (#6); business management studies (#8); communication media studies (#8); law and legal studies (#6); politics (#7); and sociology (#6).

QS World University Rankings is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).