Yorkville University

Yorkville University’s commitment to relevant, achievable, and quality education isn’t just a response to recent trends—it’s a principle we’ve embodied for decades.

Since 2004, we’ve innovated numerous first-of-their-kind programs; helping expand Canada’s educational landscape, while delivering against the goals of our students.

Our highly accredited programs are not only more accessible compared to traditional universities, but the flexibility through which we deliver these programs ensures that education enhances lives, instead of interrupting them.

With Yorkville University, education isn’t just about acquiring knowledge—it’s about integrating learning into the realities of real life. We’re here to empower learners to make the changes they seek; ensuring that every student can achieve their possible.

Yorkville University’s Julia Christensen Hughes, PhD, is a globally recognized academic innovator who is passionate about the transformational power of post-secondary education to change lives and improve society.

As President and Vice Chancellor of Canada’s largest private university, she has led the creation of Yorkville’s Signature Learning Outcomes, a university-wide commitment to develop the next generation of ethical, highly skilled and socially conscious business leaders, psychotherapists, educators, and creative storytellers and designers.

Under Christensen Hughes’ visionary leadership, Yorkville – which boasts campuses in Vancouver, BC, Toronto, ON, and Fredericton, NB – has become a hub for innovative approaches to relationship-rich, accessible education, with distinctive capabilities in: the creation of an exceptional student experience; high-demand, career-relevant programs; leading student recruitment practices; and high-quality faculty with a commitment to student engagement.

Before joining Yorkville in 2022, Christensen Hughes enjoyed a long and distinguished career in public higher education, where she held a number of leadership roles. She served as President of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) from 2004 to 2007, while also directing the University of Guelph’s Teaching Support Services, providing leadership for the University’s commitment to “student-centred learning”.