On January 27, the University of Toronto, Mississauga (UTM) Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) met to review enrolment statistics and vote on the approval of a new undergraduate specialist in accounting and finance (BBA) and a minor in criminology, law, and society (CLS).

Enrolment statistics

In the 2025 academic year, UTM reported a total of 15,215 registered undergraduate students. The majority were returning students, while 4,093 were new students — including 3,118 domestic students and 975 international students.

Registrar and Assistant Dean, Enrolment Management Renu Kanga Fonseca noted that enrolment targets for international students were not met in the 2024 and 2025 academic years, citing changes to international study permit changes introduced in 2024. As of 2025, international students account for 24 per cent of UTM’s total undergraduate population.

The report also indicated 70 per cent of UTM students graduate within six years — a rate lower than that of the University of Toronto Scarborough campus and the Faculty of Arts & Science at St. George. The graduation rate is also lower than the overall average in Canada of 73 per cent.

New undergraduate program

Professor Bryan Stewart, Vice-Dean, Academic Programs, presented a proposal for a new undergraduate program — a specialist in accounting and finance within the Bachelor of Business Administration degree. 

The program will feature a management-oriented curriculum designed to help students develop expertise in both finance and accounting. It aims to equip students with the ability to apply concepts aligned with the Chartered Professional Accountant designation to “solve complex business problems using principles related to financial reporting, management accounting, strategy & governance, audit & assurance, and taxation.” 

Students will also be prepared for the Chartered Financial Analyst designation through exposure to subject areas including “investments, financial markets, enterprise and security valuation, business financing, financial modelling, mergers & acquisitions, and specialized financial instruments.”

Existing specialists in the areas of accounting and commerce at UTM confer a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree, and are economics-based programs. By contrast, the proposed specialist falls under the BBA — a management-focused degree introduced in response to increased demand from students and industry.

The new specialist is anticipated to become available in September 2026 with a planned intake of 15 students for its first year. The program has no financial implications for the campus or the operating budget, as it is built entirely on existing courses and faculty expertise.

New CLS minor

With the CLS major and specialist demonstrating strong enrollment, the Department of Sociology proposed a new minor in CLS. The minor is intended for students whose primary academic focus lies in another area, allowing them to complement their major or specialist with a CLS minor.

The department conducted a student survey of nearly 940 students, which indicated high demand for the minor: over half of first-year respondents and 80 per cent of upper-year students expressed interest. The data also indicated that a new minor will not detract from enrolment in the major or specialist program.

During the meeting, a committee member asked whether the CLS minor would accept credits from related fields, such as anthropology and philosophy. In response, Professor David Pettinicchio, interim chair of the department of sociology, said that “[the department is] trying to start small, in the sense of focusing on our courses.” He further added that the program can be modified down the road once it’s established.

The new minor will also include two new courses: SOC212H5: So, you want to be a lawyer? and SOC368H5: Global Perspectives on Gang Culture, which will utilize existing faculty resources.

The Academic Affairs Committee voted to approve both the new undergraduate program and the CLS minor.