CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, MONTRÉAL:    AN OVERVIEW  A large, urban university, Concordia resulted from the 1974 merging of Sir George Williams University in the downtown core of Montréal and Loyola College in Montréal's residential west end. Profiting from the distinct milieus of these two campuses, Concordia offers free shuttle-bus service between them. Montréal's bus and metro service also provide efficient transportation between the campuses and throughout the city.     Concordia has defined itself as a welcoming community that is responsive to the needs of a diverse student population. Its innovative programs and interdisciplinary strengths seem to spring naturally from the cosmopolitan nature of Montréal, which is rich in ethno-cultural communities. One of the oldest cities in North America and one of the largest French-speaking cities in the world, Montréal also has a large English-speaking community making it an animated meeting place for Canada's two linguistic traditions.     Known for its celebration of the arts, Montréal is home to the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts and the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, as well as numerous small, private galleries, each with its distinctive flavour. The diversity of cultures enlivening the city's quartiers is reflected in its repertoire of offerings in the visual arts, theatre, music, dance and opera. Maisons de la Culture ensure the arts a significant presence in every sector of the city. Concordia's own gallery is the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, and exhibitions of student art take place all year in the student-run gallery in the Visual Arts building.    Place des Arts is Montréal's centre for the performing arts, hosting music, dance, theatre, opera and variety revue productions. The Montreal Symphony Orchestra is one of the finest orchestras in North America, and features renowned soloists in its concert series. Home to a number of innovative contemporary dance troupes, Montréal hosts an annual Festival de Nouvelle Danse. Its theatres include the Centaur, the Saidye Bronfmann, and Concordia's own D. B. Clarke Theatre. New and experimental forms of theatre can be attended at the Fringe Festival and at Festival de Théatre des Amériques. Jazz, cinema, classical music and rock music festivals also enliven the city, both indoors and out, throughout the year.  Built around the graceful rise of "Mont-Royal" on an island in the St. Laurence River Valley, Montréal's location offers residents a broad range of options for those necessary respites from urban life. Lakes and ski resorts in the Laurentian Mountains and the Eastern Townships, and the states of New York and Vermont are only an hour's drive away. The island itself has many accessible parks and an expanding network of bicycle and jogging paths. Within the city and accessible by metro, the Botanical Gardens, rated second in the world with regard to the quantity and quality of its collections, is open throughout the year, and the Biodome features habitats that include tropical flora and fauna. Both provide green interludes in the heart of winter.    Enriched by this diverse cultural and geographical setting, Concordia students benefit not least from the university's intellectual location in an eminent "Cité Universitaire." Montréal's four universities, affiliated schools and numerous colleges provide multiple opportunities for research and collaboration.    Concordia has approximately 25,000 undergraduate and 4,000 graduate students. The School of Graduate Studies offers nearly 60 programs leading to Master's and Doctoral degrees or graduate diplomas. A high degree of involvement between professors and students is emphasized, along with excellence and innovation in research.    Student Services at Concordia comprises many organizations designed to facilitate campus life. These services include:  - child care centres on both campuses;   - counselling and development offices offering  - personal development services,  - learning and writing services, and   - career and placement services;   - health services;   - recreational programs;   - international student advisors;   - legal information services;   - a native education centre;   - an ombuds office; and   - services for disabled students.     GRADUATE STUDENTS' ASSOCIATIONS  The Graduate Students' Association is composed of all students registered in graduate programs at Concordia. With elected officers, its mandate is to plan activities and provide a forum for students to discuss matters of concern pertaining to university life. One of the activities it sponsors is an orientation in the Fall to introduce students to the facilities and campus life at Concordia University.    The Deaprtment of Creative Arts Therapies supplements this general orientation with its own orientation day which introduces students to the program, as well as providing time to socialize and meet other students in the program.    The student organization specific to our program is the Creative Arts Therapies Graduate Students' Association, known by its acronym, CATSGSA. Activities to which it contributes include publishing a newsletter twice a year and bringing guest lecturers to the program. The CATSGSA student lounge offers a space for relaxation and study. CATSGSA also seeks to foster stronger interdisciplinary ties with the university community at large. CATSGSA elects officers annually, which include graduate student representatives who are invited to participate in committees in the Program, the Faculty of Fine Arts, and the School of Graduate Studies in order to make a vital contribution to the activities of the university.    LIBRARY SERVICES  Concordia's expanded library facilities were completed in 1992, and consist of the Webster Library in the J. W. McConnell Building on the Sir George Williams Campus and the Loyola Campus Vanier Library. Its present collection of over 1,400,000 items includes books, periodicals, government publications, microfilm and microfiche materials, multimedia items, records, tapes and video cassettes.     Graduate students can obtain CREPUQ library cards enabling them to borrow books from participating libraries in Québec and Ontario, which include three other easily accessed universities within Montréal: McGill University, Université de Montréal, and Université du Québec à Montréal. An efficient interlibrary loans service facilitates the borrowing of materials from libraries throughout the world.    Concordia's computerized catalogue, called CLUES, can be accessed from home by students with a computer and a modem. Computerized CD-ROM databases can be similarly accessed to search recent periodical listings. You can tour the library by visiting its Web site at http://juno.concordia.ca.    COMPUTING SERVICES  A variety of equipment is available to students with computing needs on both campuses. Through Concordia's Department of Computing Services, students may obtain accounts giving them free access to the Internet. Concordia's libraries offer group workshops on how to use the Internet, and the library's media centre has a number of computers set aside for Internet access.     Computers are also available for use in the Graduate Students' Association building, 2030 Mackay Street.    INSTRUCTIONAL AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES (IITS)  Concordia's Instructional and Information Technology Services provide infrastructural services in the areas of computing, voice and data communications, systems, instructional technology and media development. Specifically, the Instructional and Information Technology Services: Provide support skills and a level of equipment availability that facilitates the learning process with a goal of developing and maintaining the University's reputation as a leading institute of higher education. Equipment for class work and presentations can be booked at Visual Media Resources, which also has a database of over 4000 films and videos that can be screened in its preview rooms. Equipment available for use includes photographic equipment, film and TV equipment, and audio and video units.   The Centre for Digital Arts offers Faculty of Fine Arts students a multimedia, multi-platform computer lab. For complete description of their services: http://cda.concordia.ca       INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS  International students are aided in their matriculation process by the International Students' Office, which advises students on Canadian and Québec immigration processes. Students must obtain both a Québec Certificate of Acceptance from the province and a Student Authorization from Canada Immigration. Policies regarding tuition fees, health and accident insurance, employment, and estimates of living expenses are available through this office. The International Students' Office initiates programs for and by international students which facilitate their adaptation to the university community and to Montréal. Contact information:    International Students Office  Hall Building, Room 653  Concordia University  1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd.  Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8  tel: (514)848-2424 ext3515  e-mail: ISO@alcor.concordia.ca    FINANCIAL AID  Candidates are encouraged to apply for the fellowships and assistantships described in the graduate calendar. To avoid missing fellowship application deadlines, applicants interested in graduate fellowships are advised to consult with the Graduate Awards Office early in the Fall preceding the academic year for which they wish to receive an award. Directories for financial aid can be accessed through the School of Graduate Studies' website: http://graduatestudies.concordia.ca.    The mailing address and phone number of the Graduate Awards Office, which is located at 2135 Mackay Street, is:    Graduate Awards Office  School of Graduate Studies  Concordia University  1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd.  Montréal, Québec H3G 1M8   (514)848-2424 ext3809    Assistantships are awarded by the Department of Creative Arts Therapies each year, and are allocated after graduate admissions take place, around June 15.    HOUSING  While there are some residence facilities on the Loyola Campus, these are limited. Information regarding them is available from:    Concordia Residence  L-HA-157  7141 Sherbrooke St. West  Montréal, Québec H4B 1R6    (514) 848-2424 ext4755    Off-campus housing information is available through the Concordia University Students' Association, located in room 260 of the Hall Building, (514)848-2424 ext7476. Students are always pleased to discover that housing in Montréal is generally less expensive than in most other prominent Canadian cities.