Durham College’s academic year has begun with approximately 10,800 students attending its Oshawa and Whitby campuses, including more than 5,400 first-year students.
Classes for the 2026-27 school year started Tuesday, September 8. Durham College said the returning and incoming students are enrolled across more than 145 graduate certificate, diploma and degree programs.
The opening week brought new academic choices, orientation activities and what the college described as record attendance at its annual soccer event with Ontario Tech University.
Four programs welcome their first students
Four new programs accepted their first cohorts this fall. They are the Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources Management, Bachelor of Construction Management, Bachelor of Cybersecurity, and Cloud and Information Technology Systems.
A transfer pathway is also available for the human resources management degree. The college describes the new offerings as focused on skills and experience sought by employers, adding options in business, construction and technology fields for students in Durham Region and beyond.
Before classes began, new students took part in Academic Welcome events over a two-week period. Those sessions gave them opportunities to meet faculty and classmates, learn about their programs and become familiar with campus services and facilities.
Campus Cup draws record crowd
The first day of classes ended with the Campus Cup at Vaso’s Field in Oshawa. More than 2,000 people attended the annual men’s and women’s soccer matches between the Durham Lords and Ontario Tech Ridgebacks, setting an attendance record for the event, according to the college.
Durham College’s women’s team won its match 1-0. The men’s team lost 2-1 in a close contest.
Orientation programming is continuing through September. Scheduled events include The Main Stage, Campus Con 5 and Campus Rec Day, along with other activities intended to help students meet people and connect with campus life.
The start-of-year announcement follows several recent developments at Durham College’s local campuses. Earlier this week, the college and Ontario Tech announced plans for a three-storey Campus High-Performance Complex at the north Oshawa campus. Durham College also recently highlighted study, fitness and student-service spaces available in Oshawa and Whitby.
For students and families, the new term means regular campus activity is now underway at both locations. The college’s Oshawa campus is on Simcoe Street North, while its Whitby campus is on Champlain Avenue.
