Dalhousie Campus Guide: Studley, Carleton, Sexton, Truro, Halifax Transit and the UPass

Dal's Halifax campuses are in the south end of the city, about a 15-minute walk from downtown and about a half-hour drive from Halifax Stanfield International Airport. Studley is the largest.

The Agricultural Campus sits in the village of Bible Hill, across the Salmon River from Truro, a town of about 13,000. It has a working farm and almost 1,000 acres of research fields, gardens and greenhouses. Its three residences, Chapman, Fraser and Trueman, are a few minutes' walk from classes, the dining hall, the library, the farm and the athletic centre.

Engineering students who start in Truro take their first and second-year courses in the Banting Building, then transfer to Halifax. Dal's course planners also list Truro Start versions of the BA, the BSc, the BSc in Medical Sciences and Recreation Management, which begin on this campus.

Halifax Transit's Regional Express Route 320 runs between Halifax Stanfield and downtown Halifax, and baggage is allowed. The airport lists a cash fare of $4.75 for adults and students, and you need exact change.

For Truro, Maritime Bus runs 2 to 3 trips a day from the airport to its Truro station on Willow Street, about a 10-minute drive from campus. Dal also names Driver Dave's, a shuttle that goes from the airport right to campus.

Dal lists routes 1, 4, 7, 9, 10, 14, 41, 80, 81, 84, 90, 135, 136, 137 and 138 as passing by or near its Halifax campuses. That list points to a November 2023 route map, so check Halifax Transit's current routes and schedules before you rely on it. Each Halifax campus has bus stops on campus, marked on Dal's campus maps.

Halifax Transit also runs ferries between Dartmouth and the Halifax peninsula, and your UPass covers them. For trip planning, Halifax Transit's call centre is 902-490-4000.

The UPass is mandatory for full-time undergraduate, graduate and professional students, except students in Faculty of Agriculture programs. The fee goes on your student account automatically. Part-time students aren't eligible. Students on a co-op placement in the Halifax area can choose to opt in.

The UPass is a sticker on your DalCard, valid on Halifax Transit buses and ferries from September 1 to April 30. You show your DalCard when you board. Pick it up at the DalCard Office in Howe Hall, 6230 Coburg Road. For 2026-27, passes were ready from August 24. A summer pass is separate. Dal says the UPass saves you almost $400 compared with regular student transit passes.

You can only opt out for set reasons, with documents. The 2026-27 opt-out deadline was September 22, 2026, and it has passed. The waiver form opens about two weeks before each term on the UPass opting-out page.

Your DalCard is your building access, gym pass, dining hall card, library card and printing card, and it can hold money like a debit card. You upload a photo and a copy of government-issued photo ID online, and Dal prints the card. For 2026-27, the photo deadline to have your card waiting in residence was August 23.

To park on a Halifax campus, you buy a virtual permit in the HotSpot app. Residence students can ask for one of a limited number of reserved spaces in the Risley Hall parkade, approved first come, first served. On the Truro campus, you don't need a permit or vehicle registration, and residence students park in the overnight lot behind Chapman House.

Dal counts more than 1,040 bike spots and 470 bike racks across the Studley, Carleton, Sexton and Agricultural campuses.

If you're coming from somewhere warm, pack for four seasons. Dal describes Nova Scotia weather as moderate, rarely very hot or very cold, and it changes with the time of day and how close you are to the ocean.