The department is an element of the organizational hierarchy of York University. This includes academic departments that are normally part of a Faculty (academic unit) and units under non-Faculty organizational divisions.

Important properties of a department within a Faculty include the following:

• Normally part of a Faculty and houses a sub-discipline or collection of sub-disciplines of the Faculty.
• Undertakes activities that are more focused than those of a Faculty.
• Responsible for determining appointment priorities and selecting candidates, subject to Faculty–level approval.
• Requires a critical mass of faculty to define and achieve its objectives.
• Has less autonomy than a Faculty in decision-making that involves budgeting, planning, and academic standards.

Examples of departments within a Faculty:

Examples of departments within non-Faculty organizational divisions: