A.P. Coleman was appointed Professor of Natural History and Geology, at Victoria College Cobourg (his alma mater) in 1882. In 1891 Victoria College became a federated college within the University of Toronto and moved to Toronto. Coleman transferred to the School of Practical Science, University of Toronto (the forerunner of the Faculty of Engineering.) While based at the School of Practical Science, Coleman maintained ties with Victoria College; the 1897 Victoria University Calendar lists him as "Honorary Professor in the Department of Natural History and Geology."

The University’s Geology programme was rigorous. In 1897 Geology students in the Faculty of Arts were paying between $31 and $36 in University fees, and $3 - $10 in laboratory and equipment fees, depending on the year of study. The curriculum included courses in Elementary Physics, Biology and Chemistry. In addition, first year students studied foreign languages including: Latin or Greek; German and French. There were also courses in English literature and Mathematics. The upper years’ curricula brought increasing specialization with courses in Physiography, Paleontology of the Vertebrata, Petrography, Advanced Mineralogy and Crystallography. Students went on geology excursions. Each student was expected to collect mineralogical, petrographical and paleontological samples to bring back to the University.