University of Ottawa

Founded 1848 | Ottawa, ON

The University of Ottawa is a diverse, bilingual university with more than 550 programs in 10 faculties. Students can study everything from fine arts to hard sciences in French, English or both. The university has an extensive co-op program boasting a 96 per cent placement rate. Students find opportunities in government offices, research institutions and health centres in the nation’s capital. The school’s co-curricular uOGlobal recognition program helps students develop employment skills valued worldwide.

As part of its growth and development plan, uOttawa opened the Advanced Research Complex; it houses the Centre for Research in Photonics, several geoscience laboratories and the only accelerator mass spectrometer in Canada. In 2018, the university opened three new buildings: a STEM-focused complex, a theatre and the Learning Crossroads, a space dedicated to active learning and teaching innovation. The campus blends well into the city’s urban core. Academic buildings and dorms are not far from a coffee shop or a decent place to eat, and the nearby Rideau Centre is the city’s best place to go for mainstream shopping.

“Two of the University of Ottawa’s many distinctive features are certainly its location in the heart of the capital and its international perspective,” says president Jacques Frémont. “We’re equally proud of the bilingual nature of our university, which also shapes our identity.”

Standout Programs

• French and English Immersion: Students in either program can pursue their studies while improving their second-language skills. Students have access to a mentoring centre and writing help.

• Multidisciplinary Design: This flexible program combines engineering and technical skills with other areas of study. It incorporates experiential learning and internship opportunities.

• Biomedical Science: This interdisciplinary program covers basic sciences in the first two years. Students may then choose from five options, including medicinal chemistry or neuroscience, as well as pursue an immersive research focus.

Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)

$7,094 ($7,399 out-of-province students)

Minimum Entering Grades

Arts: 75% | Science: 75% | Commerce: 80% | Engineering: 80%

Student Body

Undergraduates: Full-time: 33,450 | Part-time: 4,929

Graduates: Full-time: 6,330 | Part-time: 1,225

International Students: First-year: 17% | Graduate: 36%

Male-Female Ratio: 39 to 61

Housing Facts

Residence Spaces: 4,076 (3,700 reserved for first-year students)

Residence Costs: Double room with meals: $13,147

Single room with meals: $14,701

Apartment-style: $9,488 to $11,176

Cool Courses

• Learning on the Land: Takes an on-the-land perspective to explore the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of Indigenous knowledge, as taught by Elders and other knowledge keepers.

• Earth: Natural Disasters Explained: Examines the geological causes of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and floods to understand why these events occur.

Student Life on Campus

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