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
• Psychology and Linguistics: Students can obtain a double honours degree studying psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics. The program provides a foundation for further studies in speech-language pathology or audiology as well as theoretical and empirical linguistics.
• Biomedical Science: Students in this interdisciplinary program may choose from five options: bioanalytical science, biostatistics, cellular and molecular medicine, medicinal chemistry or neuroscience.
• French Immersion Study: The program is offered in 86 programs in the humanities, science and engineering. Students study partly in French, learn terms relevant to their discipline and have access to a mentoring centre and writing help.
Tuition (includes compulsory ancillary fees)
$7,341
Minimum Entering Grades
Arts: 75% · Science: 80% · Commerce: 78% · Engineering: 84%
Student Body
Undergraduates: Full-time: 32,255 · Part-time: 5,194
Graduates: Full-time: 6,018 · Part-time: 1,226
International Students: First-year: 17%
Graduate: 33%
Male-female Ratio: 39 to 61
Housing Facts
Residence Spaces: 3,015 (2,700 reserved for first-year students)
Residence Costs: Double room with meals: $12,519 to $13,169
Single room with meals: $13,890 to $14,540
Apartment-style: $7,814 to $14,159
Cool Courses
• Introduction to the Study of Conflicts and Human Rights: Understand the types, origins and prevalence of international conflicts through a human rights perspective.
• Comic Books and Graphic Novels: Explore comic book history to analyze the relationship between text and image.