Factors affecting tuition fees

There are three levels of study at the University: bachelor’s or certificate, master’s or graduate diploma, and doctorate.

Once you’ve chosen a level of study, your first discipline within your program determines your tuition fees. For example, if you’re studying in the Honours Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in biology, your first discipline is Communication. If you’re doing a double degree or a joint honours degree, choose the option that includes both disciplines. If you don’t see your program combination in the list, check the fees for each discipline separately.

See our programs of study.

Fees for qualifying programs

If you don’t have the prerequisite courses for a graduate program, you may be able to try a qualifying program.

Qualifying programs prepare you and give you the knowledge you need to be admitted. You can take them either full or part time.

University fees (including incidental fees and ancillary fees) are the same as for graduate studies. They’re based on your student status (full or part time), faculty, total number of terms and legal status in Canada (Canadian or international student).

Whether your qualifying program leads to a master’s or a doctorate, you must pay the normal fees required for the program you’re seeking admission to.

Regular students

Regular students are students admitted into a program leading to a degree, certificate or diploma who have enrolled in one or more courses in their program. Regular students might pay a flat fee or by unit, depending on their program or course load.

Non-degree students

A non-degree student (formerly special student) is someone allowed to enrol for courses to receive units, but who’s not seeking a degree, certificate or diploma. Non-degree students pay a per-unit fee for part-time studies and a flat fee for full-time studies.

Tuition fees are based on the number of units in which you enrol.

Full time

Undergraduate studies

For a bachelor’s or certificate, you must enrol for at least 12 units per term to be considered full time for tuition fee calculation purposes. Full-time undergraduate students pay a flat tuition fee. There are specific fees for courses you take as an auditor, which are not included in the classification of students.

Graduate studies

For a master’s, graduate diploma or doctorate, students generally enrol in six or more units and are automatically considered full time for tuition fee calculation purposes. To change your classification, you must complete a Modification/Cancellation of Registration (Graduate Studies) form (PDF) and submit it to your faculty’s graduate studies office by the date indicated in the important academic dates and deadlines.

Full-time students pay a flat fee for most programs. However, some programs, such as the master’s in engineering, calculate fees per unit, regardless of whether you’re full or part time. There are specific fees for courses you take as an auditor, which are not included in the classification of students.

Part time

Part-time students pay a per-unit fee multiplied by the number of units they’re enrolled for. The fee per unit varies according to other criteria, such as your program or status in Canada. For undergraduate studies, part-time fees for non-credit (NC) courses are determined according to the number of hours of formal lectures (or the equivalent) per week.

Research fees

Part-time graduate students conducting research (instead of taking courses) pay a flat fee per term. Learn more about research fees for Canadians residing in Ontario, Canadians residing outside of Ontario and international students.

Financial impact of changing your status (from full time to part time)

If your academic status changes from full to part time, you might no longer be eligible for financial aid or able to renew scholarships or bursaries. As well, withdrawing from a course may affect your ability to meet your program requirements. Make sure you consider all the consequences first.

Fees for Canadian citizens apply to the following students:

1. Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and their dependants (see note 1)
   • Students must present proof of their status to InfoService to pay Canadian fees. A valid Canadian passport constitutes proof. In most cases, photo ID and a social insurance number not starting with the number 9 are also enough to confirm your legal status. If you’re in the process of receiving permanent residency, we require a letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada confirming that it has received your application for permanent residency.
2. Members of the diplomatic corps and their dependants (see note 1)
3. Visitors admitted to Canada for work and their dependants holding a valid work permit which names a Canadian employer situated in Ontario. (see note 2) (provided they are also eligible to study in Canada)
4. Refugees accepted by the Government of Canada and their dependants (see notes 1 and 3)

Students in categories B, C or D must show their supporting documentation to InfoService to pay Canadian fees.

Fees for international students apply to the following persons:

5. Persons who don’t belong to categories A, B, C or D
6. Persons who, despite belonging to categories A, B, C or D, have not submitted documents supporting their legal status in Canada by the enrolment deadline. If you fail to meet the deadlines, you must pay international student fees. You can’t change your status retroactively. These are the deadlines:
   • Fall term: October 31
   • Winter term: January 31
   • Graduate students enrolled for the Spring-Summer term (May to August): June 30
   • Graduate students enrolled for the Summer term (July to August) and undergraduate students enrolled for the Spring-Summer or Summer terms: July 31

Notes

1. The term dependant includes your partner (married or common-law) and your or your partner’s unmarried children. Dependant status must be fully documented.
   • Marriage: A marriage license is required to confirm spousal status.
   • Common law union: A common law union must be confirmed through an affidavit signed by the two partners, as well as by a legal authority (lawyer, notary or commissioner.  This relationship must have lasted at least three years unless the partners live with one or more children of which they are the birth or adoptive parents.
   • Unmarried children: Dependants must be under age 22 and not be in a conjugal relationship (married or common law) when they begin their studies. Unmarried children can also be persons with a disability who have been financially supported substantially by their parents and are unable to be self-supporting because of the disability.
2. The following persons are excluded from the category “Visitors admitted to Canada for work and their dependants”:
   • Visitors holding a graduate teaching or research assistantship
   • International students with a work permit to complete an internship or medical studies (residents, clinical associates, research associates)
   • International students with a post-graduation work permit (for up to three years after graduation)
   • International students with a valid study permit whose spouse or common law partner has received a work permit for this reason
   • International students with a work permit allowing them to work off campus
3. Canada only recognizes UN convention refugees after the second phase of the refugee claim assessment. You must present a letter from Citizenship and Immigration Canada confirming that it has received your application for permanent residency.

University fees for Canadian citizens or permanent residents vary according to whether or not you reside in Ontario. Ontario residence criteria

Ontario must be the most recent province in which you’ve resided for 12 consecutive months as of your first day of study at the University of Ottawa, not including time as a full-time postsecondary student.

• For high school students: the province of the last school you attended
• For all other students: the province of your home address when you apply

If you don’t meet the usual Ontario residency criteria, you might still be considered an Ontario resident based on your particular circumstances. This applies if you’re:

• Married and Ontario is the most recent province in which your spouse has resided for 12 consecutive months, not including time as a full-time postsecondary student.
• A single dependent student; to be a dependent student, you must meet all of the following criteria:
  • You have never been married or in a common-law relationship.
  • You have never been a single parent with legal custody of and financial responsibility for children.
  • You’re pursuing postsecondary education within six years of leaving secondary school.
  • You haven’t worked full time for 24 months in a row by the start of your study period.
  • Ontario is the most recent province in which your parents, step-parents or official sponsors have resided for at least 12 consecutive months. If your parents or step-parents are separated or divorced, this residency requirement applies to the parent, step-parent or guardian with whom you normally reside or who financially supports you
• A student who meets the requirements for status in Canada but not the Ontario residency requirements (or a “stateless Canadian”).
  • If neither you nor your expected contributors have lived in any Canadian province or territory for 12 consecutive months (excluding time as a full-time student), you must provide supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the Ontario residency requirements.

How far you have progressed in your program can influence your tuition fees for a given term. Your progress is calculated in intervals of roughly one year of studies for a student progressing normally as a full-time student.

Your progress is posted with your statement of account in uoZone about a month before each term. In the meantime, see this information.

Undergraduate

For undergraduate programs, the total number of units you’ve completed and that you are registered to by the end of a term determines your tuition fees for the term.

There are six tuition brackets for undergraduate programs. For some programs, tuition fees for each bracket are the same, while for others they vary.

Graduate

For graduate programs, the total number of terms you’ve completed by the end of a term determines your tuition fees for the term.

There are four tuition brackets for graduate programs. For some programs, the fees for each bracket are the same, while for others they vary.

Note: A student moving from an undergraduate to a graduate program starts at the first bracket.

Estimating your total university fees for a year

Tuition fees change every year. You can’t calculate the total cost of your studies over several years based on current tuition fees. To see examples of how tuition fees can increase, go to the tuition fee page that matches your situation.

• Canadians residing in Ontario
• Canadian citizens residing outside Ontario
• International students