Important dates if you’re starting your undergraduate studies in September 2025

September to January

• Prepare your application for admission. See our video on the application process for international students.
• September 19, 2024: Application period opens on the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC).
• January 15, 2025: Recommended deadline to apply for admission.
• Once you apply, submit the required documents listed in your Admission file on uoZone to complete your file.

March to April

March 1, 2025: Deadline to apply for the following competitive programs. Submit all supporting documents to complete your file by March 30.

April 1, 2025: Deadline to apply for all other undergraduate programs for the Fall term (to start in September 2025). Programs close after this date.

If you’ve already been admitted, the earliest you’ll have to accept your offer is April 1. If you’re admitted after this date, accept your offer by the deadline specified in it. We also recommend you to apply for your study permit by April 1.

May

• May 2, 2025: Deadline to complete your admission file and send all documents via uoDoc. After this date, we can cancel your application.
• Course enrolment begins for students who are admitted. You must accept your offer of admission and pay your non-refundable admission deposit to enrol in courses.

June

• June 2, 2025: If you’ve been admitted, accept your offer and pay your non-refundable $1,000 admission deposit by the date specified in your admission offer.
  • Learn more about what happens when you receive an admission decision.
• After you pay your admission deposit, you’ll receive a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).
• While awaiting your Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), prepare the other documents you need to apply for your study permit.
• June 2, 2025: Deadline to apply for housing and to pay your housing deposit.

Between July and August

• Once admitted, submit your final grades (official transcript) and diploma via uoDoc so we can confirm your offer.
• If you want to work on campus, apply to participate in the Work-Study program.
• Attend our online session "How to Prepare for University" with your parents.
• Deadline to pay tuition, ancillary and housing fees.

Between August and September

• Late August and early September: Orientation workshop for international students (on campus)
• Late August and early September: Move into residence.

September

• Classes start.

Your eligibility for University of Ottawa programs depends on the level of education you have completed or are completing, as well as the program.

See the table below to find out what level of study you require for admission to a direct-entry faculty (one you can apply to without prior university studies) according to the country where you studied. If you are applying to a professional program, you must contact the faculty responsible for it.

If you have completed postsecondary studies, we will consider these studies when we evaluate your eligibility, even if you are applying to an undergraduate program.

• Check whether you meet the language requirements. At the University of Ottawa, you can take your courses in English, French or both. The choice is yours! You will just need to demonstrate that you are sufficiently fluent in the language in which you choose to study. We might ask you to provide the results of a language proficiency test even if you have studied in a country where English or French is an official language.
• Find out about the prerequisite courses for the program(s) you are interested in.
• Unless otherwise indicated, you must complete all prerequisites in the last year of your secondary studies or at the postsecondary level.
• Please note that the requirements listed are minimum requirements only and are subject to change. Meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
• Be prepared to provide additional supporting documents or pass an admission audition or exam, depending on the program to which you are applying.
• Check the deadlines and available programs before you apply.

Select your country of origin for information tailored to your profile. If your country is not in the list, please consult the information on this page. If you are currently studying in a French lycée, in the IB curriculum, GCE curriculum or an American High School or in an institution in Canada, please consult the pages specific to your situation.

• Apply online through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC).
• Declare all your current and previous postsecondary studies, completed or not, even if they are not related to your application. Failure to do so may lead to the cancellation of your application or the withdrawal of your offer of admission at any time.
• Enter your email address, making sure it is accurate. We will use this address to communicate with you for all matters. Also, check your inbox (and junk mail folder) regularly for messages from the University of Ottawa.
• Pay the application fees for all your admission applications. Applications are forwarded to the University of Ottawa only after fees are paid in full and the payment has cleared. Learn more about application fees.
• Note that OUAC is not part of the University of Ottawa. It handles applications to all Ontario universities and is responsible for transferring your application to our admission office. 
• For more detailed information, consult the OUAC video tutorials.

The University of Ottawa will not pre-assess or review your application prior to you submitting it. Your application will be evaluated only after submitted and all the necessary documents have been received. Note that admission is not guaranteed even if you meet all the requirements.

You will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application within one week of applying through OUAC (see step 3). If you do not receive this email, look in your junk folder. If after two weeks you still have not received it, email us at [email protected].

Save the acknowledgement of receipt email. It contains important information on how to log into the uoZone student portal to track the progress of your application. It also includes your student number, user ID and password.

• Log into uoZone and check your Admission file for the list of supporting documents you need to submit to complete your application. Send your documents to the admissions office by uploading them to uoDoc, via uoZone. We will assess your application when we have received all required documents.
• Submit your documents on time. Learn more about deadlines and available programs.
• All documents submitted in support of an application for admission in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by a certified translation.

Remember:

• Depending on your academic background and intended program, you might have to submit other documents to complete your application, such as a resumé or cover letter.
• As part of the admission process, Ontario universities sometimes ask undergraduate applicants who were educated outside Canada to submit their official transcripts directly to World Education Services (WES) in order to determine the Canadian equivalencies of their academic credentials. If this is the case for you, we will notify you of the steps you need to take.

The University of Ottawa may request any other document necessary to evaluate your file. All documents become property of the University and will not be returned to applicants. You are responsible for ensuring that we receive all the requested documents by the deadline.

If you have completed postsecondary studies, we might grant you transfer credits, depending on the program to which you apply. Faculties that grant transfer credits do so based on your discipline, the courses you have completed and the length of your studies.

Remember:

• To be eligible for an undergraduate degree at the University of Ottawa, you must complete at least 50% of your program (two years of full-time studies) at the University, regardless of the number of credits transferred.
• You must present transcripts and course descriptions in order to receive transfer credits.
• We only assess and grant transfer credits after you accept your offer of admission.

Advanced Placement

• If you have taken Advanced Placement program (AP) courses, we might grant you transfer credits for AP courses in which you have achieved a score of at least 4 in your AP exam. We can grant you up to 30 units (credits), depending on the requirements of the program you have chosen.

International Baccalaureate

• We can grant you trasnfer credit for higher level courses in which you have achieved a grade of 5. The transfer credits you receive depends on the requirements of the program you have chosen.

Lycée français outside Canada

For more on admission requirements for students from a lycée français, see France and French lycée.

• You can receive up to 18 units (six courses) of transfer credits for some first-year courses if you have achieved a grade of at least 12/20 (10/20 for French) in your baccalaureate exams. You will receive your transfer credits when we receive your baccalaureate result. 

GCE British curriculum

• We do not grant transfer credits if you have followed the GCE British curriculum.