Quick links Student fees Student enrolment Programs and degrees Student facilities and services University research International education Web site: www.uOttawa.ca

University of Ottawa

550 Cumberland Street
Ottawa, Ontario  K1N 6N5
Telephone: 613-562-5700

President: Mr. Allan Rock

Profile

It makes sense that Canada’s premier bilingual university is found in the heart of Canada’s capital. Since 1848, the University of Ottawa has offered students a place where French and English Canada come together, share ideas, information and viewpoints.

The University of Ottawa has distinguished itself as “Canada’s university,” offering courses in the country’s two official languages, and promoting and supporting cultural diversity in the heart of the nation’s capital. On campus, in what amounts to a small city within a city, more than 36,000 students from a variety of cultural backgrounds study, live and work side by side.

The University of Ottawa’s proximity to Canada’s parliament, government departments and agencies, non-government and non-profit organizations, major libraries, research institutions and health centres adds to its character as a unique place to study.

The university has ten faculties: arts, education, engineering, graduate and postdoctoral studies, health sciences, law, management, medicine, science and social sciences. Its faculties and schools offer approximately 5,000 courses in more than 300 programs at the undergraduate level, more than 60 of which offer a cooperative education option allowing students to gain valuable work experience and prepare for their future career. The cooperative program is one of the most successful in Canada and boasts a 98 percent placement rate. Students can also build on their first degree by continuing at the master's or doctoral level, or select an intensive, highly specialized graduate certificate program.

As a result and through the groundbreaking work of our community members, we are uniquely positioned among Canada's research-intensive institutions to give students a remarkable education, to enrich the intellectual and cultural life of Canada and to help the country achieve greater international prominence.

History
Year of foundation: 1848
Former names of the institution: College of Bytown (1848); College of Ottawa (1861); University of Ottawa (1866).

Student fees

Canadian student fees  2008 - 2009 *
Undergraduate ** tuition fees: $5,346
Graduate *** tuition fees: $4,495 - $11,485

International student fees  2008 - 2009 *
Undergraduate ** tuition fees: $15,077
Graduate *** tuition fees: $9,998 - $18,291

* Source: University of Ottawa
** Fees for general programs in arts.
*** Fees or all programs, except business.

Note: In addition to tuition fees, universities generally charge fees for goods and services supplied to students. This includes areas such as student associations, sports and health. These additional fees vary widely per university and per student and can run from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. Check with the university for details.

Student enrolment

2008 rounded fall enrolment *
Full-time (undergraduates): 25,630
Full-time (graduates): 3,690
Part-time (undergraduates): 5,700
Part-time (graduates): 1,225

* Source: University of Ottawa

Programs and degrees

Note: The program information is compiled by AUCC staff in cooperation with staff at member institutions. The programs are classified according to the Classification of Instructional Programs 2000. To search for the programs offered by this institution, please consult the Directory of Canadian Universities’ programs database online at http://www.aucc.ca/can_uni/search/index_e.html.

Student facilities and services

Personal support services
The university offers students a variety of resources and services including: counselling services (both university-wide and faculty-based), orientation and support services, access services for people with special needs, women’s resource centre, Aboriginal resource centre, spiritual resource centre and a mentoring program.

Academic support services
In addition to personal support services, the university offers students a variety of academic services found through the student academic success service, including: career services, a study skills program, an experiential learning service, a mentorship program, and an international office.

First-year student programs
Peer support groups, study skills program, academic writing help centre, University 101, campus tours.

Housing
On-campus: The university accommodates close to 3,000 full-time students in four conventional residences, two apartment-style residences, one suite-style residence, and in houses located in an adjacent neighbourhood. All residences are furnished and include cable and Internet. Residences are co-ed, but some have women-only floors. Most first-year students who enter in September are guaranteed a spot upon admission (a deadline must be met). First-year students constitute the vast majority of residents and many of them share their room. Selected exchange students and those with mobility problems also have priority. Although there are cooking facilities in all residences, several convenient meal plans are offered. Fees for 2008-2009: eight months (Sept. to April), room in a two-bedroom suite $6,466; single room in conventional residence $4,760; double room $4,088; 12-month accommodation (Sept. to Aug.), $7,464 to $9,300.

Off-campus: Accommodation can also be found off-campus. Rent varies according to type, size, location and services included. Minimum monthly rent: room in private home, $400; bachelor, $550; one-bedroom apartment, $625; two-bedroom apartment, $800; three to four-bedroom house, $1,400.

Student assistance
Awarding close to $30 million in scholarships and bursaries to students annually, the University of Ottawa scholarship program is one of Canada’s best.

Undergraduate: Admission scholarships are automatically awarded to Canadian citizens and permanent residents with a minimum of an 80 percent average or higher who are admitted as full-time students, for the first time, in an undergraduate program in one of the threshold faculties: arts, engineering, health sciences, management, science, social sciences and law (civil law section). These scholarships range in value from $1,000 for an 80 percent average to $4,000 for an average of 95 percent and higher and are renewable, upon certain conditions, for up to three years. Other admission scholarships, merit scholarships and bursaries are available. The Financial Aid and Awards Service also administers federal and provincial government financial aid programs, work-study programs, financial aid bursaries, and food coupons and Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund bursaries as well as the Ontario Trust Fund for Student Support. Website: www.financialaid.uOttawa.ca.

Graduate: The university provides many scholarships to full-time graduate students, including excellence scholarships for holders of major external awards, and, on a competitive basis, admission scholarships (valid for four years at the PhD level and one year in a research master’s level) and international scholarships. All scholarships are at least equivalent to tuition fees. Many students combine a stipend from their thesis supervisor’s research funds with teaching or research assistantships. Travel stipends are available to students presenting their research results at an external conference. The university also offers support to graduate students in the form of governmental financial aid, bursaries and Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund bursaries. Website: www.grad.uOttawa.ca.

University research

Generating close to $240 million annually in total research funding, uOttawa is one of Canada’s top five leading research-intensive universities. With its bilingual structure, its co-op programs and its location in the nation’s capital, the University of Ottawa is uniquely positioned to draw support from leaders in government, industry and academia, and attract the best students and researchers.

The university, equipped with an impressive infrastructure, provides a dynamic and nurturing environment, one that fosters creativity and innovation. Population health, security and the environment are included in the university’s Strategic Areas of Development in Research. University research is significantly enhanced by developing strategic regional research networks around the world, creating solid partnerships with researchers and highly qualified scholars from all corners of the globe.

In today’s rapidly evolving global community, students depend on an educational system capable of providing robust academic preparations, and awareness of the surroundings and the knowledge and cultural values of other societies. The University of Ottawa is an ideal place to acquire cross-disciplinary knowledge and develop cross-cultural experiences.

International education

One of the University of Ottawa’s defining qualities is the cosmopolitan character of the community and its strong commitment to international relations. The International Office (IO) is the central service dedicated to serving the various aspects of internationalization.

The IO facilitates the academic journey from the prospective student phase all the way through postgraduation. The IO offers a number of support services, ranging from immigration expertise to social and cultural adjustment. More than 2,000 international students from 150 countries are registered in both undergraduate and graduate programs of study.

The International Office also manages close to 181 mobility agreements in 40 different countries and continues to expand the list to other destinations. University of Ottawa exchange students automatically receive a mobility scholarship of $2,000 for a two-semester participation period in an international exchange.

Incoming and outgoing exchange students, as well as international students, can participate in the mentorship program aimed at facilitating the integration (and the re-integration, in the case of returning students) into Canadian society and university life in Ottawa.

The University of Ottawa, through its International Office, places its students at the core of its educational mission to enrich their culture and to become well-rounded, responsible global citizens.

Website: www.uOttawa.ca/international.