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Global Opportunities

University of Ottawa

As an exchange student, there are a few things you need to know about going to the University of Ottawa. Learn more about the location, the courses and student life! 

Visit their website for more information about studying abroad at the University of Ottawa!

About 

Located in the heart of Canada’s national capital, the University of Ottawa is the world’s largest bilingual university where students may study in English, French or both languages

  • Student population: 45,000 +
  • International Ranking: Ranked 281 on the QS World University Rankings 2020

Discover all the good reasons to choose uOttawa.

Location

The University of Ottawa is located in the city of Ottawa - the capital of Canada and its fourth largest city. Ottawa is positioned in the east of Southern Ontario and sits on the south bank of the Ottawa River. It is a bilingual city, with around 40% of the population speaking both French and English. 

Level of competitiveness

Competitive **

The level of competitiveness (Less competitive * / Competitive ** / Very competitive ***) refers to one's chances of being allocated an exchange space at this partner. This is an approximation determined by the number of applications received for this destination during the last academic year versus the total number of exchange spaces available to Queen Mary students. 

Application process for successful students

Find out more about how to apply

Academic Calendar

  • Semester 1: September – December
  • Semester 2: January – April

For more information, visit the University of Ottawa's important dates.

Courses

The TELFER School of Business, undergraduate Faculty of Education, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing school are not open to exchange students.

Please visit the Ottawa restrictions page for a full breakdown of course restrictions. 

Credits

Students will take 4-5 courses per semester not exceeding 15 credits (a maximum of 30 credits for the full academic year).

Find out more about credit transfer and grade conversions.

Queen Mary student feedback

Instagram takeovers:

Accommodation

The University of Ottawa has rooms available in university residences for exchange students, even though on-campus accommodation is never guaranteed.

Students can join the uOttawa Bureau International Office Facebook group to view postings from fellow students. They can also consult the Off-Campus Housing website to obtain further information about living off campus.

Cost of Living

You can find general, up-to-date information about the cost of living in Ottawa here. 

Please consult the estimated minimum and maximum cost of living figures for this destination country available in our “Estimated Costs of Living” document available on our Finance page.

Support Services

For information on accessibility, please visit the Academic Accommodations page. 

As a current Queen Mary student you will be able to find a summary sheet for this partner university on our QMplus page, with an overview of the local student support services available on the following topics: specific learning differences, physical impairments, sensory impairments, long term medical conditions, autism spectrum conditions, mental health and wellbeing difficulties, special accommodation provision, non-emergency health care, emergency services, harassment and trauma and suicide prevention. 

Campus Life

There are many ways to get involved on campus, but here are some that we think might interest you:

Social Media

University of Ottawa: 

uOttawa Bureau of International Office Facebook: @mentorsbiio

Resources

uOttawa Information sheet for exchange students 2020-2021 [PDF 8,098KB]

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