French immersion studies allow non-Francophone students with knowledge of the French language to pursue their university studies partially or entirely in French. Offered in over 50 undergraduate programs, French immersion is personalized to your level of proficiency in French and to your personal language goals. French immersion studies offers you the possibility of taking immersion courses, of obtaining your Second Language Certificate, and of benefiting from academic and linguistic support. Students in immersion also have the right, in their first two years of university studies, to choose up to eight courses (24 credits) taught in French for which they will receive a qualitative grade, either Satisfactory (S) or Non Satisfactory (NS).

How to register for French immersion studies

If your program of studies offers French immersion, you can register for French immersion by sending an e-mail to logistic@uOttawa.ca. You must include your name, student number, and the name of the program that you would like to pursue in French immersion. Please note that not all programs offer French immersion studies (View programs with French immersion).

To confirm your admission in French immersion, you must obtain a minimum score of 60 percent on the Immersion Admission Test. Visit the French immersion Web site for more details or to write the Immersion Admission Test.

Registration tips for students in French immersion studies

1. Course selection: Students in French immersion are encouraged to take courses in French in their first year of study. You can decide to register in some of your mandatory courses (compulsory and optional) or in some of your electives in French, or to register in French as a Second Language courses. You are also encouraged to take immersion courses.
2. Immersion scholarships: If you received one of the 42 Canada’s university scholarships – Immersion Program or one of the 200 Immersion Study scholarships, be sure to register in a sufficient number of courses taught in French each semester.
3. Welcome sessions: At the beginning of September, the Immersion Studies Office will invite you to a session to welcome you to the University and to provide you with important information on immersion. It is strongly recommended that you attend one of these immersion welcome sessions.
4. Student mentoring centre: From September to April, all students in French immersion have access to a student-mentoring centre to help with both adapting to university and, more specifically, studying in French immersion at the university level. The Immersion Mentoring Centre provides you with personal support. All services are free.
5. Club d’immersion en français: This club organizes a variety of social and cultural activities throughout the year to help you practice your French and give you opportunities to meet other Francophiles. At the beginning of September, the Club d’immersion en français will communicate with all students in immersion to encourage them to join.
6. French proficiency tests: When you arrive on campus in September, the Immersion Studies Office will contact you to schedule proficiency tests. These tests, more rigorous than the Immersion Admission Test, will evaluate your level of reading and listening comprehension, as well as your speaking and writing skills in French. You will then meet with a student mentor to analyze your test results and to develop your immersion study plan together.

For more information, visit the French immersion studies Web site, call (613)562-5743 or send an email to immersion@uOttawa.ca.