Permitted Calculators

The ONLY calculators allowed during final examinations of the Faculty of Science are:

• Texas Instruments TI-30 , TI-34,
• Casio fx-260, fx-300.

Absence from exams

Justification of absence from an examination (mid-term, final or deferred) or from a test, or of late submission of assignments

Absence from any examination or test, or late submission of assignments due to illness, psychological problems or exceptional personal circumstances must be justified; otherwise, students will be penalized.

Reasons such as travel, employment, and errors in reading the examination timetable are not acceptable reasons for missing an examination.

1. Medical grounds
   • Students must directly notify their professor or the academic secretariat of the faculty where they are registered, before the exam or before the assignment deadline.
   • Before accepting the student’s justification, the professor or the faculty’s academic secretariat has the right to request a medical certificate from the attending physician (including the student’s name, the date of both the absence and the return to studies, the medical consultation date, and the physician’s signature).
   • If the authenticity of the medical certificate is in question, the professor or the faculty’s academic secretariat may request that it be validated by the University of Ottawa’s Health Services.
   • If the medical problem is not foreseeable, students must notify their professor or the academic secretariat of the faculty where they are registered and submit a medical certificate bearing the date of the absence within five working days of the exam date or the assignment deadline, except if extenuating circumstances prevent them from doing so; these circumstances must be documented.
   • Students who write an examination during the period of disability specified on the medical certificate cannot later plead illness to appeal their examination results.
2. Psychological problems
   • Students must directly notify their professor or the academic secretariat of the faculty where they are registered, before the exam or before the assignment deadline.
   • Before accepting the student’s justification, the professor or the faculty’s academic secretariat has the right to request either a certificate from the attending physician or from a psychologist (including the student’s name, the date of both the absence and the return to studies, the consultation date, and the physician’s or psychologist’s signature) or a supporting letter issued by the University of Ottawa’s Counselling and Coaching Service.
   • If the authenticity of the certificate is in question, the professor or the faculty’s academic secretariat may request that it be validated by the University of Ottawa’s Health Services.
   • If the psychological problem is not foreseeable, students must notify the professor or the academic secretariat of the faculty where they are registered and submit a certificate bearing the date of the absence within five working days of the exam date or the assignment deadline, except if extenuating circumstances prevent them from doing so; these circumstances must be documented.
   • Students who write an examination during the period of disability specified on the certificate cannot later plead psychological problems to appeal their examination results.
3. Exceptional personal circumstances

Absence from an examination or test and the late submission of assignments due to exceptional personal circumstances must be justified in writing within five working days of the date of the examination or test or the assignment deadline. The academic unit and the faculty concerned reserve the right to accept or reject the reasons presented. Reasons such as travel, work and misreading of examination schedules are not accepted, except in exceptional and properly documented circumstances.

The Faculty of Science’s Undergraduate Office approves and manages deferred final exams of students for all undergraduate science courses: BIO, BIM, BCH, BPS, CHM, EVS, GEO, MAT, PHY and SCI.

To defer any evaluations that take place during the term (midterms, tests, quizzes…), students must contact their professor directly.

For non-science final exam deferrals, please contact the faculty in question and/or the professor.

Procedure to defer a final exam in a science course

To defer a final exam in a science course, you must submit the supporting documentation (i.e. medical certificate bearing the date of the absence, death certificate, etc.) within five business days of the exam date (except if extenuating circumstances prevent you from doing so), to the Office of Undergraduate Programs of the Faculty through our new  Deferred Exam Request Portal .

Any extenuating circumstances must be documented. Documents must be sent to Office of Undergraduate Programs of the Faculty by email at [email protected].

All deferred final exams for science courses will either take place during the deferred exam period indicated in the university calendar’s Important dates and deadlines or during the next regular exam period in which the course is offered, whichever comes first.

For students who are graduating in June, if you want to defer one of your exams, please note that the deferred exam period will take place in July and you will no longer be eligible to graduate in June. The next convocation will be in the Fall.

Reasons for deferring a final exam

In general, we will only accept to defer an exam for the following reasons:

Exam conflicts

• Two final exams on the same date and at the same time
• Three final exams within four consecutive blocks
• Take-home exams and final projects are not considered within the exam conflicts listed above.

Please notify your faculty at least seven business days prior to the first exam in conflict.The faculty will look at the situation and will determine which exam can be deferred.

Travel, employment and misreading the examination schedule are not acceptable reasons for deferring an exam.

Medical reasons

If you miss a final exam due to illness, please refer to Academic Regulation 9.5.1 d) which governs medical certificates. The key points are the following:

• If you fall ill on the day of the exam, it is essential that you notify the faculty and submit a medical certificate bearing the date of the absence within five (5) working days of the examination date, except if extenuating circumstances prevent them from doing so; these circumstances must be documented. 
• Medical certificates retroactively covering the date of the final exam or medical certificates presenting an inconclusive diagnosis will not be accepted.
• If you choose to write a final exam despite having a medical certificate, you cannot claim illness to request a deferred exam or a revised mark.

Death of a member of immediate family

• Justified by a death certificate or an obituary notice.

Students who write an examination

Students who write an examination may not appeal their final grades due to one of the reasons mentioned above. And, students who write an examination during the period of disability specified on the medical certificate cannot later plead illness to appeal their examination results and/or request a deferred exam.

*Students can request a maximum of one (1) deferred evaluation per course, and this evaluation must be taken as soon as possible and within six (6) months after the end of the term.

See Regulation 9.5

August 22 to 26, 2022

Welcome to the University of Ottawa. We are here to help you succeed in your Math courses!

First-year math courses can be a stumbling block for many students. With regular work habits and a bit of foresight and preparation, you can make sure that you will succeed. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics wants to help you in every possible way.

Enroll in our August Math Workshops. These workshops are aimed at students who earned less than 80% in high school mathematics, or have been away from mathematics for a while. The workshops will run from August 22 to 26, 2022 and will be given as follows:

• Workshop 1: for students registering in MAT 1320, MAT 1330 and/or MAT 1341.
• Workshop 2: for students registering in MAT 1300, MAT 1302 and/or MAT 1308 (Economics, Management or Social Sciences).

Each workshop is led by an experienced instructor whose goal is to help you review your high school mathematics and improve your transition to university mathematics studies.

You can revise the material from your High School mathematics, consult the MAT1339: Calculus Material and MAT1339: Vectors Material available online. You can also test your knowledge of pre-Calculus material with the Calculus Readiness Self-Study Module and lots of tips (available as a Custom Course in Brightspace).

The number of places is limited, we encourage you to book a place by registering early. The workshop fee is $ 75 and is non-refundable. Upon receipt of your registration form (PDF, 57.2MB), the workshop fee will be added to your statement of account online. Go to Finances and Jobs in uoZone to access your statement of account.

Your registration to the workshop must be received by August 17, 2022.

If you have any questions, you can contact the Faculty of Science Undergraduate Office by email.

Wednesday, August 31 to Friday, September 2, 2022

Your first year at the University of Ottawa will be an exciting time marked by big changes and great adaptation. Especially given the rapidly changing pandemic situation, we want to help you get a head start on a smooth transition to university life in the Faculty of Science!

This three-day in-person workshop focuses on key skills and knowledge to help you succeed in the Faculty of Science. All students taking a science program can benefit.

This workshop includes a variety of interactive sessions featuring a combination of live and recorded lectures with professors, words from upper-year students and engaging activities. The wide range of topics will answer all your questions and help you prepare for your first-year courses.

The goal of the workshop is to help you learn about:

• How to take notes, write lab reports and prepare for exams effectively.
• Workload and required time commitment, as well as time and stress management.
• The learning environment used in your classes by taking part in introductory lectures from first-year professors.
• Enriching your university experience through extracurricular or social activities, volunteering and research opportunities.
• University level laboratories.
• Resources available to you to help you succeed in your courses and thrive as a student.

You will also meet other incoming students to the Faculty of Science, as well as upper-year student mentors and some of your future professors.

Testimonials

"The Science Preparatory Workshop was the ideal way to break the ice and ease the anxiety I felt leading up to the start of my first university courses. Despite the virtual format, those few days were densely packed with essential skills to facilitate a smooth transition from high school, all coming from the same professors who would later teach my courses. Most importantly, the workshop got me excited to join a faculty that genuinely wants me to succeed. I would strongly recommend this workshop to any incoming student who is ready to feel passionate about science and start their trimester off on the right foot!"

- Peter Noel, 2nd Year, Biomedical Science

"This workshop helped me get into the right mindset with their tips on how to study and manage my schedule. I also learned how to effectively manage my time to complete my assignments, which was particularly useful, given that all classes were virtual. I recommend incoming first-year students to participate in the workshop as it will teach them how to develop study habits at a university level!"

- Ahmed Darwish, 2nd Year, Biochemistry

"The Science Preparatory Workshop provided me with the tools I needed to succeed as a first-year student. I got some very useful tips on time management and study techniques for different classes from students who experienced these things first hand. The workshop also gave me an idea on what to expect from my classes through professors' presentations, and by the end, I felt well prepared and excited for classes to start!"

- Mila Gorodnichy, 2nd Year, Biochemistry

Workshop options

The workshop is offered in English and in French. If you cannot attend all of the sessions, the PowerPoint slides and recordings (if available) from each presentation will be posted after each session.

Cost and registration

The cost to register for this workshop is $75 (tax included). Please fill the Science Preparatory Workshop online form.

Questions

If you have any questions, email us at [email protected]

Start off on the right foot!

We look forward to seeing you at the Science Preparatory Workshop.