Glossary

In graduate studies, the academic year (both at the master’s and doctoral level) runs for 12 months, from September 1 to August 31 of the following year (NOTE: There is an official definition in the Academic Regulations, on the Administration and Governance website.).

The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (OGPS) is responsible for admission to graduate programs. Offers of admission are either issued directly by the OGPS or by a representative of another faculty who has been specifically delegated by the OGPS to make the offer in its name. Applicants must meet or exceed the OGPS minimum admission requirements, as well as those of the program they wish to take.

Recognition granted towards the student’s program of study at the University of Ottawa for a course successfully completed at another academic institution.

A person who attends classes without doing course work, writing examinations or receiving credits.

A generic term referring to either scholarships or prizes given for academic excellence or other achievements of note.

Publication containing the official listing of programs of study, degree requirements, courses, and faculty and university regulations.

A program that is the result of cooperation between two or more academic units at the graduate level. It applies knowledge from several disciplines to the study of a particular question. There is no direct admission to this type of program. As well, the course load may be heavier than in other graduate programs.

Before submitting their theses, all doctoral candidates must undergo a comprehensive oral and/or written examination or the equivalent (candidacy, qualifying, preliminary or general examination or doctoral examination). The examination's objectives are set by each program, subject to OGPS approval. In the event of failure, the examination can be repeated only once.

A mandatory course taken to fulfill core-education or program-specific requirements.

A program of studies that makes it possible to study at the doctoral level at both the University of Ottawa and a foreign university under a thesis supervisor at each institution. It involves courses, a comprehensive exam and one thesis defence before a jury designated by the two institutions. When the doctorate is completed, students receive a separate degree from each university.

A set of teaching and learning activities whose calendar definition has been approved by Senate. It is typically 39 hours long. A series of courses is called a program.

Measure of the student’s performance over all courses that make up his or her program of study.

A self-standing graduate program including a number of credits that varies by program. Leads to a graduate diploma authorized by the Senate.

A branch of knowledge or instruction, or a general subject such as psychology, philosophy, or geology.

A class period during which guided group discussion permits further exploration of various aspects of the subject matter covered during lectures.

For a master’s thesis, an examining board is made up of at least two, and not more than four, members. Members are appointed by the chair of the academic unit or the dean of the faculty where the student is registered. For a doctorate, the examining board is made up of at least four, and not more than seven, members. The Vice-dean of the faculty names the examiners upon recommendation from the chair of the academic unit or the dean of the faculty where the student is enrolled.

Permission to replace a course normally required in a program of studies by another course with the same number of credits.

Any one of the University of Ottawa’s ten main academic administrative units (Faculty of Arts, Telfer School of Management, Faculty of Social Sciences, etc.).

Measure of a student’s academic performance that corresponds to the sum of the final grade values for each course multiplied by the number of credits for each course, divided by the total number of credits attempted.

Measure of a student’s performance used to consider a student for a faculty transfer, change of program or re-admission.

Document showing academic results obtained by a student during an academic term.

University studies leading to a graduate studies certificate, a master’s degree or a doctorate.

Courses that allow students to enhance their abilities in their second official language. Three credits are granted for the regular content course taken in their second language and three additional credits for the accompanying language course, for a total of six credits.

Intellectual property is a complex subject, and the circumstances of each particular case have to be considered. In general, however, intellectual property developed on-campus by professors, students or non-academic staff is handled in accordance with the agreement between the University of Ottawa and the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (APUO).

In certain cases, students enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Ottawa may be allowed to take courses at another university and to have these courses counted as part of the requirements for the degree. The academic unit in which the student is studying must approve these courses in advance and enrolment must be completed by the last day for enrolment for the term.

A program that is the result of cooperation between two or more academic units at the graduate level. It applies knowledge from several disciplines to the study of a particular question.

Programs available to students at the University of Ottawa who are interested in studying at another Canadian university or abroad for one term or an entire academic year. One example is the Marco Polo International Student Mobility Initiative. The University has many agreements with universities around the world.

A graduate program offered partly at the University of Ottawa and partly at another university, most often Carleton University.

Language-proficiency development activity associated with a disciplinary course taken in a person’s second official language as part of an immersion course.

The language in which teaching activities are conducted in a course or in a program.

An official document authorizing a student to take courses at another institution and to transfer the credits from these courses to his or her University of Ottawa program.

The level of university education a student is pursuing. Undergraduate: bachelor’s degree, undergraduate certificate, professional degree. Graduate: graduate studies certificate, diploma, master’s, PhD.

A set of courses chosen within a specific field of study to gain a certain degree of expertise (e.g. engineering management option). Options normally require a minimum of 18 credits.

Course included in the program requirements, which must be chosen within a given disciplinary field or from a specific list of courses.

A postdoctoral fellow is someone who recently received a doctorate or the equivalent (within the past five years).

A course that must be passed before another course can be taken.

The status of students whose standing is below the required minimum for their program but who are allowed to continue their studies on the condition that they raise their grade point average (GPA) to the required minimum.

A graduate program that allows professionals to upgrade their training or to specialize in a particular field.

An assessment tool to determine a person’s knowledge of a given discipline, regardless of his or her academic learning.

A set of courses that enables students to receive a complete education in a given discipline. There are different types of programs: diploma, master’s and doctorate.

A set of courses or other work that must be successfully completed before qualifying for a degree, diploma or certificate from the University.

All students must make consistent and systematic progress in their research work. It is also useful, indeed essential, to look annually at students’ progress over the previous 12 months and to set objectives for the coming year.

Students admitted to a qualifying program must normally take a certain number of courses to bring their education up to the level of an honours bachelor’s in the discipline. They must achieve satisfactory academic standing before they can apply to a master’s program.

The unit responsible for registration and admission, the maintenance of academic records and the publication of course descriptions, timetables and calendars.

Formal process by which students indicate the courses they wish to take in a given term. Enrolment is done online through  uoZone. Students are entirely responsible for enrolling, re-enrolling or withdrawing prior to the published closing dates.

Person admitted to a program of study leading to a graduate diploma, a master’s or a doctorate.

The period during which a student must be registered full time at the University of Ottawa and must adhere to regulations governing the status of full-time students. The student may be taking part in an exchange program or a co-tutelle, in which case the residence takes place at the foreign university.

Credits for courses completed in one program of study at the University of Ottawa recognized in partial fulfillment of the requirements of another program to which a student has transferred and that are included when calculating the grade point average for the student’s new program.

Non-refundable financial aid awarded based on specific merit, academic or otherwise (scholarship), or to help a student pursue his or her studies (bursary).

Academic and administrative unit in a faculty offering a professional training program (e.g. School of Translation and Interpretation, School of Nursing).

An official University of Ottawa certificate presenting a student’s linguistic profile (listening, reading, writing and speaking) issued at the end of an independent learning course offered by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute after the student has passed a Second Language Proficiency Test.

List of dates corresponding to important deadlines during the academic year for the three academic terms (Fall, Winter and Spring/Summer).

A course given through an interactive video system and transmitted via telephone connection to a location off campus.

Period during which the University’s academic activities take place (Fall term: September to December; Winter term: January to April; Spring-Summer term: May to August). In general, the Fall and Winter terms  run 15 weeks each, including the exam period. The Spring-Summer term breaks down into sub-terms with varying numbers of weeks.

Measure of the student’s overall performance for all courses during one term. To learn more, refer to the Academic regulations explained page.

A master’s thesis must show that the student is able to work in a scholarly manner and is acquainted with the principal works published on the thesis subject. To the extent possible, it should contribute something original. A doctoral thesis must make a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge. It must also be the result of in-depth and original research by the student.

The thesis defence is the final step in the doctoral thesis. It is an oral examination before an examining board in the form of a presentation by candidates during which they discuss their research. The board decides whether to award the doctorate based on the thesis and the oral presentation.

The writing of the thesis must follow the methodology established by the academic unit the student is registered in. If the thesis consists of a series of published articles, it must follow the relevant guidelines for such theses.

Online database of the courses being offered during a specific term by an academic unit with the description, sections, location, time and the names of the professors for each course.

An official and confidential document issued by the University of Ottawa at the student’s request that summarizes the results of all courses a student completed at the University.

The numerical value assigned to an academic activity. Except for co-op work terms, intensive practicums covering extended periods and research projects, a unit (credit) generally represents 45 hours of work, including class attendance (lectures, labs, practical training) or online participation, individual work, practical assignments and exam preparation.

Work experience (paid or unpaid) related to the student’s program of study.