If you hold a university degree or will receive an undergraduate university degree prior to entering the program and are considering obtaining Ontario Certified Teacher designation (OCT), first check the requirements below. Your eligibility depends on the type of degree obtained, your academic average, prerequisite courses for the teaching subject, the French proficiency test, and other requirements. As the number of places is limited, admission is offered to the applicants with the best scores, in accordance with registration targets for each teaching subject and division. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

• The admission requirements for the Toronto and Windsor campuses are the same as those for the Ottawa campus.

University degree

Must be accredited by an official body such as a provincial ministry of education, the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche scientifique (MESRS), or the national ministry of education in your country. These are the only ministries that are authorized to issue a university degree. Your program must have been accredited when you received your degree.

• In Canada: University bachelor’s degree of at least 90 credits or specialized four-year bachelor’s degree from an Ontario college.
• Foreign institutions: University degree of 180 ECTS credits in a single program, issued by a university (e.g. licence, engineering degree).

We do not accept the following foreign degrees or diplomas:

• Diplôme d’État issued by an institution that is not authorized to grant a university degree
• So-called "university level" degrees not provided in a university
• BAC + 3 (or more) degree from a higher educational institution that is not accredited by the MESRS or the national ministry of education in your country
• University type court degree, even if it comprises 180 ECTS credits (e.g. Hautes Écoles)
• 30-, 60- or 120-ECTS degree (e.g. master 1, master 2, DESS, 120-ECTS master’s)
• BT, BTS, DEUG, DUEL, DUES, DUT, DST, Gradué, Troisième Graduat
• Combined degrees (e.g. 120-ECTS DEUG + 60-ECTS master)

If in doubt, please contact us. 

Average

An applicant’s average counts for 50% of the admission decision. Make sure that you have the minimum average required for admission. If it is less than the minimum required, your file can be refused.

• In Canada: At least 66% in your best 10 full-year or 20 best one-term undergraduate university courses completed before September 1 of the year you enrol. Courses required to satisfy a teaching subject are not included in the calculation if they are not in the top 20. However, if you have completed fewer than 20 courses, all courses completed to date will be considered. Grades obtained at the college/CEGEP/graduate level are not included in the calculation.
• Foreign institutions: At least 66% based on the annual grade point average (e.g. 10/20, pass, satisfactory)

Divisions and teaching subjects

To teach a specific subject, such as French, Geography, or Biology, you need to have taken university courses in that subject. Make sure that you have taken the required number of courses in the subject for the teaching division. Note that one full-year course is equivalent to two one-term courses.

If you have not completed the courses required for your teaching subject when you apply, you must take these courses before August of the year you enter the program. Indicate the courses you will be taking in your application or in an email to [email protected] to avoid automatic refusal.

Certain teaching subjects require specific courses. Consult the table of teaching subjects.

• Primary/Junior (Kindergarten to Grade 6) – campuses: Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor
  No prerequisites required.
• Junior/Intermediate (Grades 4 to 10) – campus: Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor
  You must choose a teaching subject – consult the table of teaching subjects.
  • Six one-semester university courses (or three full-year courses) in this subject are required (with a maximum of two in a related field).
  • Available subjects (Ottawa Campus): English (first language); dramatic arts; visual arts; French; geography; history; mathematics; music (instrumental); health and physical education; and science (general).
  • Available subjects (Toronto and Windsor campuses): French; mathematics; and science (general).
• Intermediate/Senior (Grades 7 to 12) – campus: Ottawa
  You must choose two distinct subjects – consult the table of teaching subjects.
  • Ten one-semester university courses (or five full-year courses) in the first subject are required (with a maximum of four courses in a related field).
  • Four one-semester university courses (or two full-year courses) in the second subject are required (no courses in a related field are permitted).
  • Available subjects: English (first language)*; French; history; mathematics; health and physical education; science (biology); science (chemistry); science (physics)*. You cannot combine two subjects marked with an asterisk as first and second teaching subjects.

Experience

You must have acquired experience and skills relevant to the teaching profession. Experience is an integral part of program admission. However, it cannot replace the teaching subject requirements. You must submit an Experience profile, available through your uoZone account once you apply. This counts for 50% of the admission decision and you must obtain a minimum score of 66%. Note that the Experience profile cannot compensate for a low academic average, and vice versa. If either your Experience profile score or your academic average fails to meet the minimum requirement, your application may be denied.

The following will not be evaluated: letters of recommendation, curriculum vitae, business cards, or documents that were not expressly requested.

French proficiency test

Even if you are Francophone, have studied in French, or have completed a French immersion program, you are required to take the French proficiency test. It cannot be substituted by any other test. Make sure to prepare. For more information, you must contact [email protected].

Language requirements for the English (first language) teaching subject

To teach this subject, you must:

• have studied in English full time for at least three consecutive years or have passed the English 4U course in Ontario; AND
• have completed your studies in a country where English is an official language.

If you do not meet these two requirements but receive an offer of admission, you must pass the TOEFL before entering the program.

• TOEFL: Internet-based test with a minimum of 24 in each of the four skills.

Good to know

• Access program: Spaces are reserved for the following groups: Aboriginal peoples (2%), persons with disabilities (3%), and members of visible minorities (9%). Please specify the group with which you identify at the end of the online Experience profile.
• Second Language Teaching (SLT) at the University of Ottawa: Ten places in the Primary/Junior divisions and ten places in the Junior/Intermediate/Senior divisions are reserved for graduates and registered students in the SLT (FLS) program. No self-identification is required.
• Agreement between La Cité and University of Ottawa: Ten places in the Primary/Junior division are offered to students who have successfully completed or who are enrolled in the éducation en services à l’enfance (formerly garde éducative à l’enfance ) program at La Cité. To be eligible, you must hold a university degree or a four-year honours bachelor at an Ontario College. You must submit a transcript or proof of enrollment from La Cité.

To apply for admission to both the regular, full-time program (two years) and the alternative, part-time program (three years), submit two distinct applications.

• It is not possible to transfer from the regular, two-year program to the alternative, three-year program.
• Full-time: Submit your application to the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC). Be sure to complete the TEAS form.
  • Indicate your choices in order of preference, as if you are admitted, you will only receive one offer.
• Part-time: Consult the part-time program page before submitting an application.

You must disclose all ongoing and completed postsecondary studies. If you have a master’s or doctorate, you are still required to include your undergraduate studies (e.g. university bachelor’s degree, licence, engineering degree).

You will receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application within two weeks of applying. This message sometimes ends up in applicants’ spam folders, so be sure to check yours. If you have not received an email acknowledging receipt two weeks after applying, contact us.

Be sure not to lose the email acknowledging receipt, as it contains instructions on how to log into the uoZone student portal to track your application. It also includes your student number, uoAccess ID, and password. You are responsible for regularly checking your uoZone account for missing documents.

Log in to uoZone and consult the list of required documents in your Admission File. You are responsible for uploading them in uoDoc by the deadline and for regularly checking your uoZone account to see if you are missing documents or if a decision has been posted. We may also add comments or documents to your file if we require additional information from you.

Please note that the result of your language proficiency test will be sent to us by the Faculty. With this exception, if your file remains incomplete after the deadline, your application may be cancelled without notice.

Don’t forget your:

• Undergraduate diploma: You cannot be admitted based on a master’s, AGD, or doctoral degree.
  • Studies in Canada and USA: You are not required to submit your diploma if your degree transcript indicates that you have been awarded the diploma.
  • Studies abroad: You must submit a copy (or proof of completion) of an undergraduate diploma.
• Undergraduate degree transcripts: Upload the grades from all your years of study to uoDoc via uoZone in a single PDF file (e.g.: Foreign study: DEUG 1 and 2 + licence, licence 1 + 2 + 3). Please note that this file will not be considered official. If you receive an offer of admission, you will be required to provide an official transcript marked with an official seal and issued by the educational institution, or a copy certified by a notary, lawyer, or commissioner for oaths.
  • You are not required to submit University of Ottawa transcripts or transcripts.
  • Those submitted by OUAC (Ontario Universities) must be sent "immediately". Do not wait for your final marks, as they will not be counted in the admission average.
  • You must submit transcripts from Saint Paul University (Ontario) if you attended that institution.
  • Evaluations by World Education Services (WES) or the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (for degrees outside Quebec), or by any other organization, cannot replace an official diploma, a transcript, or the evaluation done by the University of Ottawa for the purposes of obtaining professional certification.
  • Transcripts from graduate or postdoctoral studies are not necessary.
• La Cité éducation en services à l’enfance program protected corridor: To participate, submit an official transcript or proof of enrollment in the program. You must meet the minimum admission requirements to be eligible.
• Experience profile: Complete the profile online. Follow the link in your uoZone account. Only this document will be accepted. If you applied in a previous year and have already submitted a profile, you must submit a new one including your most recent experience. For more information, contact the Faculty at [email protected].
  • Only ONE profile is required, regardless of the number of options you apply for.
• French proficiency test: Register and pay the registration fee online at the link in your uoZone account. For more information, contact the Faculty at [email protected].
  • This test can only be taken once a year.

The University of Ottawa reserves the right to request any other document it deems necessary to evaluate your application. All documents will become the property of the University of Ottawa and will not be returned. It’s up to you to make sure that the University receives all documents by the deadline.

Although the deadline date to submit the documents is February 15, 2023, we begin sending out decisions in early February and will continue until we reach our targets by division and teaching subject. Therefore, to increase your chances of admission, you should complete your file before December 19. We send you an email once we make a decision, but you are still responsible for checking your uoZone account regularly, in case you do not receive it.

You must accept or decline your offer of admission by the deadline. If you accept it, a $250 non-refundable deposit is required by the deadline indicated in the last paragraph of your offer. If you are on a waiting list and wish to remain on it, you must also respond before the deadline. Information concerning the waiting list can be found in our FAQ below.