Ontario secondary schools

You must have an Ontario high school diploma with at least six 4U-4M or DU-level courses to be eligible for admission to the first year of university. Please note:

• All the courses that are prerequisites for your chosen program must be 4U-level courses, unless otherwise indicated.
• We use your top six interim or final grades in 4U, 4M, or DU courses, including the prerequisites for your chosen program, to calculate your admission average. We do not round up your grades.
• Please note that the requirements listed are minimum requirements only and are subject to change. Meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Good to know

• Ontario Grade 12 students can apply as early as mid-October for the following fall term. While most programs accept applications for admission until June 1, some programs have different deadlines. Check the deadlines and available programs.
• Grade 12 CO-OP courses do not count towards the required six 4U-4M level courses.
• We accept the following English 4U or Français 4U courses as language prerequisites: ENG4U, EAE4U, EAL4U, ETS4U, EAC4U, EWC4U, FRA4U and FLO4U.
• We accept international language courses at the DU level.
• If you repeat a course, we will include your best mark when calculating your admission average, regardless of when you took the course.
• Summer courses, online courses and private school courses are acceptable if taken in a recognized institution that grants credits toward the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).
• For some programs, you may have to provide additional supporting documents or pass an audition or exam.
• We also use your admission average to determine your eligibility for admission scholarships.
• If you have been studying in Canada for less than three years, you might have to provide us with your official results in one of the following University-approved language tests. We reserve the right to request the result of a language test at any time, if necessary.
• In some programs, you can apply to the Co-operative Education Program or French Immersion Stream. Just indicate your choice on the application form.
• At the University of Ottawa, we believe that grades don’t always tell the whole story. Maybe your academic history is unusual or you’ve faced personal challenges. You can now improve your chances of admission by filling out a Declaration of Personal Experience if your academic average is below the minimum average listed for the program that interests you. A declaration can only be submitted by Canadian citizens, permanent residents or those having refugee status.

• Apply online through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC).
• Declare all current and previous postsecondary studies, completed or not, even if they are not related to your current application. Failure to do so may result in the cancellation of your application or the withdrawal of your offer of admission at any time.
• You must pay application fees for all admission applications. Visit the OUAC website to find out which fees you need to pay.
• OUAC is not part of the University of Ottawa. It handles applications to Ontario universities and transfers your application to us.
• For more detailed information, consult the OUAC video tutorials. 

• You should receive an email acknowledging receipt of your application within one week of applying. Keep an eye on your junk mail inbox just in case. If you do not receive it within two weeks, email [email protected].
• Be sure to save the acknowledgement of receipt email. It tells you how to log into the uoZone student portal to track the progress of your application. It also includes your student number, user ID and password.
• Once you have logged into uoZone, check your Admission file for the list of supporting documents you need to submit to complete your application.
• For technical assistance, including with your uoAccess ID or uoZone password, please contact our IT Service Desk.

If you are currently studying in an Ontario secondary school, we will receive your results from OUAC along with your 101 application.

• Submit your documents on time. Learn more about deadlines and available programs.
• How to upload and submit your documents.
• The University of Ottawa may request any other document necessary to evaluate your file. All documents become property of the University and will not be returned to applicants. You are responsible for ensuring that we receive all requested documents by the deadline.

Head Start program

If you have completed any university courses as part of the Head Start program offered by the University of Ottawa, they can count towards your degree.

Transfer credits

Find out if you are eligible for transfer credits based on the curriculum and level of education you’ve completed.