You’ve received an offer of admission, congratulations!

If you have been admitted, we will email you to let you know we’ve made a decision. Read the PDF offer of admission in your admission file carefully. You’ll find information on your admission conditions, the average you need to maintain, the deadline for accepting your offer and any transfer credits you have received. 

Even if you have received an offer of admission, you may still be able to add French immersion or CO-OP to your original application. To find out if you can make changes to your program, email us at [email protected]. Be sure to include your student number.

Say “Yes”!

Follow the instructions in your Admission file in uoZone to accept your offer. It usually has conditions — make sure you really understand them. You must accept your offer of admission by the deadline indicated on your offer.

Start planning your transition to the University of Ottawa

Once you have accepted your offer, find out about course enrolment. Enrolment for the fall term usually begins in mid-May. It’s never too early to figure out your course sequence and start shopping for courses you might want to take!

Don’t forget to research scholarship and bursary opportunities by using Online Scholarships and Bursaries, also available in uoZone, under Applications.

Careful budgeting is another important element of being well prepared for university life and the financial responsibilities it brings. Visit the fees and financial support website for information to help you keep your finances on track so you can stay focused on your studies.

Thinking of staying in residence? Get more information on housing.

Canadian students

In the months before you arrive at uOttawa, check the Campus life and Current students websites and join our Facebook group for future students.

Discover the Regional Mentoring Centre, which organizes social and cultural activities, holds orientation sessions for students across Canada…and more! The regional mentors are like your GPS for your first year on campus. They’ll help you get used to your new home and life, meet new friends and start you off on the right foot for success at the University of Ottawa.

International students

If you’re an international student, be sure to follow the steps below in the months leading up to your arrival in Canada.

• Obtain your study permit. You must have your study permit from the Government of Canada before arriving in order to study here. Find out about the Government of Canada requirements to study in Canada.
• Learn about the International Office, which manages the International Mentoring Centre, organizes social and cultural activities, holds orientation sessions for international students…and more! The International Office and its mentors are here for you, to help you get used to your new home, meet new friends and get you off on the right foot for success at the University of Ottawa.
• Join the International Office Facebook page to find out what’s going on at the University of Ottawa and to get to know some of our mentors and students.
• In the months before you arrive at uOttawa, check the Campus life and Current students websites.

Also, once you’ve arrived, you’ll need to attend an orientation session for international students, a mandatory activity for all new international students. Be sure you make plans to arrive in Ottawa in time to attend. It takes place about a week before classes begin. Check out the information for newly admitted international students for all the details.

Except under exceptional circumstances, it is normally not possible to defer an offer of admission, as they are only valid for the program, year and term specified. As such, students who wish to be considered for an alternate year or term must submit a new application, fees and any new supporting documents.

However, if exceptional circumstances prevent you from starting your studies as planned you may request a deferral of your offer of admission.

The following criteria will need to apply:

• You must have accepted your offer of admission;
• You must meet the conditions of your offer;
• You will not be attending any academic institution during the deferral period;
• The deferral period does not extend more than 12 months;
• Your program must be open for admission the session for which you are requesting the deferral. Please check the list of available programs per session.

Deferral requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and can be submitted to the Admissions Office. The deadline to submit your request is the same date as the last day to withdraw from a course and receive a financial credit.

Please note that offers to our English Intensive program (EIP) are not eligible for deferral.

To request a deferral of admission, please complete our InfoAdmission web form. Select the Undergraduate studies, Faculty of Education or Faculty of Law - Civil law section depending on the program you are requesting the deferral for and then select Deferral Request. You will be asked to explain the reasons for requesting the deferral and summarize your plans for the deferral period.

Deferral requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be granted for reasons including illness, mandatory military service, etc. In the case of a student visa not yet issued, only those presenting their ‘Acknowledgment of Receipt of Visa Application’ confirming that the application was submitted within reasonable deadlines will be considered.

If your request is accepted, we will confirm this by email and issue a new offer of admission once we start accepting applications for the entry point you selected.

Please note that, if your original offer of admission included a scholarship, scholarship eligibility for your deferred offer will be based on your final academic average according to the regulations in effect for the year/term of your new offer admission.

If you weren’t admitted, and wish to re-apply, you must improve your academic record. Reasons for refusal are posted in your Admission File (available via uoZone).

If you need to retake a prerequisite course, you can do so in high school, college or university. 

If you were refused admission based on your admission average, see below for your next steps based on your level of studies when you applied.

I applied from high school or lycée

If you haven’t been admitted due to your high school or lycée grades, you can retake courses to improve your admission average. However, make sure you take courses that we use to calculate your admission average. To understand how we calculate your admission average, see our admission requirements. 

I applied from CEGEP

If you haven’t been admitted due to your CEGEP grades, you can take CEGEP-level courses to raise your admission average.

To understand how we calculate your admission average, see our admission requirements for CEGEP students.

Alternately, to show your potential to succeed in university, you can complete 24 university-level units (eight one-term undergraduate courses). You will then be evaluated based on these university courses.  

See our requirements for re-admission by faculty.

I applied from college

If you haven’t been admitted due to your college grades, you can demonstrate your potential to succeed in university by completing 24 university-level units (8 one-term undergraduate courses). You will then be evaluated based on these university courses. See our requirements for re-admission by faculty.

You can also complete a new two-year college program. To understand how we calculate your admission average, see our admission requirements for college students.

I applied from university

If you haven’t been accepted due to your university grades, you have several options to improve your academic record:

• If you wish to be admitted to the Faculty of Arts or Social Sciences, you can complete a two-year college program. Our decision will be based on your new college courses. 
• If you wish to be admitted to the Telfer School of Management, you can complete a two-year college diploma in business. Our decision will be based on this new college diploma.
• For all other faculties, you must take some university courses. See the requirements for re-admission by faculty.

Admissions decisions are usually final. However, you can request an informal review of a decision or appeal a decision for the following reasons:

• Your grades have improved since you submitted your transcript.
• You have completed additional courses for which results are now available.
• You have submitted a missing document that might affect your admission.
• You have reason to believe there was an error in the decision process.

Informal review

If you have new information related to the above reasons, email details to the Admissions Office within five business days of the admission decision. An admission officer will review the decision.

We recommend that you request an informal review before proceeding to an appeal. However, you can proceed directly to an appeal if you wish.

Appeal

You can formally appeal the admission decision based on the above reasons. You cannot appeal our decision without a reason or based on decisions other applicants may have received.

There is no appeal process for the Faculty of Education.

You must file your appeal in writing within five business days of the informal review decision or the initial admission decision, providing relevant supporting documentation. If you delay your appeal, however, the program may have reached its maximum enrolment number even if the appeal is successful.

• Email your letter of appeal to [email protected].
• Use the subject heading “Appealing an admission decision.”
• Include the following in your appeal letter:
  • your name, your student number and the name of the program for which you have applied 
  • the reason for your appeal

You will receive the Appeals Committee decision in writing within 10 business days. The committee’s decision is final.