French and English are the languages of instruction at the University of Ottawa. All prospective students must demonstrate a level of language skills in either French or English. We do not require language skills in both languages.
Candidates with neither English nor French as their mother tongue must meet one of the following criteria. If you do not meet the criteria, we strongly recommend that you first obtain the scores requested in the tables, before submitting your application.
- Have completed a post-secondary diploma in French or English at a university in which French or English is one of the official languages of instruction, in a country where English or French is the primary language
OR
- Have obtained a university degree (at least 2 years of full time studies) in French or English, at a North-American university.
OR
- Have obtained the required pass mark in one of the following language tests according to the program you are applying for.
Tests for Anglophone programs
Only the tests indicated in the following tables will be recognized.
- TOEFL- paper based 60 /computer based 250, min. score of 5.0 in TWE / internet based 100, min. score of 25 writing component
- CAEL - Overall and Individual 70
- IELTS (Academic test only) -Overall and Individual 7 overall, min. score of 7 in 3 individual tests and 6 in fourth test
- MELAB- Overall 84-87
- CANTEST- Individual Listening & Reading & Writing: min. 4.5 per band
Tests for Francophone programs
Only the tests indicated in the following tables will be recognized.
- Certification de l'Alliance française Le Diplôme Supérieur – Langue et Culture Françaises (DSLCF) ou Diplôme Hautes Etudes Françaises (DHEF)
- DALF – Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française Niveaux C1 ou C2
- TCF – Test de Connaissance du Français Niveaux C1 ou C2
- TEF – Test d'Évaluation du Français Niveaux C1 ou C2
- TFI – Test de Français International: Compréhension/ expression orale: 300/495, Compréhension/ expression écrite: 305/495. Total: 605/990.
Even with these tests, the Faculty of Education reserves the right to require that you provide additional proof of proficiency if your knowledge of this official language is considered insufficient.
Please contact the Faculty of Education at educplus@uottawa.ca or at 613-562-5804 for more information on this subject.