See below our most frequently asked questions.

Questions and answers

Q: I would like to know if I am eligible to apply for the MIS and would also like to know if you would accept my GRE scores to be admitted to the program.

A: To determine if you are eligible to apply, please have a look at our minimum requirements :

  • 4-year Honors Bachelor Degree or the equivalent, with a B average
  • Demonstrated competence in French and English
  • Computer literacy

GRE scores are not accepted. You may also find more information at this link.

Q: I would like to know if I need an honours degree to apply for this program or if a four year B.A. with a major is enough?

A: Our minimum requirement is a 4-year Honours Bachelor Degree (or the equivalent), with a B average.

Please note that the University of Ottawa cannot offer a pre-evaluation of your file; you will have to apply for your file to be evaluated including your grades and degree/s.

Our minimum requirements can be found on our requirements page.

Q: Apart from my degree and documentation, do I have to provide a proof of English language skills? (IELTS?)

A: please see the requirements page.

Please read carefully. The requirements vary if you are an:

  • applicant whose first language is neither English or French
  • applicant whose first language is English
  • applicant whose first language is French

Applicants whose first language is neither English nor French, need to demonstrate their proficiency in both English and French with a B in comprehension in both French and English from the Federal Government language exam. An F7 and E7 on the OLBI (University of Ottawa's Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute) exam is also acceptable.

Applicants whose first language is English need to demonstrate their proficiency in French with a B in comprehension on the Federal Government language exam. An F7 on OLBI exam is also acceptable.

Applicants whose first language is French need to demonstrate their proficiency in English with a B in comprehension on Federal Government language exam. An E7 on OLBI exam is also acceptable.

As a pre-requisite to entering the Master of Information Studies program, students are expected to be functionally bilingual. The University of Ottawa supports its students with some excellent resources. The Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute (OLBI) is a helpful place to access information, courses and tutoring in a second language.

Q: What are the deadlines for applying to the program and for which term would I be admitted?

A: For Canadian students, the application deadline is April 1st for admission in the Fall of that year and September 15th for admission in the Winter of the following year.  Thus, if you are a Canadian student and you apply before April 1st 2024 and you are admitted into the program you can start your studies in September 2024.  If you apply before September 15th, and you are admitted, you can start your studies in January 2025.

For international students, the deadline is February 1st for the Fall of that year and May 1st for admission in the Winter of the following year.

Admission for the summer is subject to availability in the program.

If you have a very good record, your application may be considered after the deadlines mentioned.

Q: Will an M.I.S. degree guarantee me a job?

A: We cannot guarantee that your MIS degree will guarantee you a job. However, we can share with you that since the beginning of our program in 2009, our graduates have an 83% placement rate into full-time employment (some in Ottawa, some outside Ottawa) within 6 months of graduation.

Q: What if I don't have a bachelor's degree. Can I get equivalency for my years of work experience in my information career?

A: We are not able to accept students into the Masters program that do not have a Bachelor's degree. UOttawa's Professional Development Institute offers a professional development certificate in Knowledge Management that has no prerequisites and may be of interest to you. There are also other training resources provided by your local chapter of ARMA (Association of Records Managers) for the Information Management Community.