Documents required

The documents required for admission depend on the program you are interested in. Please refer to the list of specific program requirements.

Additional information on the documents required

Transcripts and Diplomas:

• ​​If you study (or have studied) at the University of Ottawa, you do not  have to submit your transcripts or diplomas for the University of Ottawa.
• If you have studied at other post-secondary institutions, you must upload your transcripts and diplomas through the student portal. For more information on uploading files, see step 7.
• The submission of all transcripts of the universities attended including the grading scale is mandatory. This requirement applies to all types of courses and / or programs taken such as: regular programs (completed or not), exchange programs, letters of permission, online or correspondence courses, courses followed as a special student or visiting student, etc.
• Transcripts and diplomas in a language other than French or English must be accompanied by a translation (in French or English) provided by the institution that issued them or by an authorized translator. A copy of the documents in the original language is still required; translation alone is not enough.
• Transcripts and diplomas will be verified to ensure their authenticity. In the event that you receive an offer of admission, you must arrange for an official copy of your transcripts and diplomas to be sent to the University of Ottawa.
• Please note that we do not accept third party transcripts (eg WES - World Education Services).
• College transcripts are not required.

Letter of Intent

This is an opportunity to provide an overview of your academic interests and ambitions, and to highlight why you would be a good candidate for the program. Comment on your relevant experiences (student exchange, work as a research assistant, law clerkship or other) and explain any “anomaly” in your academic itinerary (e.g. low grades in one semester because of illness, time spent away from academia etc.).

The letter of Intent must indicate if you have done (within the last 5 years) or if you are currently doing a clerkship and wish to receive advanced standing. Please refer to the Law Clerk Option.

*Please note that we do not provide an example.

Description of your research project (For programs with research paper or thesis only)

The thesis or research paper proposal provides the Admissions Committee with the necessary information to assess your ability to develop and articulate a research project. Furthermore, the research proposal is used to match you with faculty members suitable for supervising your work, and is an important factor in selecting candidates for admission. It is, therefore, important that the proposal be well structured and carefully written. It is understood that, if admitted, this proposal may undergo significant changes as a result of further research and direction from the supervisor. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and will lead to a rejection of your application.

*Please note that we do not provide an example.

For applications to the Master’s program with thesis or research paper, with or without a concentration, the description of your Master’s thesis proposal or research paper proposal (500 words) should include the following elements:

• Your full name
• Title of your intended research project
• Research Proposal: Specify your research area and give a description of the particular topic under consideration.
• Preparation: Comment on your background preparation and your suitability to undertake this topic: language abilities (if required), courses and seminars taken, any personal research or experience of note.

For applications to the Doctoral program, the description of your Doctoral thesis proposal (2,000 words) should include the following elements:

• Your full name
• Title of your intended research project
• Research Proposal: Specify your research area and give a description of the research project you would like to undertake during your Ph.D. (definition of the subject, research question, context, methodology and theoretical framework, if known)
• Preparation: Comment on your background preparation and your suitability to undertake this topic: language abilities (if required), courses and seminars taken, any personal research or experience of note.

For applications for admission to the Master of Laws with concentration in Notarial Law and the Master of Laws , course based option, no project to submit. (The description of your research projectcondition will be removed only once your application is under pre-evaluation).

Curriculum vitae

A detailed curriculum vitae, including your educational background, work experience and volunteer experience. If you have teaching experience and/or experience as a teaching assistant, please include the subject matter and language of instruction.

Letters of recommendation

Once you have submitted your application and it has been transferred to uOttawa’s servers, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access uoZone, where you will be able to enter the name of your referees.

We require the submission of two letters of recommendation. Consult specific program requirements.

Given that these are an important part of the admissions process, it is recommended that you think carefully about who will provide a letter of reference.

We invite you to contact your referees two to three weeks before submitting your application to confirm their availability, as well as their e-mail address and professional title, as you will need to provide the name and contact information of your references on the uoZone Student Portal.

• Unless the application requirements for your program states that professional references are acceptable or required, letters of recommendation must come from qualified academic scholars who can attest to and demonstrate your potential for graduate-level study or research.
• Let the individuals know that the University of Ottawa’s letter of recommendation process is done online and is entirely confidential. They will receive a link by email to the secure online system.
• It is helpful to provide the individuals with a deadline in order to ensure they submit their letters of recommendation before the application deadline. Your application will not be considered complete (and thus not evaluated) until all your letters of recommendation are received.
• Letters of recommendation must be in English or French.
• We do not accept letters of recommendation from family members, friends, students, former or current classmates, employees or teaching assistants.
• It’s best to provide academic or work email addresses for those providing letters of recommendation. Email address from Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, etc. are discouraged.

Language proficiency requirements

French and English are the languages ​​of instruction at the University of Ottawa. All future students must demonstrate a minimum level of language proficiency in French or English before being admitted. We do not require skills in both languages.

Candidates with neither English nor French as their mother tongue must meet one of the following criteria:

Have completed a post-secondary diploma in French or English at a university whose language is French or English as one of the official languages ​​of instruction, in a country where English or French is the primary language. (The language condition will be removed only once your application is under pre-evaluation). *The admissions committee reserves the right to request proof of proficiency in the program’s language of instruction, if it deems necessary.

OR

Have obtained a minimum of 2 years full time university degree in French or English from a  North American University. (The language condition will be removed only once your application is under pre-evaluation).  *The admissions committee reserves the right to request proof of proficiency in the program’s language of instruction, if it deems necessary.

OR

Have the minimum scores required in one of the following language tests:

English-language program tests

• TOEFL (academic):  Internet-based: 100 (with a minimum of 24 for the writing component) ; Computer-based: 250; Paper-based: 600 

    Please note that the University’s institution code is 993 and the department code for Law is 03.

• CAEL : 70
• PEARSON : 68
• MELAB : 87
• IELTS (academic module): 7.0 (with a minimum of 7.0 in all components)

French-language program tests:

• DELF : Niveau B2
• DALF : Niveau C1 ou C2

*It is preferable to submit the result of a language test from the start in order to avoid delays in the file evaluation process.

Research supervisor

If you are applying to the LL.M. with thesis or research paper or to the Ph.D., you do not select a research supervisor. You will be assigned a supervisor by the Admissions Committee if you are admitted. If no supervisor is indicated on the offer of admission, the name will be communicated, by email, during you first year of registration in the program.