The University of Ottawa has distinguished itself as "Canada's university," offering courses in the country's two official languages, and promoting and supporting cultural diversity in the heart of the nation's capital. On campus, in what amounts to a small city within a city, over 40,000 students from a variety of cultural backgrounds study, live and work side by side.

University of Ottawa research discoveries benefit Canadians and enhance our country's ability to innovate and compete on the world stage. Its commitment to research excellence and its interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation attract the best academic talent from across Canada and around the world. The University's strategic areas of development in research are:

• Canada and the world (e.g. Human Rights, La Francophonie, Governance and Public Policy, Bijuralism)
• Health (e.g. Population Health, Women's Health, Neurosciences, Cardiovascular Sciences)
• e-Society (e.g. Enabling Technologies, Safety and Security, Technology and Society)
• Molecular Sciences (e.g. Systems Biology, Catalysis and Nanotechnology, Environmental Genomics)

Our vision is to make the University of Ottawa one of the great universities of our time, with a reputation to match its achievements. We have made commitments and set priorities that will allow us to consolidate our progress and maintain our momentum. The Strategic Plan's 4 pillars are:

• Student Experience
• Research
• International
• Bilingualism

The University of Ottawa is a comprehensive and research intensive institution. According to the Times Higher Education Rankings 2011-2012, it is one the Top 200 universities in the world.

The university has ten faculties: Arts, Education, Engineering, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Health Sciences, Law (Common Law and Civil Law sections), the Telfer School of Management, Medicine, Science and Social Sciences. Its faculties and schools offer approximately 2700 courses, in about 250 programs at the undergraduate level and 200 at the graduate level, more than 70 of which offer a cooperative education option allowing students to gain valuable work experience and prepare for their future career. The cooperative program is one of the most successful in Canada and boasts a 96 percent placement rate. Students can also build on their first degree by continuing at the master’s or doctoral level, or select an intensive, highly specialized Graduate Diploma program.

Some off-campus housing is available. For additional information, please visit our web site.

The International Office organizes orientation days in early September and January every year. For more information, please visit the Web site.

There is a mentorship program to assist with adaptation of incoming international students.

The Career and Employment Centre helps students reach their career goals through specialized group sessions, everything from finding that perfect job, writing a good resumé, preparing for interviews, and networking.

The University of Ottawa also offers a women's fastball and a women's ringette team at the competitive level.

Interested in trying out for a competitive sports team? Contact our coaches by e-mail at gee-gees@uottawa.ca.

Students can participate in many educational and recreational activities such as aerobics, Aikido, aqua fitness, badminton, ballet, basketball, Bronze cross, Bronze medallion, camping, cave exploration, CPR, cross country skiing, dances, dog sledding, fencing, figure skating, first aid, fitness, hiking, hockey, jazz, karate, kayaking, kickboxing, kung fu, national lifeguard, personal training, Pilates, racquetball, rafting, self defence, skating, snowshoeing, squash, strength training, swimming, tae kwon do, tai chi, training certifications, volleyball, weight training, whale watching, and yoga.

Students can participate in the activities of over 100 social, cultural, and political clubs and associations. For more information, please visit the web site.

Students have free access to 30 labs equipped with approximately 1,000 workstations. Most buildings on campus are fully Wi-Fi enabled. The University now lends out 100 laptops for use within its three libraries. They connect to the University's wireless network and come equipped with standard software. The University also offers professors the option of complementing their class activities with a Web component. WebCT allows students to access the professor’s notes, look at the class assignments, or chat with fellow classmates.

The Departments of Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts provide a full program of concerts, plays, and exhibitions. Festivals, fairs, and public lectures of every description, many with an international flavour, make the campus a lively and vibrant place.

Facilities include a theatre, an auditorium, thematic cultural weeks, a student radio station, television shows, newspapers, and cafés. For a listing of weekly events, please visit the Web site.

Special services available include the Women's Resource Centre, the Aboriginal Resource Centre, the Access Service (for persons with learning or other disabilities), the International Office, the Peer Help Centre, the Counselling Service, and the Pride Centre. For more information, please visit the web site.

Saint Paul University (SPU) is affiliated with the University of Ottawa. SPU has an intimate, friendly campus, which helps students develop at both spiritual and intellectual levels. At SPU, classes are small and the atmosphere is congenial. SPU offers programs in 19 disciplines specializing in issues relating to social justice and current affairs, as well as values, cultures, religions, and conflict resolution. Distance studies and Internet courses are also offered. For more information, please visit the web site.

The University of Ottawa is a member of the Canadian University Exchange Consortium and of the Regroupement des universités de la francophonie hors-Québec, which promotes national exchanges. Internationally, the University holds official agreements in over 50 different countries that provide faculty or student exchanges in various disciplines. Students participate in exchanges with institutions in France, Mexico, England, Thailand, and Australia, among others.

Tours are offered Monday-Saturday in both English and French. See web site for times and registration.