How to Apply to Biology at the University of Ottawa: Honours BSc Programs in Biology, Biomedical Science, Biochemistry and Biopharmaceutical Science in the Faculty of Science, Direct Entry to the Program, Optional Co-op and French Immersion, and Admission and Prerequisites for Canadian, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Ottawa is in Canada’s capital, in Ontario, and teaches in English, French or both. The biology-related undergraduate programs are in the Faculty of Science: the Department of Biology offers Biology and Biomedical Science, and the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences offers Biochemistry and Biopharmaceutical Science. Here is what the official pages say for September 2027 entry to English-language programs, for Canadian students, international students, applicants from China and transfer students.

1. Programs

• Biology (OUAC code OUR): the Honours BSc is 4 years and 120 units, on campus, in French or English, with co-op and the French immersion stream as options. There is a standard honours program and four options: Animal Physiology, Cellular/Molecular, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, and Plant Science (the course-sequence page calls the first one the “Physiology Option”, a slightly different name). There are also a major in Biology (60 units) and a minor (30 units). The site lists 10 teaching laboratories, and its learning outcomes stress laboratory and field observation and data analysis.
• Biomedical Science (OUN): honours only, 4 years and 120 units. The site says the first two years build a foundation in biology, biochemistry, chemistry and mathematics, after which you choose an option: Biostatistics, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, or Neuroscience. The programs-at-a-glance table shows no major or minor. Careers the site lists include biomedical researcher, biotechnologist, forensics analyst, pharmaceutical scientist, clinical laboratory technologist, and graduate programs in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and MSc and PhD programs.
• Biochemistry (OUQ): offered by the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences; the honours degree has Chemical Biology, Microbiology and Immunology and Synthetic Biology options; the major is 60 units and the minor 39 units; there is also a 5-year, 189-unit dual fast-track degree with a BASc in Chemical Engineering (Biotechnology, OUAC code OSY).
• Biopharmaceutical Science (OUM): also from the Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences; the Honours BSc is 4 years and 120 units, with a shared first two years and a choice in years three and four between Genomics and Medicinal Chemistry; the honours degree is the only degree the page lists.
• Other dual fast-track degree: the Bachelor of Music with an Honours BSc with a major (5 years, 150 units) is listed on the pages for Biology, Biomedical Science, Biochemistry and Biopharmaceutical Science.
• Direct entry to the program: the site says your degree starts with the main discipline you select on your application, and you can then add a second discipline as a major or minor and choose co-op or the French immersion stream. The grade requirements for moving into these programs after you arrive in the Faculty of Science are not stated in the pages read here; ask the Faculty. Entrance tests or interviews are not mentioned in the pages read here.
• Accreditation: the pages read do not state a professional accreditation for these biology-related degrees; this is not published in the pages read here, so ask the department.
• Research: the fourth-year biology course table includes BIO4922; the site also lists an Undergraduate Research Scholarship and a research-opportunities page, which you should check.
• Course examples: Biology lists BIO 1130 Introduction to Organismal Biology, BIO 2133 Genetics, BIO 3170 Molecular Biology and BIO 4158 Applied Biostatistics; Biomedical Science lists ANP 1111 Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology I, PHA 4107 Introductory Pharmacology and MIC 4125 Immunology; Biochemistry lists BCH 3346 Biochemistry Laboratory II and BCH 4122 Structural Biology of Proteins; Biopharmaceutical Science lists BPS 2110 Introduction to Biopharmaceutical Science and BPS 4125 Medicinal Chemistry.
• Medicine, nursing, pharmacy and similar: degrees outside the Faculty of Science, such as those in the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Health Sciences, are outside this guide; see the site.

2. How to apply, timeline and fees (September 2027 entry)

• Route: most direct-entry programs apply through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC); one OUAC application can go to several Ontario universities. Within one week you receive an acknowledgment email from uOttawa with your student number and instructions for the student portal, uoZone; your personalized document checklist is in the “Admission file” tool there, and you upload with uoDoc. Ontario high school transcripts reach uOttawa automatically through OUAC; Quebec CEGEP applicants must enter their 12-digit Quebec permanent code in the OUAC application or it cannot be assessed; other applicants upload their own documents in uoZone.
• When you apply directly to uOttawa: if you studied at the University of Ottawa or Saint Paul University before, are applying for the spring-summer term or a certificate, are reapplying after being required to withdraw, or are applying to a partnership program with an institution outside Canada, you use uOttawa’s own undergraduate admission form with a $104 fee (some programs have none; the page prints no year, so check it applies to 2027 entry). The fee OUAC charges is not stated in the pages read for this guide; check OUAC.
• Opening and deadlines: the deadlines page says applications for fall 2027 opened on September 17, 2026. uOttawa recommends applying before January 15, 2027 and completing all documents by February 15, 2027 (or 30 days after applying); many programs reach capacity and can close at any time. Most programs close to Canadian applicants in June and to international applicants in May (to leave time for study permits). A different page (“How to apply”) says you can apply “as early as mid-October for the following fall term”, which does not match the September 17 date on the deadlines page; follow the latest on the site. The exact deadline for each applicant category and program sits in the prerequisites-and-deadlines tool on the site (shown after you select your education level, education system and program); it was not in the pages read for this guide, so look it up there.
• Which deadlines apply: the site says applicants who are not Canadian citizens and live outside Canada or in Canada on a study permit follow the international deadlines, unless they are in an Ontario high school, in which case the Canadian deadlines apply.
• Other start terms: winter (January 2027): the Faculty of Science deadline for Canadian applicants is October 17, 2026, and the site says Faculty of Science programs are open only to Canadian students; spring-summer: international students are not admissible and no Faculty of Science programs are open. International applicants to the Faculty of Science therefore apply for fall entry.
• Entrance tests and interviews: the Science and admissions pages read do not mention an entrance test or interview; this is not published in the pages read here, so ask InfoAdmission.
• Other documents: if you have studied in Canada for less than three years you may also have to provide a uOttawa-approved language test; documents become the property of the University and are not returned; the University may cancel incomplete applications after the deadline.

3. Prerequisites and first year

• Prerequisite courses: uOttawa keeps program prerequisites, minimum averages and deadlines in a prerequisites tool (shown after you select your education level, education system and program). The results for these programs are not in the pages read for this guide, so look them up there. The Faculty of Science recommended-courses table (section 4) lists biology and chemistry for Biology, Biochemistry, Biopharmaceutical Science and Biomedical Science (for Ontario, Biology 4U and Chemistry 4U). The site says prerequisite courses must be completed in your final year of high school or at the postsecondary level unless indicated otherwise; the equivalency table for Algonquin College and Collège La Cité courses mentions Advanced Functions, Calculus, Biology and Chemistry prerequisites in general but does not say which program needs which.
• Biology first year (the 2026–2027 suggested sequence for the Honours BSc in Biology, a guideline only): fall BIO1109 (required if you have not completed the biology prerequisite; it may be taken together with BIO1131), BIO1131, CHM1311 (CHM1301 if you have not completed the chemistry prerequisite), MAT1330, PHY1321 (PHY1331 if you have not completed the physics prerequisite) and 3 units in English (ENG); winter BIO1141, CHM1321, GEO1111, MAT1332 and BIO1150 (fall or winter). Second year includes BIO2129, BIO2137, CHM2120, STA2392, BCH2333, BIO2133 and BIO2135; third and fourth year are mostly optional courses in biology, biopharmaceutical science and environmental science, with BIO4922 in fourth year. The site notes that BIO1109 is beyond the requirements of the Science programs, and that every Science program needs at least 12 units from the Faculties of Arts, Education, Law, Social Sciences or the Telfer School of Management.
• Biomedical Science: the site says the first two years concentrate on foundations in biology, biochemistry, chemistry and mathematics; the course-by-course sequence was not read for this guide, so check the site’s course-sequence page.
• Make-up courses: the site says students admitted without a recommended course must complete a make-up course (Faculty of Science “Make-up courses”), and mentions summer courses and math and science preparatory workshops; see the site for details.
• AP / IB / A-Level credit: what these can earn in biology, chemistry and mathematics credit is in section 7 (for example AP Biology maps to BIO 1140, A-Level Biology to BIO 1130 and IB Chemistry HL to CHM 1711).

4. Canadian students (citizens and permanent residents)

• Applying and deadlines: Ontario high school students apply through OUAC and their transcripts arrive automatically; CEGEP students enter the 12-digit permanent code; students from other provinces upload their documents in uoZone. Students in an Ontario high school (including international students) follow the Canadian deadlines. Most programs close to Canadian applicants in June; uOttawa recommends applying before January 15, 2027.
• Recommended courses by province (Faculty of Science table, marked “2025 information”; the site says a student admitted without a recommended course must complete a make-up course, and that students who have completed the most science prerequisites, including physics, biology and chemistry, have an increased rate of success): Biology, Biochemistry, Biopharmaceutical Science and Biomedical Science (in the table on the same row as Environmental Science and Environmental Geoscience): Ontario Biology 4U (SBI4U) and Chemistry 4U (SCH4U); Quebec CEGEP Biology 101 (General Biology I) and Chemistry 202 (General Chemistry); Alberta / Northwest Territories / Nunavut Biology 30 and Chemistry 30; Saskatchewan Biology 30 and Chemistry 30; British Columbia / Yukon Biology 12 and Chemistry 12; Manitoba Biology 40S and Chemistry 40S; Newfoundland and Labrador Biology 3201 and Chemistry 3202; New Brunswick Biology 53411 and Chemistry 52411; Nova Scotia Biology 12 and Chemistry 12; Prince Edward Island Biology 621 and Chemistry 621. Biotechnology (the Biochemistry and Chemical Engineering dual degree) adds physics: Ontario Physics 4U (SPH4U), Quebec Physics 203, Alberta / Saskatchewan Physics 30, British Columbia Physics 12 and so on, with the other provinces in the same table.
• The table does not list mathematics courses; the math prerequisites and minimum averages are in the prerequisites tool, whose per-program results were not in the pages read for this guide. Select your education system and program there.
• Tuition: Canadian students pay either “Ontario resident” or “outside Ontario” tuition, and the Ontario government regulates increases. The figures are in program-by-program tables on the site; the pages read show no numbers. The site says tuition for 2026–2027 rises 2% for both Ontario and non-Ontario Canadian students (with different increases for some dual fast-track programs, 6.63%, and Telfer School of Management). Eligible out-of-province students can apply to pay Ontario resident tuition under a billing exemption.
• Scholarships: the uOttawa Admission Scholarship (automatic, 2027–2028) gives $3,000 for an admission average of 95–100%, $2,000 for 90–94.9% and $1,000 for 85–89.9%; mature applicants and university transfers are not eligible. The general rules say admission scholarships require Canadian citizenship, permanent residence or protected-person/refugee status unless otherwise indicated. The Schulich Leader Scholarship (STEM, $100,000 to $120,000) requires Canadian citizenship, a final-year high school or CEGEP student nominated by the school, with a January 27, 2027 deadline. The French Studies Bursary ($4,000) requires at least three courses a term taught in French.

5. International students

• Country pages: the international applicants page has country-specific notes (China included), scholarship information and the contact for the regional recruitment representative; for countries not listed, contact admissions. It also has a table of the qualification required for undergraduate admission by country; for China it lists the Upper Middle School Graduation Certificate or Senior High School Graduation Diploma.
• Deadlines and study permits: most programs close to international applicants in May to leave time for study permit processing; the site urges international students to apply early and complete documents quickly. International students are not admissible in the spring-summer term, and Science winter admission is Canadian students only.
• English requirement: English-language programs need an official score unless you meet all of: at least three years of full-time study, in a country where English is an official language, at an institution where English was the only language of instruction. The exemption list covers places such as Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States and South Africa (mainland China is not on the list). Other exemptions include IB English A with a 4, GCE A or AS Level English (non-ESL) with a B, AP English Language and Composition or Literature and Composition with a 4, SAT writing 31 (paper) or Reading and Writing 550 (digital), and CBSE/CISCE grade 12 English at 75%. If you submit a test it will be considered, and uOttawa may refuse an exemption.
• Scores for direct entry: IELTS Academic overall 6.5 and writing 6.5 (one-skill retake accepted; Academic only); TOEFL iBT taken before January 21, 2026: overall 86, writing 22; the new TOEFL for tests after January 21, 2026: overall 4.5, writing 4.5; Duolingo overall 120, literacy 120; PTE overall 60 and writing 60 (email your scores to uOttawa). Tests must be taken less than two years before the term starts and only the latest scores count.
• Below the direct-entry score: an IELTS overall 6.0 lets you start your program with extra ESL courses; overall 4.5 with writing 5, or overall 5 with writing 4.5, can lead to conditional admission with the English Intensive Program (EIP, 8 to 42 weeks). uOttawa may still require language courses even if you reach the score.
• Proof of funds, credential evaluation: the pages read give no proof-of-funds amount and do not require a third-party credential evaluation; this is not published in the pages read here, so ask InfoAdmission.
• Tuition: international tuition is in a program-by-program table on the site, with no figures in the pages read; look up your program (there are tables for 2025–2026 and 2026–2027). The site says international undergraduate tuition for 2026–2027 is unchanged from 2025–2026; for international students admitted in fall 2022 or later, future increases are limited to 7% a year if you stay full-time and progress normally; international fees are not regulated by the Ontario government; ancillary, incidental and co-op fees are extra.
• Scholarships for international students in English programs (page marked updated August 27, 2026): the site says up to $70,000. The International English Admission Scholarship is automatic: you need a valid study permit, new admission for winter 2026 or later to an English-language undergraduate program in Arts, Engineering, Health Sciences, Science, Social Sciences or the Telfer School of Management, an admission average of at least 80%, no French immersion stream, and full-time enrolment; it pays $7,500 per term, up to 12 instalments ($60,000 over four years), renewable while you stay full-time in those faculties. The International English Academic Excellence Scholarship: 100 awards, an admission average of at least 95%, $10,000 in total ($5,000 per term), not renewable and stackable with the first. Dual citizens of Canada are not eligible; both are only for students paying international fees. The uOttawa Admission Scholarship above requires Canadian citizenship, permanent residence or protected-person status, and the page does not say international students can receive it.

6. Applicants from China

• Qualification and Gaokao: you need, or be in the process of obtaining, the Senior High School Graduation Diploma or Upper Middle School Graduation Certificate. The site states plainly that Huikao and Gaokao results are not considered in admission.
• Average and subjects: high school applicants need a final-year average of at least 75% and at least five subjects passed (including the program prerequisites); requirements may be higher for some programs, minimums do not guarantee admission, and uOttawa may refuse an applicant who meets them. The minimum-average table on the China page (high school applicants) lists, for the Faculty of Science, Biotechnology (Biochemistry and Chemical Engineering) 80%, Physics and Electrical Engineering 80%, Biomedical Science 83% and “all other programs” 78%. Biology, Biochemistry and Biopharmaceutical Science are not listed separately, only the “all other programs” line, so confirm in the prerequisites tool or with admissions which applies. The site notes these are minimums only and may change.
• English: you must submit an English proficiency test (scores above); mainland China is not on the exemption list; for English-language programs you must complete the English prerequisite in your senior year or you will not be considered.
• Documents: after applying and receiving the acknowledgment, upload in uoZone your transcripts for the last three years of secondary school and your English results; if you are still in Senior 3, also the transcript for the first term of that year; if you have graduated, also the diploma.
• International curricula: students in IB, GCE (A-Level) or American curricula are pointed to the prerequisites tool for their education system; its per-program results were not in the pages read here. The French lycée system has its own page.
• Agents and fraud: the site says an agency is not required; if you use one, it recommends choosing from its list of approved partners and keeping access to your own account and application email.
• Interviews and credential agencies: the China page does not mention interviews or required credential-evaluation agencies; this is not published there, so ask admissions. The page lists a recruitment officer’s WeChat contact and an official WeChat account (written as “加拿大渥太华大学教育” in one place and “加拿大渥太华教育” in the search hint, so the two names differ slightly; follow the site).

7. Transfer students and transfer credits

• How you are assessed: if you have completed or attempted college or university studies, your admission average is calculated from those courses, not from high school, even if you apply to an undergraduate program; prerequisites completed in high school do not count in that average, and you must declare all studies you attempted on your OUAC application. The minimums on the China page for applicants with college or university studies are 73% for the Faculty of Science “all other programs” line (Biology, Biochemistry and Biopharmaceutical Science are not listed separately), 78% for Biomedical Science and 75% for Biochemistry and Chemical Engineering (Biotechnology). These are minimums only; the entry averages for transfers from Canadian systems are in the tool, which was not read here.
• Credit rules: credits are called units. Your previous institution must be recognized or accredited; you must complete at least 50% of your courses at uOttawa; credits are assessed only after you apply, accept your offer and, if applicable, pay the admission deposit (no pre-admission evaluation); you normally get a revised offer or a request for course outlines within three weeks of accepting, and have two weeks to send outlines.
• From a university: most Canadian university courses need 60%; Carleton University or Saint Paul University 50%; universities outside Canada a passing grade.
• From a college: an Ontario college diploma of two or three years, or at least four terms of full-time study in a Canadian college diploma program, can earn up to 30 units in the Faculties of Arts, Science and Social Sciences; Quebec CEGEP students with 12 courses can receive up to 15 units, 13 to 16 courses 18 to 27 units, and more than 17 courses up to 30 units.
• Advanced high school courses: high school courses do not normally earn credit, except recognized advanced programs. AP exams with a 4 or higher can earn up to 30 units (Biology maps to BIO 1140, Chemistry to CHM 1311, Physics 1 and 2 to PHY 1321 + PHY 1322, Calculus BC to MAT 1320 / MAT 1330; Calculus AB has no equivalent); IB Higher Level courses with a 5 or higher (Chemistry maps to CHM 1711, Biology to BIO 1XXX for 3 units, Physics to PHY 1121 + PHY 1122, Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL or Applications and Interpretation HL to MAT 1320, MAT 1330 or MAT 1300); GCE A-Level grades of B or higher, up to 18 units (Chemistry maps to CHM 1321, Biology to BIO 1130, Physics to PHY 1121, Mathematics to MAT 1320). AP and IB results are sent automatically by the exam bodies; A-Levels are assessed once official results arrive. The site says Biotechnology (the Biochemistry and Chemical Engineering dual degree) has limited transfer-credit options.
• Changing program inside uOttawa: current students use the “make changes to your undergraduate program” process; the window for winter 2027 is October 1 to November 30, 2026 (not every faculty admits in winter). The grade requirements for moving into a given program are not stated in the pages read here; ask your faculty.

8. Co-op

• The site says co-op alternates study terms with paid work terms and leaves you with about 16 months of experience in your field. Co-op is available in four-year undergraduate programs; workshops are mandatory and you submit a report after each work term. Co-op students also pay co-op fees (announced yearly).
• Biology co-op conditions: be full-time in the Honours BSc in Biology (or the honours with a major in biology) and stay full-time in every term including the one after the last work term; have a cumulative GPA of at least 6 in courses taken at uOttawa; have completed all first-year course requirements and be registered in the mandatory second-year fall and winter courses. Enrolment is limited and admission is by cumulative GPA, highest first; meeting the criteria does not guarantee a place. The site gives two work/study sequences: sequence 1 (the default) has work term 1 in the summer of year 2, terms 2 and 3 in the winter and summer of year 3 and term 4 in the summer of year 4; sequence 2 has terms 1 and 2 in the winter and summer of year 3 and terms 3 and 4 in the fall and summer of year 4.
• Biomedical Science co-op: be full-time in the Honours BSc in Biomedical Science, with a cumulative GPA of at least 6 and all first- and second-year program requirements completed; enrolment is limited and admission is by cumulative GPA; the default sequence starts the first work term in the winter of year 3.
• Biochemistry co-op: be full-time in the Honours BSc in Biochemistry (or honours with a major), with a cumulative GPA of at least 6, all first-year requirements completed and the mandatory second-year courses registered; enrolment is limited and admission is by cumulative GPA; the default sequence starts the first work term in the summer of year 2. The specific co-op conditions for Biopharmaceutical Science were not read; the program page lists co-op as an option, so check the site.
• Reserved placement: when you apply for admission you can also apply for direct admission to co-op (Biomedical Science is excluded); the required admission average is 80% or higher for first-year entrants and 75% or higher for applicants with at least two years of CEGEP. To keep the reserved spot you need a cumulative GPA of at least 8.0 and must meet the co-op program’s requirements until you are formally admitted (September 30 or March 1 of second year, depending on the program), or you compete with regular applicants.
• International students and work permits: the co-op pages read do not say whether international students can obtain a work permit; this is not published in the pages read here, so ask the co-op office.

9. Checklist

Applicants from China:

• Senior high school diploma, transcripts for the last three years (plus the first-term transcript if you are still in Senior 3); Gaokao is not considered
• A final-year average of at least 75% with at least five subjects passed; Biomedical Science 83%, and the Faculty of Science “all other programs” line is 78% (Biology, Biochemistry and Biopharmaceutical Science are not listed separately; confirm with admissions)
• English: IELTS 6.5 (6.5 writing), the new TOEFL 4.5 (4.5 writing) or Duolingo 120 (literacy 120); complete the English prerequisite in your senior year
• Apply through OUAC with the program code (Biology OUR, Biomedical Science OUN, Biochemistry OUQ, Biopharmaceutical Science OUM); uOttawa recommends applying before January 15, 2027 and completing documents by February 15

Canadian students:

• Apply through OUAC; biology plus chemistry are the recommended courses by province (section 4); most programs close to Canadian applicants in June

Transfer students:

• Your admission average is calculated from your college or university courses; transfer credits are assessed after you apply and accept an offer; the window for changing program inside uOttawa for winter 2027 is October 1 to November 30, 2026, but Science winter admission is for Canadian students only

Sources: University of Ottawa, Faculty of Science: Biology; Suggested course sequences: Biology; Faculty of Science: Biomedical Science; Faculty of Science: Biochemistry; Faculty of Science: Biopharmaceutical Science; Faculty of Science: undergraduate programs and recommended courses; Faculty of Science: programs at a glance; Co-op overview; Biology co-op; Biomedical Science co-op; Biochemistry co-op; How to apply; Application deadlines; Program prerequisites; International applicants; China applicants page; Language requirements; Transfer credits; Make changes to your undergraduate program; Admission scholarships; Scholarships for international students in English; International tuition; Tuition for Canadians in Ontario; Tuition for Canadians outside Ontario. This describes September 2027 entry to English-language programs; the latest information on the uOttawa website prevails.