Admission Requirements
Communication (bilingual), PhD
Degree Offered:
PhD
Available Options for Program
Student status
| Full-Time: |
Yes |
| Part-Time: |
No |
Language
Minimum Requirements
Master’s degree with thesis (or equivalent) in Communication, or in a related discipline
Have obtained a minimum average of 75% (B+)
Applicants must demonstrate functional proficiency in both French and English. Given the bilingual nature of the program, applicants must be able to read, understand, communicate and actively participate in academic activities in both official languages. The Admissions Committee reserves the right to interview candidates and/or require a language assessment in order to verify that applicants possess functional proficiency in both English and French. The outcome of which will determine whether the applicant must take a course in French or English (e.g. FLS 2513/ESL 2113) to enhance their competence.
Average time to completion
16 terms
Area(s) of specialization
- Media Studies
- Organizational Communication
Your complete admission package must include
| Application Fee: | CA$125.00 (non-refundable) |
| Recommendation letter(s): | 2
It is highly recommended that you contact your referee prior to submitting your application to confirm their email address and their availability to complete your letter of recommendation. |
| Transcript(s): | 1
You must upload copies of all transcripts from universities you have attended by using the uoDoc application. Transcripts must cover all courses and programs at any university you have attended, including regular programs (whether completed or not), exchanges, letters of permission, online or correspondence courses, courses taken as a non-degree student or visiting students, etc. If your transcript and degree certificate are not in English or French, you must submit a copy of a certified translation.
Once you've received your offer of admission, if the offer contains any conditions for submitting official documents, you will need to upload them to uoDoc. Some exceptions apply.
Previous or current Ottawa students do not need to submit a transcript of their studies at the University of Ottawa. Professional programs in rehabilitation require all transcripts, including those from uOttawa. |
Language requirements (if applicable)
Language proficiency test scores equivalencies: | French Program: DALF C1, C2/ TCF B2 (note globale)/TEF B2 (Note globale) (Internet-based)
English Program: TOEFL 107/New TOEFL 5.5 / IELTS Overall 7.0 - Individual 7.0 (Internet-based)
A minimum TOEFL score of 625 (5 in the written); a minimum score of 107 (24 in the written) in the IBT (Internet Based TOEFL).
A minimum IELTS score of 7 (International English Language Testing System).
An average score of 5 in listening/reading and a writing score of 4.5 in the CanTEST (for English) or TESTCan (for French), administered by the University of Ottawa.
A minimum DALF (Diplôme approfondie de langue française) score C2. |
| Required document(s): |
- Resume (must include chronological academic history)
- Letter of intent (click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page to the “Guidelines to write the letter of intent”)
- Telephone interview may be required (see information at bottom of the page)
- Approval of Supervisor: Before your admission can be finalized, you must communicate with a professor who would accept to act as your thesis supervisor. He or she guides you throughout your research and the writing of your thesis. We strongly recommend that you communicate with a thesis supervisor before submitting your application. A written confirmation by the professor must be included in your application.
|
Language Requirements
Program-Specific English Requirements
Language Requirements
This program is bilingual: students must take courses in English and courses in French. The program's structure is such that 50% of courses are offered in English and 50% in French.
Applicants must demonstrate functional proficiency in both French and English. Given the bilingual nature of the program, applicants must be able to read, understand, communicate and actively participate in academic activities in both official languages. To demonstrate his/her active knowledge whether of French or English, the applicant must provide evidence that he/she has studied for at least three years (full-time) in a school, college or university in Canada or elsewhere, where the language of instruction is exclusively English or French; that his/her mother tongue is English or French; that he/she has at least one full year of professional work experience in English or in French. Candidates who are unable to provide satisfactory evidence of their proficiency in English and/or in French must complete one of the following language tests and obtain the specified minimum grade :
- A minimum TOEFL score of 625 (5 in the written); a minimum score of 107 (24 in the written) in the IBT (Internet Based TOEFL).
- A minimum IELTS score of 7 (International English Language Testing System).
- An average score of 5 in listening/reading and a writing score of 4.5 in the CanTEST (for English) or TESTCan (for French), administered by the University of Ottawa.
- A minimum DALF (Diplôme approfondie de langue française) score C2.
The Admissions Committee reserves the right to interview candidates and/or require a language assessment in order to verify that applicants possess functional proficiency in both English and French. The outcome of which will determine whether the applicant must take a course in French or English (e.g. FLS 2513/ESL 2113) to enhance their competence.
Transfer from Master’s to PhD
Students enrolled in the MA program in Communication at the University of Ottawa have the opportunity to go directly to the PhD program without having to write the thesis provided the following conditions are met:
- Have an average of A- in the last two years of undergraduate studies;
- Have successfully completed four courses of the MA program (12 units) with an average of at least A-;
- Have shown satisfactory progress in their research;
- Have a letter of recommendation from the proposed doctoral thesis supervisor;
- Have the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department of Communication.
The student must make a written request to transfer to the PhD program no later than the beginning of the fourth term of enrolment and must enrol in the doctoral program in the fifth term at the latest. Once the transition is made, all the requirements of the doctoral program must be met. The total number of course units required is 27 (12 at the master’s level, plus 15 at the doctoral level).
General Graduate English Requirements
English proficiency test chart
| Test | Minimum Required Score |
|---|
| TOEFL iBT Internet-based/Home Edition/Paper (for tests taken before January 21, 2026)* | 84 (overall); 24 (writing); no partial score below 20 |
| TOEFL iBT Internet-based / Home Edition/ Paper (for tests taken after January 21, 2026)* | 4.5 or 86 (overall); 4.5 or 21 (writing); 4.5 or 22 (reading); 4.5 or 20 (listening); 4 or 20 (speaking) |
| IELTS Academic/ IELTS Academic One Skill Retake | 6.5 (overall); 6.5 (writing); no partial score below 6 |
| Cambridge English Proficiency Tests (B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency) | 170 (overall); no partial score below 160 |
| PTE (Pearson Test of English) | 60 (overall); no partial score below 59 |
| CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language Test) | 70 (overall); no partial score below 60 |
* Effective January 21, 2026, TOEFL is changing its grading system to a 1-6 band scale instead of a 1-120 band scale. Score reports will include results on both scales for the next two years.
The University of Ottawa accepts TOEFL MyBest®scores for the TOEFL iBT test.
French proficiency test chart
| Test | Minimum Required Score |
|---|
| DALF (Diplôme approfondi de langue française) | C1/C2 |
| TCF (Test de connaissance du français) | B2 (overall); no partial score below B2 |
| TEF Canada (Test d’évaluation de français) | B2 (overall); no partial score below B2 |
Where the program-specific and general graduate requirements above differ, whichever score is higher (stricter) applies.
DISCLAIMER: The information above is subject to change. For the latest updates, please contact LOA Portal's advisors. The listed minimum requirements are a guideline and do not guarantee admission. Do not worry, we will notify you of any changes during the application process.
