OUAC: What is Ontario Universities’ Application Centre?

OUAC: For those applying to Ontario universities, the Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC) provides a centralised application service. It is a one-stop system that receives, examines, and transmits applications to the colleges that candidates choose. In this article, we will cover all the information about OUAC.

It is vital for students to know that the universities themselves are in charge of making admissions choices, not the OUAC. The processing of undergraduate applications, as well as those for law school, medical school, etc., is one of the many services offered by the OUAC. Let us now delve deeper into the details of OUAC.

What is OUAC?

Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC) is a not-for-profit organization that receives and processes online applications for admission to Canadian universities in Ontario. Applications to the following programmes come under the ambit of OUAC Ontario:

• Undergraduate
• Law
• Medical
• Rehabilitation Sciences
• Teacher Education

As per the official website, OUAC received more than 857,000 applications from more than 201,000 applicants for the 2022 application cycle. Ontario Universities’ Electronic Transcript System (OUETS) processed almost 3.8 million transcripts between November 1996 and December 2022.

Let us now look at each of the programmes and their application process.

1) OUAC Undergraduate Applications

When it comes to the OUAC Undergraduate Applications, you must apply through OUAC if plan to pursue an undergraduate degree at the universities in Ontario. However, you must not use the Undergraduate Application if:

• The programme you wish to apply to is a 4-semester consecutive BEd programme. In such a scenario, you need to use the TEAS Application.
• You wish to apply to Common Law programmes. In such a scenario, you must use the OLSAS Application.
• If a university wants you to re-apply directly (if you were registered there earlier)

OUAC Universities for Undergraduate Applications

Let us look at the OUAC universities for undergraduate universities. The table given below provides the OUAC universities list:

OUAC Universities for Undergraduate Applications
Algoma University	Brock University	Carleton University
Université de Hearst	University of Guelph-Humber	University of Guelph
Lakehead University	Laurentian University	McMaster University
Nipissing University	OCAD University	Université de l’Ontario français
Ontario Tech University	University of Ottawa	Saint Paul University
Queen’s University	University of Toronto	Toronto Metropolitan University
Trent University	University of Waterloo	Western University
Huron University College	King’s University College	Wilfrid Laurier University
University of Windsor	York University	Glendon Campus, York University

OUAC Undergraduate Applications: How to Apply?

If applying through OUAC for an undergraduate programme in a university in Canada (Ontario), you need to follow these steps:

• Research: Students must visit the official websites of the universities; and go through the course offerings, placement opportunities, etc.
• Create your OUAC account: You need to create your account on the official OUAC website by entering your information such as name, age, email, etc.
• Complete your application: You need to complete your OUAC undergraduate application by logging in and entering the following details:
  • Personal details
  • Citizenship and language
  • Background
  • University you wish to study at
  • Courses you wish to pursue
  • Documents
  • Fee payment
• You will receive an OUAC Reference Number
• If you want, you may edit your application as well
• Admission acceptance: You need to log in to see the offers you have received and then accept them if they meet your requirements
• Deadlines: Every university has different deadlines, and they may rely on the programme. For information on deadlines, check out the websites of the colleges or get in touch with them directly.

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2) OLSAS Law Applications

Application to Law schools in Canada (Ontario) is made through the Ontario Law School Application Service (OLSAS). Here are the essential details of the OLSAS.

OLSAS Law Schools

The following law schools consider applications through OLSAS:

OLSAS Law Schools
Lakehead University (Bora Laskin Faculty of Law)	Toronto Metropolitan University (Lincoln Alexander School of Law)
York University (Osgoode Hall Law School)	University of Ottawa
University of Toronto	Queen’s University
Western University	University of Windsor

OLSAS Law Applications: How to Apply

The following points will provide an overview of the OLSAS application procedure:

• Research: Research the universities you wish to apply to. Go through their admission requirements, employment opportunities, career support services, etc.
• Collect your documents and apply: Collect all the documents such as letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, etc. as mentioned on the university websites.
• Deadlines: Here are the deadlines for 1st year English programmes:
  • November 1, 2023: Applications + receiving academic transcripts and references by OLSAS
  • February 1, 2024: For those who complete courses in December 2023
  • June 30, 2024: For final transcripts
  • July 1, 2024: For provisional acceptances to become firm acceptances

3) OMSAS Medical Applications

Ontario Medical School Application Service (OMSAS) is a centralized application service for 6 medical schools in Ontario. Let us look at the important points related to OMSAS.

OMSAS Medical Schools

The following medical schools in Ontario accept applications through OMSAS:

OMSAS Medical Applications
McMaster University (Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine)	University of Ottawa	NOSM University
Queen’s University	University of Toronto	Western University (Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry)

The following points provide an overview of the OMSAS medical applications:

• MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)
• Academic requirements: Minimum academic requirements vary on the basis of different universities. It is advised that students visit the official website for exact academic requirements.
• Documents: Students are expected to submit reference letters, academic transcripts, etc.

4) ORPAS for Rehabilitation Sciences Programs

Ontario Rehabilitation Sciences Programs Application Service (ORPAS) provides application services for rehabilitation sciences programs. ORPAS details are provided below.

ORPAS Rehabilitation Sciences Universities

The table given below provides 6 Canadian universities that offer rehabilitation sciences programs:

ORPAS Rehabilitation Sciences Universities
Laurentian University	McMaster University	University of Ottawa
University of Toronto	Western University	Queen’s University

ORPAS for Rehabilitation Sciences Programs: How to Apply

Students can apply to the following programmes through ORPAS:

• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy / Physiotherapy
• Audiology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Here are the application details:

• Academic requirements: Academic requirements vary on the basis of different universities and courses. Most universities require a 3-4 year bachelor’s degree. Some courses might require certain prerequisite subjects such as Statistics, Biology, etc.
• Application documents: Academic transcripts, references, etc. are some of the documents that are required.
• English language tests: Students are required to submit IELTS or TOEFL scores as proof of their English language proficiency.

TEAS for Teacher Ed Programmes

TEAS (Teacher Education Application Service) provides application services for teacher education programmes offered at universities in Ontario.

TEAS Universities

The following universities in Ontario require application through TEAS:

TEAS Universities
Brock University	Lakehead University	Université Laurentienne (French programmes only)
Nipissing University	Université de l’Ontario français (French programmes only)	Ontario Tech University
University of Ottawa	Queen’s University	Trent University
Western University	Wilfrid Laurier University	University of Windsor
York University	-	-

TEAS for Teacher Ed Programmes: How to Apply

The following points provide details of the application procedure for Teacher Ed programs through TEAS:

• Research: Research the universities, admission requirements, curriculum, etc.
• Apply: Apply by providing the relevant documents.
• Deadlines: The following points will provide clarity on the deadlines:
  • December 1, 2023: Deadline for applications
  • February 1, 2024: Deadline for acceptance of an offer
  • March 1, 2024: Release of all 1st round offers

OUAC Application Fee

The table given below provides the OUAC application fee for different courses:

Course	Application Fees
Undergraduate	Base Application Fee: CAD 156 Additional Choice: CAD 50 (per choice) International Service Fee: CAD 10 Supplemental Program Fees: University-specific Supplemental Document Evaluation Fee: University-specific
OLSAS Fees	OLSAS Fee: CAD 200 University Fee: CAD 115
OMSAS Fees	OMSAS Fee: CAD 220 University Fee: University-specific
ORPAS Fees	Application Service Fee: CAD 190 University Fees: CAD 100 (per program except in the case of the University of Toronto, which charges CAD 100 irrespective of the number of programmes you apply for)
TEAS Fees	TEAS Fee: CAD 159 Additional Choices Fees: CAD 51 per choice Supplementary Fees: University-specific Additional University Fees: University-specific

It is advised that students check the admission requirements for individual universities and courses by visiting their official website. For help with university applications, students seeking to study abroad can contact our Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors. The comments section below allows candidates to contact us as well.

Also, Read:

Student Guide to Canada	Scholarships for Studying in Canada
Canada Student Visa Guide	PGWP Canada