Faculty of Science

About the Faculty

Although the University of Ottawa has celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1998, a faculty of pure and applied science was only established in 1953. Subsequently, the name was changed to the Faculty of Science and Engineering and, in 1986, to the Faculty of Science.

Today, the Faculty consists of more than 140 professors and 99 full-time support staff. The Faculty offers undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 2 900 students in five departments: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics. It also oversees the undergraduate program in Biochemistry. Most programs offer the Co-op option.

The Science campus consists of several buildings housing state-of-the-art equipment. Our laboratories are second to none. The new world-class biosciences complex is just one example of the state-of-the art facilities that offer our students additional opportunities to become the leaders of tomorrow. Add to this the new Earth Sciences microscopy laboratory, the chemistry lab that can accommodate up to 198 students at once and the physics labs, and you have the make up of a very special science campus.

Over the years, the Faculty of Science has become a true centre of excellence, earning recognition across Canada and abroad for its prowess in the classrooms and the laboratories. Researchers within the Faculty are pursuing some of the most significant and relevant scientific matters of our day. It comprises several areas of strategic significance such as molecular biology, genetics, biopharmaceutical sciences, environmental genomics, catalysis, nanotechnology, applied modern mathematics and statistics.

Our past is a testimonial to our passion, so will be our future.

Faculty of Science Quick Facts

The University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Science has emerged as a national leader, positioning itself firmly within the global context of modern science. With the highest registration growth rate of any faculty on campus, we are responding to the explosive demands of the life sciences sector. The Faculty offers the following undergraduate and graduate academic programs:

  • General science
  • Biochemistry and biotechnology
  • Biology
  • Biomedical Science
  • Biopharmaceutical Science
  • Chemistry
  • Environmental Science
  • Geology
  • Mathemathics and Statistics
  • Ophthalmic Medical Technology
  • Physical Geography
  • Physics
  • Science and Teaching (offered in French only)

Enrollment in Fall 2012

  • 3,695 undergraduate students
  • 521 graduate students

Research Centres and Institutes 

The Faculty is involved with a number of multi-disciplinary centres and institutes:

  • Centre for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics (CAREG)
  • Centre for Catalysis Research and Innovation (CCRI)
  • Centre for Neural Dynamics
  • Centre for Research in Bio-pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology (CRBB)
  • Centre for Research in Photonics
  • Institute of the Environment
  • Institute of Population Health
  • Mass Spectrometry Centre

Facilities

  • G.G. Hatch Stable Isotope Laboratory
  • High Performance Computing Virtual Laboratory
  • Laboratory for the Analysis of Natural and Commercial Environmental Toxins
  • NMR Lab (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance)
  • Joint Laboratory for Attoscience (JASLab)

Did you know…

  • The Biosciences Complex is the most advanced research and learning facility of its kind in Canada. Nestled in the heart of the campus, the new $60 million, 190,000 square foot Biosciences Complex is home to the Centre for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics (CAREG) and the Centre for Catalysis Research and Innovation (CCRI).  It began its three-stage construction in July 2002 and was completed in 2005.  The complex integrates three buildings, holds state-of-the-art equipment and the laboratory facilities and has received provincial and federal awards for energy efficiency.
  • The Faculty of Science boasts 13 Canada Research Chairs, six uOttawa Research Chairs.
  • The NMR Lab facility consists of seven spectroscopy instruments, including one solely dedicated to undergraduate studies.
  • The Faculty of Science has earned 25 Premier Research Excellence Awards (PREA/ERA) and two Premier’s Platinum/Discovery Medals for Research Excellence.
  • Paul Corkum was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honours a scientist can receive (2009).
  • Canada’s first Biopharmaceutical Science program was offered at the University of Ottawa.
  • The Biomedical Science program boasts the highest admission numbers on campus.
  • The Faculty of Science received grants from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation in 2009, valued at $12.7 million dollars.  These grants, matched by the Government of Ontario, fund two projects: Canadian Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility, Ian Clark, Department of Earth Science; and Sub-wavelength Science Research, Paul Corkum, Department of Physics.