Double degree in Multilingual Communication (uOttawa - UCLouvain)

Selection procedure

Given the limited number of places available (maximum 5 per year), please submit an application if you wish to participate in the dual degree programme in Multilingual Communication/ Communication organized in collaboration with the University of Ottawa.

Conditions for admission

You may submit an application if:

1. You have followed (or are about to complete) an undergraduate university course (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent foreign degree) which gives you access to the Master’s programme in Multilingual Communication (see also general admission conditions for this programme);  
2. You choose English and French as major languages; 
3. During your programme, you have acquired a minimum level of B2 in English and French (receptive and productive communication skills); 
4. In your previous academic programme, you have obtained an average of 14/20 or equivalent for international students.

The dossier, written in English or French, must include :

• a cover letter ;
• an up-to-date curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages) with a recent photo in passport format ;
• a copy of your previous university degree(s) or a certificate proving your enrolment at the end of the programme (with the current year’s programme);
• the transcripts of each year of study (including the current exam session(s)) ;
• proof of knowledge of English and French (level B2). 
  • Accepted as proof for English: international test certificate
  • Accepted as evidence for French: international test certificate

Note
If you are (or have been) studying at a French-speaking university or studying French as part of an undergraduate program that includes French as a major language (for example, French language and literature, communication, etc.), you may be exempt from proof of knowledge of French.

If you are (or have been) studying at an English-speaking university or studying English as part of an undergraduate program that includes English as a major language (for example, English language and literature), you may be exempt from proof of knowledge of English.

Deadlines and conditions for submission (2025-2026 academic year)

You must send your application in electronic format (one PDF document) for the attention of professor Sylvie De Cock, academic coordinator of the programme.  The deadline for submission of applications is March 31, 2025.  Applications will be reviewed by a joint selection panel.

Note : All international applicants must apply for admission to UCLouvain via the online form, in parallel with the selection procedure for the double degree.

Please note the deadlines for submitting applications to the registration service: see the UCLouvain registration calendar. 

Students admitted to the dual degree programme at UCLouvain complete the first year programme at UCLouvain (including a distance learning course provided by uOttawa) and the second year programme at uOttawa.

First year program at UCLouvain

Second year programme at uOttawa

Work placement

An internship of  minimum 3 months (468h or 12 weeks full time) is an integral part of the training. This internship allows you to gain significant work experience in a wide range of companies and organizations in an international context.

Thanks to this professional immersion, you will discover first hand the business world and develop knowledge and skills related to the functioning of communication within an organization.

Students enrolled at UCLouvain complete their internship in Canada during the second year of the master’s degree (winter session) at uOttawa.

You will receive help from the relevant office at uOttawa to find an internship in Canada, particularly in the capital, where many political, economic, media, national and international cultural and diplomatic bodies are based.

As a general rule, the internship is not paid in Belgium, but other options are available for internships in Canada.

The work placement is credited in the UCLouvain programme in accordance with UCLouvain procedures and course description (internship report and oral defence).

Dissertation

The MA dissertation is a joint UCLouvain-uOttowa assignment and is written under the supervision of a supervisor and co-supervisor, mainly during the second year of the programme. Reflection on the subject of the dissertation must begin in the first year in consultation with the programme managers. There are several steps as you will see in the following guidelines :

1. In the first semester (fall session) of the first year of the Master, all students of the dual-degree take a course in Research Methodology given by a professor at uOttawa. Students at UCLouvain will follow the course remotely.
2. All students are enrolled in the dissertation seminar (LMULT2997) at UCLouvain and the “Research proposal” course (CMN6990) at uOttawa.

3. During the first year, students choose their supervisors and the subject of their dissertation.  

   The dissertation is written in either English or French.

Registration and registration fees at UClouvain

During the master’s degree, students from UCLouvain selected for the DD-MULT programme are enrolled at UCLouvain where they pay full registration and tuition fees until graduation.

Registration and registration fees at uOttawa

Beginning with the first year of the masters programme, UCLouvain students must pay a registration fee at uOttawa. The fee for submitting the admission file is $100 CAD.

During the mobility period at uOttawa (second year), UCLouvain students pay all incidental and administrative expenses related to their student status. For reference, the administrative fees for 2023-2024 were $657.41 for fall 2023, $657.41 for winter 2023 and $651.55 for spring-summer 2024 (see here).

UCLouvain students are required to pay for Ontario health insurance (hospitalization, medical appointments) i.e. UHIP.  For reference, the costs for 2023 were $252 per quarter.   The "U-Pass" (city bus) is also mandatory, about $600 for 8 months (see here).

Upon completion of the double degree programme, the student is awarded a degree from each of the partner institutions:

• the Master’s degree [120] in Multilingual Communication from UCLouvain
• the Master of Arts degree in Communication from uOttawa

UCLouvain students admitted to the DD-MULT programme are eligible for an exchange grant. For more information on scholarships, contact the International Relations Department of the Faculty.

In order to obtain the permit required to study in Canada (visa), applicants will also be required to prove that they are able to meet the eligibility requirements (including proof of financial resources) described here:

• Eligibility
• Study permit