Ottawa Biotechnology (Biochemistry and Chemical Engineering) (5-year double degree) (French Immersion Stream is available)

University of Ottawa

The published admission average for Biotechnology (Biochemistry and Chemical Engineering) (5-year double degree) (French Immersion Stream is available) at University of Ottawa is 80% for September 2027 entry, under OUAC code OSY.

You study how chemicals and biological systems work together to solve real-world problems, learning biochemistry and chemical engineering side by side over five years. This dual degree goes deeper than choosing one field: you gain skills in both the science of living systems and the design of industrial processes. It suits people who want flexibility to work in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, or chemical manufacturing, and who value alternating study terms with paid work placements through co-op.

Plain-English summary. The universities publish requirements but not an explanation of the program, so this one is written for you and checked against the official listing above. Read the university’s own page before you decide.

Admission average

80%

OUAC code

OSY

First-year spaces

University of Ottawa publishes this as “80%”

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Co-op available

What’s the Ottawa Biotechnology (Biochemistry and Chemical Engineering) (5-year double degree) (French Immersion Stream is available) acceptance rate?

University of Ottawa doesn't publish an acceptance rate for Biotechnology (Biochemistry and Chemical Engineering) (5-year double degree) (French Immersion Stream is available), and no Ontario university publishes one for any program. What it publishes is the admission average: 80% for September 2027 entry. Ottawa acceptance rate, program by program

Admission requirements

Required: MCV4U, MHF4U
Choose one of: ENG4U, FRA4U
Choose two of: SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U

Ottawa’s own wording

ENG4U or FRA4U
MHF4U
MCV4U
2 of SBI4U, SCH4U, SPH4U, SES4U
A combined minimum average of 70% is required for all prerequisites in science and mathematics.
If you are missing MCV4U, you may take the equivalent course at the University of Ottawa the summer before or during your first term.
Visit the Faculty of Science website
for recommended courses.
Meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
See Ontario high school course codes.

How many other programs require these outright:

Degrees

Bachelor of Science (Co-op), BSc (Co-op) · Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Applied Science, BSc/BASc

What it costs

First-year tuition at Ottawa is $6,209.92 for an Ontario student in arts in 2026–27. Ottawa tuition, program by program

Source: University of Ottawa on Ontario Universities’ Info. Grade ranges change year to year and are not guarantees — confirm with the university before you apply.

What this leads to

The picture for biotechnology as of 2026-08-17, not a description of this particular program.

Biotechnology graduates work as research associates, laboratory technicians, quality assurance analysts, or assay developers in pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and biotech companies. Some move into manufacturing roles, technical sales, or research support in academic institutions.

In its favour

Growing sector: Canada projects 65,000 new biotech jobs by 2029, with the industry already employing over 200,000 people.
Skill flexibility: Your degree works in healthcare, agriculture, environmental sustainability, and diagnostics—not locked to one path.
Salary growth: Entry-level is modest but experienced specialists earn CAD 120,000+, especially in research hubs and pharma.
Hands-on science: You spend time in actual labs doing real work with biological systems, not sitting at a desk.

Worth knowing

Four years for work that many employers will hire for with a two-year college diploma—longer education than the job market actually requires.
Routine bench work is being automated now: sample prep, liquid handling, data analysis are already being done by robotic systems and AI. Entry-level technician tasks are what's most exposed.
Modest starting pay: Entry-level roles start around CAD 43,000, and the average salary range only reaches CAD 55,000–82,000 before you move into management or specialized research.
You'll likely need specialized experience or a graduate degree (Master's or PhD) to move beyond entry-level technician work into actual research scientist roles.

How AI is changing this work

Traditional manual benchwork is being augmented or replaced by robotic systems and cloud-based platforms, and this is happening right now in 2026, not as a future threat. AI-enabled robots are being deployed to streamline sample prep and analysis while freeing scientists to carry out higher-value work. By the time you graduate in 2031, the routine tasks you'd do as an entry-level technician—pipetting, sample preparation, running basic assays—will likely be more automated. The field won't disappear, but the jobs waiting for new graduates will demand either (1) advanced skills in AI, data analysis, and lab informatics, or (2) a willingness to move quickly out of bench work into project management, quality assurance, or graduate-level research. The demand for biotech talent is real, but the shape of that work is shifting away from hands-on bench tasks.

Where this came from (6 sources)

Deadline reminders

Application dates move, and supplementary deadlines land before the January OUAC one. We’ll email you before the ones that apply to Biotechnology (Biochemistry and Chemical Engineering) (5-year double degree) (French Immersion Stream is available).

We send your email address and the programs you’ve starred, so the reminders are the right ones. Your marks and your average are never sent — they stay in this browser. Deadline emails only, a week before and the day before each date, and every one has a link to stop them.

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