FACT SHEET – UQAM 2025/26
Exchange Programs
UQAM Bilateral Agreements, NSE, North2North
| CONTACTS – INCOMING MOBILITY | |
| Mélanie Gaudreault, incoming mobility advisor | |
| Mobility team | |
| International relations office | |
| ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2025-2026 | |
| Fall semester | September 2 to December 17, 2025 |
| Winter semester | January 8 to May 3, 2026 |
| PROGRAMS AND COURSES | |
| Programs available for exchange students | Students must choose a program of studies according to the agreement between UQAM and their home institution. Some programs only accept admissions at the Fall semester. Some programs cannot accept exchange students. Please verify these informations with the exchange program coordinator at your university before applying. |
| Course Selection Credits and workload per semester | Students must fill the Course Selection Form required with the application file. Students must select their courses from only one program of studies and from only one level (Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate’s). Students will not be allowed to take courses in different study programmes. However, it is possible to choose one language course. Information about the programs of studies is available on the Registrar’s Office website. You will find the list of courses offered for the chosen study program under the Cours à suivre et horaires tab on the web page dedicated to the study program in question. A definitive admission to an exchange program does not guarantee access to the courses chosen by the student. Some courses may require the successful completion of prerequisite courses, may not be offered during your stay or may be full. You may have to choose other courses before or upon your arrival at UQAM. All courses identified as ateliers (workshop), stages (interships), or séminaires d’intégration (integration seminar) are not available for exchange students. The majority of courses offered at UQAM are worth 3 credits. A 3-credit course corresponds to 45 class hours over 15 weeks at a rate of 3 hours per week. Double the hours for study and personal work. All exchange students must be enrolled in a full-time course load. The number of credits (per semester) required to be considered a full-time student: – Undergraduate (Bachelor’s degree or Certificate): 12 to 15 credits (4 or 5 three-credit courses) – Graduate levels (Master’s degree, DESS, PhD): 6 to 9 credits (2 or 3 three-credit courses) |
| Undergraduate programs eligibility | Students must have completed the equivalent of at least one year of full-time study in the program in which they are registered at their home university. |
| Graduate programs eligibility | Students must have completed their Bachelor’s degree at the time of their participation in the exchange program. Some Master’s programs require successful completion of 16 years of education before participating in the exchange program at UQAM, that is to say that some candidates will need to have completed one year of their Master’s program prior to the exchange program. |
| LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS | |
| Language of instruction | All courses at UQAM are given in French (except at the School of languages). Students must be fluent in both spoken and written French and be able to demonstrate it when submitting their application. |
| Language Requirements | The minimum level accepted is Intermediate / Advanced or equivalent to B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Test results from the following organizations are accepted: – UQAM’s Language School online placement test (CA$95 fee applies). – TFI (test de français international) – TCF (test de connaissance du français) – DELF (Diplôme d’études en langue française) – DALF (Diplôme approfondi de langue française) – Language School or French Department at the home university (letter dated and signed by a competent person, on the establishment’s letterhead and certifying level B2) Test results must be dated no more than two years. IMPORTANT: If a student cannot provide any of the above, one will have to do the French test offered online at UQAM. Fees of $95 CAD will apply. |
| ONLINE APPLICATION | |
| HOW TO APPLY | |
| Nominations | Students must be nominated by their home university to apply. Useful information is sent directly to the exchange program coordinators at partner universities around February for the Fall semester and around June for the Winter semester. |
| Application Deadline | April 1 (Fall semester or Fall-Winter semesters) September 15 (Winter semester only) |
| Online application (step by step) | Students must first have been nominated by their home university to have access to the form. 1. After nomination, students will receive an email with appropriate instructions and access to the MoveON platform to fill the form and submit their application file. 2. Students must create a virtual account on the MoveON platform before accessing the form. 3. Students must gather all required documents in PDF format. 4. Students must submit the complete application online (all required documents) before deadline. 5. No file sent by email and/or sent after deadline will be accepted. Any incomplete or non-compliant file will cause delays in processing the request. |
| Application file | – MoveON Application form (to be completed online); – Cover letter in French describing the objectives pursued by participating in the exchange program on an academic, professional and personal level (in English only if you are applying to an English learning program); – One (1) letter of recommendation from a teacher at the home institution; – Official (certified) transcripts, with the university logo on the header, seal AND signature at the bottom, for each year of university studies completed or in progress (including undergraduate results if you are in a Master’s program), even if they are not final grades; – List of courses followed during the year preceding the exchange (including the first and current semesters); – Provisional list of selected courses signed by the persons in charge of your studies and exchange program; – Proof of language proficiency, dated no more than 2 years ago, if the language of instruction of the home university is other than French; – Photocopy of the birth certificate (or family record book or civil status card) on which appears the full names of the student and both her/his parents (mother and father) – if the original document is in a language other than French or English, you must provide an official translation, in addition to the original; – Photocopy of passport identification page (if available); – Resume; – Portfolio for programmes: Visual and media arts, Graphic design, Environmental design and Dramatic art (scenography). |
| Official Answer | Fall semester: The UQAM Registrar’s Office will send an official answer (acceptance or rejection) directly to the student by email as of June 1. Winter semester: Answers will be sent after November 1. |
| GETTING READY | |
| The International Student Support website is filled with practical information that will help students prepare their stay in Quebec and at UQAM (in French only.) | |
| Immigration | Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) and Study permit If the duration of the studies is longer than 6 months, students must obtain the following documents before arrival in Québec: □ Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) for studies issued by the Quebec government □ Study Permit issued by the government of Canada (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) **No student will be allowed to pursue the exchange more than one semester if one did not have the CAQ and the Study permit prior to the exchange. Visitor Visa Beware that candidates from certain countries must obtain a visa to stay in Canada even for a stay of less than 6 months. The list of those countries can be found on the Citizenship and Immigration website. Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) Click here to find out if you need the eTA. |
| Mandatory Health Insurance | The law governing Quebec health insurance requires that foreign students be in possession of valid health insurance for Quebec. Consequently, UQAM charges all international students mandatory insurance fees of approximately 356$ CAD per semester. These fees are subject to change without notice. No insurance obtained in your country of origin will exempt you from UQAM’s fees for medical coverage. |
| Reciprocal agreements for social security (Health Insurance) | If your country of citizenship has signed a reciprocal social security agreement with Quebec, you could be covered by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) and thus be exempt from UQAM’s mandatory health insurance fees. The countries that have such an agreement are Belgium, Greece, Finland, France, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Sweden. To find out more, please consult our website and the RAMQ (Quebec health insurance board) website. |
| Internships and research supervision | IMPORTANT – Work and off-campus internships are not available for exchange students. Moreover, all research supervision must be assumed by the student’s home university. Exchange students are not authorised to register for internship courses at UQAM. UQAM will not be responsible for students who intend to do an internship while on exchange. If you plan to do an internship at the same time as your studies at UQAM, you must obtain a work permit in addition to the study permit. If you cannot obtain a work permit, it will be impossible for you to complete an internship in Quebec in addition to your participation in the exchange program. |
| ACCOMODATION | |
| University residences | UQAM offers University Residences for its students, but places are very limited and only available for one-year leases. |
| Apartments / rooms to rent | The Services à la vie étudiante offers students a list of apartments and rooms for rent. |
| Temporary accommodation | If you haven’t found a permanent place before arriving in Montreal, you may consult their list of short term accommodation for temporary lodging until you find a place for the whole duration of your studies. |
| AFTER THE EXCHANGE | |
| Transcripts | Transcripts are sent directly to students from the Registrar’s Office, two months after the end of the semester, at their personal postal address. Students who study at UQAM for the full academic year will receive one transcript for each semester. IMPORTANT: Students have to change their address at the Registrar’s Office before they leave Montreal so they can receive their transcript at their home address. |
| Grading System | A+ = 4.3 A = 4.0 A- = 3.7 Excellent B+ = 3.3 B = 3.0 B- = 2.7 Very good C+ = 2.3 C = 2.0 C- = 1.7 Good D+ = 1.3 D = 1.0 Acceptable E = 0 Fail |