Preparing for your first semester
Once you arrive at Université Laval, you will need to complete a number of mandatory administrative procedures to finalize your admission and course registration.
Submit your legal documents
First and foremost, you must accept your offer of admission and pay the tuition deposit in monPortail if you have not already done so.
You also need to send your study permit and your Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) to the Registrar’s Office as soon as you arrive in Québec. If your file is incomplete, you may not be able to begin your studies.
You can submit your study permit and CAQ on the Admission page of monPortail.
Once you arrive, you will need to submit your legal documents or proof of entry into Canada using this form.
Here are the documents you need to submit:
- Copy of your passport
- Depending on your situation:
- Stamp indicating your arrival date
- Plane ticket and boarding pass with your travel date
- Study permit
- CAQ
- Visitor record
You cannot submit these documents before you arrive.
University email address
Once you accept your offer of admission, you will be given a personal Université Laval email address (@ulaval.ca). All communications from Université Laval’s faculties, professors, student associations, and administrative offices will be sent to this address.
Visit the Université Laval email address page (in French only) for more information on the inbox and how to use it.
Registering for courses
To register for courses, you must have accepted your offer of admission and paid your tuition deposit in monPortail. Your faculty will send the registration information for courses and activities to your Université Laval email address
When the time comes, you will be able to choose courses in monPortail r with your faculty’s Academic Advising service (page in French only).
Your course registration date depends on your level (bachelor’s, master’s, etc.) and the number of credits you have already earned at Université Laval.
- Learn about registration periods and course selection for regular programs.
- Check the university calendar for the important dates for registration.
- If you have questions about registration, please contact your faculty’s Academic Advising service.
If you plan to arrive after classes begin but your faculty would generally require you to be on campus, you must make arrangements with your faculty’s Academic Advising service.
If you are an exchange student, your faculty will register you for courses a few weeks before they begin. You will need to provide your legal documents or proof of entry into Canada as soon as you arrive.
If you plan to arrive after classes begin but your faculty would generally require you to be on campus, you must make arrangements with your faculty’s Academic Advising service (page in French only).
Language requirements
Université Laval is a French-speaking university in a French-speaking city. While some courses or research activities may be in English, the majority of courses and interactions will be in French. For that reason, you must have at least a basic knowledge of French.
Certain requirements may apply if French is not your native language or if your education was in a language other than French. Please check with your faculty’s Academic Advising service (page in French only) to learn more about your program’s requirements.
For information about learning French, Québec expressions, and MIFI-recognized language tests, visit our page on the French language (in French).
Even if your program is in French, many programs require you to understand English as they will use it to some extent. For example, some readings might be in English.
Several programs also require students to achieve a certain level of English proficiency in order to graduate. If you are enrolled in one of these programs, we strongly recommend you take an English placement test through Université Laval’s School of Languages as soon as your programs begin to ensure that you can graduate on time.
Please check with your faculty’s Academic Advising service (page in French only) to learn more about your program’s graduation requirements.
Plagiarism and academic integrity
Academic integrity will shape not only your time at Université Laval, but your entire career. It is a set of attitudes and behaviours that you always need to maintain while at Université Laval. To learn about academic integrity and prepare for your studies, take the French-language Choisir l’intégrité (Choosing Integrity) training on monPortail nder the Activités de perfectionnement (continuing education) tab. You can also test your knowledge of the subject (in French).
We encourage you to pay attention to the following French-language pages to learn about plagiarism and how to avoid it, as well as the resources available at Université Laval.
Université Laval’s Bureau du droit d’auteur also offers a number of French-language lessons on plagiarism.
Please review the following page and document (in French only) to learn about the potential consequences and penalties for plagiarism and lack of academic integrity at Université Laval.
- Université Laval disciplinary rules
- Université Laval academic regulations (PDF)
If you believe you have been wrongly accused of plagiarism or a breach of academic integrity, please know that as a student, you have rights. See the declaration of student rights (PDF, French) to learn about your options.
For help in defending your rights:
- Bureau des droits étudiants (undergraduate students)
- AELIÉS (graduate and doctoral students)
- Office of the Ombudsman
Preparing for your first semester: Complete checklist
Download a checklist with everything you need to do to prepare to come to Québec, along with tips and tricks to settle in once you arrive.
Student Life Office (BVE)
Throughout your stay at Université Laval, the Bureau de la vie étudiante (BVE) is your point of reference to facilitate your arrival in Canada, your installation and your integration into the university community.
418 656-2765
information@bve.ulaval.ca