Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

About Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

UQAC was founded in 1969 and operates as one of the constituent universities in Québec’s public Université du Québec network. The Government of Québec lists it among the province’s university institutions, while the Université du Québec Act establishes the separate legal personality of constituent universities. These points distinguish UQAC from a branch campus or non-degree training centre. The university’s principal campus is at 555 boulevard de l’Université in Chicoutimi, a borough of the City of Saguenay. Its buildings include a main pavilion, an arts pavilion, a sports pavilion, specialized research facilities, and student residences. Pedestrian connections link several of the principal facilities, making academic and student services relatively concentrated. UQAC serves both regional and international students and offers study at all three university cycles. Its program catalogue also includes certificates, short programs, microprograms, and specialized graduate diplomas, but these credentials should be evaluated separately from full degrees. Available subjects extend from administration, education, and humanities to natural sciences, computing, engineering, health, arts, and digital creation. Prospective students should view UQAC as a French-language institution. Some individual courses, partnerships, or specialized arrangements may use another language, but applicants should verify the language and location on the exact program page. This is particularly important because some offerings may be delivered outside the Chicoutimi campus or through different teaching formats. UQAC remained operational and was processing admissions for the 2026-2027 academic year as of August 20, 2026.

Admission is program-specific. Applicants must first confirm the study cycle, permitted intake, attendance regime, teaching location, and individual conditions shown on the relevant program page. Requirements can differ for Québec applicants, other Canadian applicants, international candidates, and graduate applicants. Depending on the program and applicant background, the file may require transcripts, proof of the qualifying diploma, a curriculum vitae, evidence of experience, a statement of intent, references, or other supporting documents. For international applicants, UQAC states that an appropriate credential earned outside Québec normally follows at least 13 years of schooling, subject to equivalencies and agreements. International candidates also need a program available for full-time study if immigration authorization requires full-time enrolment. Admission does not replace the separate Québec and Canadian immigration processes. As of August 20, 2026, international admission for fall 2026 was closed. UQAC’s international admissions page stated an August 1, 2026 deadline for a complete winter 2027 application, with only certain programs accepting that intake. Published general deadlines can differ for capped programs, so future applicants must use the program page and current calendar rather than reuse these dates. French proficiency is central. Candidates whose first language is not French may need to submit an accepted French-test result with their application when their chosen program requires it. UQAC says the test must generally have been taken within 24 months before the intended starting term. Exemptions apply in specified circumstances. The stored record’s English language-of-instruction value is therefore unreliable for admissions planning.

UQAC’s official catalogue covers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs, along with certificates, microprograms, minors, short programs, and specialized graduate diplomas. Students can filter the catalogue by academic cycle, subject, admission term, study location, and delivery mode. Available modes include in-person, synchronous or asynchronous distance delivery, and hybrid arrangements, although not every program offers every option. The catalogue spans arts, literature and language; digital creation and design; economics and administration; education; fundamental sciences; health sciences; humanities; computing and mathematics; and applied sciences. Examples visible in the current catalogue include bachelor’s study in administration, biology, natural-products chemistry, intercultural and media communication, video-game development, and several areas of digital creation and education. Applicants should consult the individual program record rather than assume that a broad subject is available at every cycle or intake. Graduate students can choose among professional, research, and creation-oriented routes depending on the program. UQAC’s research environment includes laboratories, groups, centres, institutional and externally funded chairs, and research infrastructure. Its published research directory covers work in society and culture as well as scientific and technical areas. A prospective research student should identify an appropriate program and potential supervisor before relying on a laboratory’s presence as evidence of admission availability. Practical learning varies by discipline. Some applied-sciences offerings incorporate workplace-stage options, while education programs use supervised placements and computing programs publish internship resources. These arrangements are program-specific and may carry progression or eligibility conditions. Students should compare curriculum structure, campus, delivery mode, professional recognition, and internship requirements before choosing a program.

Key Highlights

• Public constituent university in the Université du Québec network
• Founded in 1969
• Independent legal personality under Québec law
• Operating and offering degree study in 2026-2027

Student Life & Environment

Student life is centred on the Chicoutimi campus, where academic buildings sit alongside sports, arts, food, support, and residential facilities. UQAC’s student-services hub provides assistance with learning, psychological well-being, educational and career orientation, financial aid, immigration questions, employment, and housing. These services can be especially useful for students arriving from outside Saguenay or outside Canada. The university supports student-led projects, cultural events, exhibitions, competitions, performances, and discovery outings. Its student association, MAGE-UQAC, represents students and operates services that include a campus bar and food outlet. Students can also participate in university sport and use the sports pavilion, subject to the applicable access arrangements and fees. Housing is available both on and off campus, but UQAC expressly places responsibility for securing accommodation on the student. The Val-Lomberette residences comprise several apartment-style configurations near campus. Published 2026-2027 monthly prices range from CAD 480 for a bedroom in a four-bedroom unit to CAD 810 for a studio, with other room configurations between those figures. Availability is not guaranteed, so students should contact the residence operator and review the lease terms before making travel plans. UQAC’s housing-information service also provides search guidance and information about tenants’ rights and responsibilities. Students living off campus should budget independently for furnishings, utilities, food, and commuting because these vary by property and are not represented by residence prices alone.

Location & Surroundings

UQAC’s principal campus is in Chicoutimi, one of the main urban centres within the City of Saguenay in Québec’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. The official address is 555 boulevard de l’Université, Chicoutimi. The campus is near central Chicoutimi and combines an urban service environment with access to the region’s forests, waterways, and outdoor recreation. The university reports that students enrolled at UQAC can access the Société de transport du Saguenay public-transit network through the campus transit arrangement and associated student fee. This can reduce the need for a car for routine travel, although students should check routes and service frequency against their housing and class schedule. Campus parking is regulated and requires the relevant permit. Saguenay–Bagotville Airport is approximately 15 kilometres from the university; UQAC estimates a taxi or driving journey of roughly 15 to 20 minutes under typical conditions. Longer-distance travellers should plan onward transportation in advance because Chicoutimi is outside Québec’s largest metropolitan areas. Winter conditions are also a material planning consideration for clothing, commuting, and arrival logistics.

Costs & Career Outcomes

UQAC does not have one universal tuition figure. Charges depend on residency or immigration status, academic cycle, program type, credit load, and exemptions. The university states that Québec sets tuition rates and provides an online calculator for an individualized estimate. Students should use that calculator for their intended term and then add compulsory ancillary charges, housing, food, books, insurance, immigration expenses, and travel. Current application charges published in August 2026 were CAD 30, non-refundable, for applicants from Canada. International applicants paid a non-refundable CAD 100 application fee. Most international first-cycle applicants also paid a CAD 900 deposit credited toward tuition, while applicants from France and Belgium were excluded from that deposit rule; international second- and third-cycle applicants did not pay the deposit. Applicants should recheck these amounts before submitting payment. For context only, UQAC’s international budget page still used rounded fall 2025 tuition estimates, so they should not be treated as 2026-2027 prices. The university’s live tuition calculator is the safer planning tool. On-campus housing published for 2026-2027 ranged from CAD 480 per month for a room in a four-bedroom unit to CAD 810 for a studio. Career preparation differs by discipline. Some programs include placements or internship pathways, and UQAC maintains an employment portal for students and graduates with student jobs, internships, temporary roles, and permanent positions. Student services also provide employment and educational or career-orientation assistance. The sources reviewed do not support a university-wide placement rate, graduate salary, or named-employer outcome, so none is claimed here.