Article by Ms. Pervin Malhotra, Director of the Caring, Career guidance India

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For the past several years, a United Nations study has found Canada to be the best place in the world to live. Today, Canada is a hot destination for students who want to pursue quality higher studies. And it is for a god number of reasons. Canada provides quality education at competitively priced tuition costs in a multicultural social milieu. Recently, this interest has been further ignited with the Canadian Universities organizing educational and career fairs in foreign countries to attract students.

Canada’s per capita expenditure is higher than any other country in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Also, in terms of quality of life, the United Nations Human Development Index has rated Canada as the best country to live in –six times in a row.

Chances in getting admission into Canadian Universities and Colleges are brighter as Canada is actively looking for immigrants (in certain professional categories) to contribute to its economic growth. To maintain a strong economy, low unemployment, and to provide its population with a good standard of living, Canada is in search of well-educated, highly qualified high caliber immigrants who will be an asset to the country. However, international students are required to return after completing their studies as a work permit is mandatory to take up a job in Canada.

The Canadian Education System

The Canadian post-secondary (Undergraduate & Post-Graduate) educational system is structured as follows:

• Universities.
• University Colleges.
• Community Colleges and Technical Institutes.
• Career Colleges.

Canada has a truly large selection of Universities and university colleges located in every region of the country. International students have a choice of 90 universities and 150 colleges and institutes to choose from. The degrees awarded by the Canadian Universities are considered to be equivalent to those offered by American and Commonwealth universities.

Most Canada Universities are publicly-funded and are of consistent quality regardless of their location or area of study and retain a high degree of academic autonomy.

Universities

Universities provide professional training and research leading to first and advanced degrees (such as BA, MSc., PhD, MD etc.). the most popular universities are the University of Waterloo, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, York University and McGill University. Canada is an international leader in computer and information technologies and has a reputation of excellence in such sectors as telecommunications, transportation and engineering; and specifically aerospace, urban transport, microelectronics, medical devices, advanced software, hydroelectric and nuclear power, lasers and opto-electronics, bio-technology, food and beverage processing, geomatics; and ocean and environmental studies.

Canada has two official languages, English and French. An international student can, therefore, take a degree either at an English Language or French Language institution. Some universities offer instructions in both languages.

To qualify for a degree programme at most English-speaking universities, students for whom English is not a first language need to clear a test in English. The TOEFL is commonly accepted (score of 230/560 and above) but some Canadian Universities may conduct their own test. In addition, many universities will accept results of other English language assessment tests like the British IELTS. The Canadian Education Centre is present in many countries for such consultations.

Each university sets it own admission standards and assesses the qualifications of each applicant individually. There is no single Canada-wide entrance test like SAT, GRE, GMAT. International students are admitted on the basis of their previous academic records for both under-graduate as well as post-graduate studies.

University Colleges

These institutes offer under-graduate (Bachelor’s) degree and college diploma and certificate programs but not graduate (Master’s and Doctoral) programs. One can expect to find a wide range of program choices, including English as a Second Language Program. University colleges are distinguished by their strong student support services, smaller classes and strong campus communities.

Community Colleges and Technical Institutes

There are over 150 community colleges in Canada which mainly offer diploma and certificate programs and not degrees. Compared to a University degree, these programs are shorter in duration and typically offer a vocationally-oriented and skill-based curriculum. Accordingly, a significant number of university graduates attend college upon completion of their degree in order to acquire vocational skills for employment. Employment- related programs including apprenticeship and continuing education courses often maintain varying entry levels and offer a wide range of disciplines.

Career Colleges

A technical/career college is a school that is privately-owned and operate and its main objective is to prepare students for the job market after an intensive period of instruction. The emphasis is on practical skills. These institutions specialize in specific areas such as business, computers and secretarial skills. Although privately-owned, these schools are provincially approved and regulated to ensure that the standards and quality of programs are maintained. They have highly competitive fee structure.

ESL/FSL

Canada being a bilingual country, with two official languages, international students go to Canada to study either English as Second Language (ESL) or French as a Second Language (FSL).

Almost all university and community colleges have ESL programs. In general, most private ESL schools are very flexible in terms of program requirements and intake dates.

Many institutes also offer FSL. These programs are offered both through private as well as public institutes. Most, but not all, FSL schools are located in the province of Quebec.

Academic Sessions

In most of the Canadian universities and colleges, the academic year is divided into two semesters: the primary intake is in the Fall Semester (September-December) and a relatively limited the Winter Semester (January-May), with a short vacation at Christmas. The deadline for September session is as early as December1 of the previous year in some institutions and can go up to March 15^th in the others. Most universities hold orientation programs for international students prior to the Fall Semester.

Fall Semester: (Primary) – September Application Deadline: December-January for previous year.

Winter Semester: (Limited Intake) – January. Apply before one year.

Tuition Costs:

The approximate cost of study in Canada for 12 months is C$16,000-C$20,000 which includes tuition (UG- C$11,000), boarding, lodging, stationary, insurance, local travel etc. The average total cost per academic year is as follows: C$18,000 in Canada, C$43,500 in the US (Private institutions), C$30,500 (public institutions), C$32,500 in the UK and C$21,500 in Australia. As a rule of thumb, study in Canada costs half of what it costs to study in the US.

Financial Assistance

Canadian Universities do not offer many financial assistance options or scholarships to international students for pursuing undergraduate studies. However, at the graduate level, universities offer a number of scholarships as well as teaching and research assistantship for which international students are eligible. It is better to contact the university to which you are interested for more information. However, one should keep in mind that these offers do not cover the entire cost of study.

Accommodation

Most universities provide student residences, often called dormitories. Exclusive living accommodation is also available for men and women. However, as there are very limited residence rooms, one must apply immediately upon securing admission.

Residence at the university costs between C$300-500/month.

Working while Studying

There are restrictions on the employment of international students in Canada. However, international students and their spouses are allowed to work as teaching and research assistants and to take up part-time on campus employment during their study period and full-time in summer. On completing their studies, students can work full time for a year in a field related to their study after getting a work permit. In some provinces, they can work for up to two years.

Application Procedure

• Apply one Year in advance.
• For Under-graduate program, apply to the Registrar of The University.
• For Graduate/Post-Graduate studies, apply to the Dean of the faculty of graduate studies.
• Send the official transcript of all the previous university or other qualification to the university directly or to Canadian Education Centre along with the application form.
• The Canadian Education Centre, which has offices in many countries also provide institution brochures, application forms, a course chart which has vast information on the courses available at various universities in Canada.

Requirements for Admission

International students who gain admission at Canadian Universities must have the following: Valid Passport, Visa, medical clearance and vaccination, documents on financial resources to meet cost of study, student authorization etc. to enter the country.

How to Obtain Student Authorization

One must obtain a VISA and Student Authorization from a Canadian Government Office in order to pursue studies in Canada. Application for the Student Authorization should be directed to the Immigration Section of the Canadian High Commission. It takes quite sometime for the process and application submission should be done four months in advance to avoid undue complications. There is a Processing Fee for Student Authorization.

Students proceeding to Canada for study will require some or all of the following:

• Visa and Student Authorization: Canadian immigration regulations stipulate that such a VISA and Authorization must be sought and obtained prior to arrival at a Canadian port of entry. However, no student visa is required for short courses of less than six months.

• A valid Passport: A valid Passport is required for entry to Canada.

• Immigration Medical Clearance: Students will be required to undergo an immigration medical examination to determine whether they meet Canadian immigration medical requirements. This is done during the processing of application.

• An Original Letter Of Acceptance: Students must produce an original letter of unconditional acceptance from the institution to which they have been accepted for study.

• Documentary Evidence of Possession and Availability of Funds: Students must present satisfactory documentary evidence that they will have sufficient funds available to them in Canada to pay their tuition fees and to finance their maintenance and return transportation, as well as the maintenance and return transportation of any accompanying dependants. Where the students will be receiving financial assistance from the institution at which he/she will study or will be financed by a sponsoring institution or organization should be presented clearly outlining the nature and the amount of the support that will be provided. In addition, the students will be required to provide evidence of return transportation or ability to finance this.

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This entry was posted on Monday, May 28th, 2007 at 10:45 am and is filed under Study Abroad Guide. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.