Countries
Education System:
The basic structure of provincial and territorial education systems across Canada is similar. Each has three tiers — elementary, secondary, and postsecondary — although the grades at which each level begins and ends vary. All jurisdictions provide universal, free elementary and secondary schooling for 12 years, with the exception of Quebec where it is for 11 years. Education is compulsory to the age of 15 or 16 in most jurisdictions. In Manitoba, it is compulsory until the age of 17 and in New Brunswick, until the age of 18 or graduation from high school.
Postsecondary education is provided by public and private institutions. They may be "recognized," "registered," or "licensed" by government, or they may not be regulated in any way.
Postsecondary institutions issue degrees, diplomas, certificates, and attestations depending on the nature of those institutions and the length of the programs. At universities and university colleges, there is an emphasis on degree programs. A certain number of colleges offer applied degrees. At all other institutions, the emphasis is on diploma, certificate, and attestation programs.
University degrees are offered at three consecutive levels — bachelor's, master's, and doctoral — with the possession of a degree from the lower level generally a prerequisite for admission to the next.
Many universities also offer diploma and certificate programs. Generally speaking, university diplomas and certificates require one or two years of study in a specific field or discipline. However, these programs vary widely from institution to institution, and from province to province. University calendars are the best sources of information about the nature and requirements of university diplomas and certificates.
Students at the baccalaureate or bachelor's level are known as undergraduates. Successful completion of the secondary school program, or the two-year Cégep program in the case of Quebec, is the normal prerequisite for admission to undergraduate study. Bachelor's degrees normally require three or four years of full-time study, depending on the province or whether the program is general or specialized. An honours baccalaureate degree usually signals a higher degree of concentration in the honours subject, as well as a higher level of academic achievement. At some universities, an honours degree may require an additional year of study (if students complete a 3-year degree has to complete a one-year honors program in order to obtain admission in the Master’s degree).
A master's degree typically requires two years of study after successful completion of an honours baccalaureate. Although the normal prerequisite for a doctoral program is a master's degree, students have been allowed, in special circumstances, to go directly from an honours baccalaureate program into a doctoral program. A minimum of three years and up to four or five years of study and research, as well as a dissertation are the normal requirements for a doctorate. The degree is generally known as a PhD; however, doctoral degrees may also be granted in particular fields of study such as music (Diploma in Music) or law (LLD).
In regulated professions such as medicine, law, education, and social work, an internship is generally required in order to obtain a license to practice. Admission into such professional degrees require at least two years of Bachelors degree education in related field.
University colleges undertake degree programs as their primary activity and provide three-year and four-year bachelor's degrees. They generally offer smooth university transfer opportunities.
Colleges and institutes undertake diploma and certificate programs as their primary activity, and some offer degrees in areas of particular specialization. Where they are offered, degree programs may be two-year associate degrees or four-year applied degrees.
Before one can start their education in Canada, one has to obtain a Study Permit or Temporary Residence Visa after obtaining admission in college of university there.
Application fee: The fee ranges from $ 30 to $ 250, depending upon the program and university. Typically, MBA programs in top Business Schools charge higher application fee.
Costs:
A 2007 survey complied by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, Canada offered the lowest tuition rates for foreign students compared to the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. And, fees in the U.S. public universities were almost 1/3 higher than fees for Bachelor's degrees in Canada, while U.S. private university fees were more than double. Factor in Canada's low cost of living, and the overall financial advantage becomes even greater.
Post –graduate tuition:
The average tuition cost is indicated as $ 11,500. The min. and max. costs may range between 2,000 to 33,000 $, depending upon the program and location!
Undergraduate tuition:
Tuition could be between $ 8,000 and 17,700 per year, depending upon the location and program.
Living expenses come to approx. 10,000 $ per year
Scholarships:
A growing number of Canadian universities and colleges offer entrance scholarships to their institutions. Information about criteria and duration of scholarships from Canadian education institutions can be obtained directly through the financial aid offices of universities and colleges.
Part-time and Full-time Work:
Students can work part-time on-campus if they have a ‘full-time student status’, without obtaining any work permit.
In some cases, at post-secondary publicly funded universities, students can work off-campus for up to 20 hours a week. For this, the institution where the student is studying needs to be registered with and approved by CIC for granting of degrees and for who has signed an off-campus employment agreement with their provincial government, allowing their students to work. Work Permit is a must for students who want to work off-campus. Only those who have completed six months of full-time study and who have a valid study permit can apply for working off-campus.
The student must maintain good standing within the university and must not have any scholarship granted to him from either the university or any other institution for his education. Students who are doing their English Language Program are not eligible to work off-campus.
Post-Graduation Work Permit Program: After completion of one’s studies, students can gain work experience (after obtaining a work permit, of course) for a period that cannot be more than the duration of the program he/she has done. For example, if a PG program is two years in duration, a student could work only for that length of time and not more than that. Depending upon a few courses, some students may be allowed to work for a lesser duration.
Spouses of foreign students can obtain work permits for the duration of education of their partner. They can obtain a ‘open work permit’ without any employment offer or the ‘opinion’ of the Dept. of Labour.
In Toronto and Vancouver, students could obtain a one-year work permit, whereas in other areas, the permit could be up to 2 years.
Education Loans:
There are several banks and institutions that provide educational loans to students. The loan amount may vary from Rs. 50,000-Rs 20 lakhs. The interest rates for educational loans are generally low and may be spread over a period 20-25 years, thus making it very student friendly. The loan amount, EMIs (easy monthly installments), interest rates will vary from bank to bank.
Most nationalized banks require a guarantor and collateral security to give educational loans.
There are some private, international agencies that arrange educational loans. They do not require a guarantor or collateral security.
Pre-requisite Tests:
TOEFL or IELTS scores are required to prove English proficiency. While GRE is not necessary for admission, a good GMAT score is mandatory for MBA admission (and other Management related programs)
Generally, a TOEFL score between 79 and 90 are accepted and IELTS score of 6.0 to 7.0 is required for admission in most Canadian universities.