Education in Canada is under the complete jurisdiction of the provinces and territories (States) and as such, there is no Federal(Central) education system in Canada. In keeping with the national commitment to education, public education in Canada is free up to and including secondary school (12th Std), in all the provinces. At the post-secondary level, institutions are divided into community colleges and universities. A significant number of university graduates attend college upon completion of their degree in order to acquire vocational skills for employment.
Types of Certification
Certificate : Is a qualification awarded upon successful completion of a programme which is usually one year in length.
Diploma : Is a qualification awarded on the basis of one or two year’s of successful study.
Advanced Diploma : Is a 3 years program some of which may lead to a Bachelors Degree.
Bachelors Degrees : Are awarded by Universities/ University Colleges/ Community Colleges after four years of full-time study and lead to graduate level studies.
Post Graduate Diplomas / Certificates : It lead to a Masters Degree. These programs have work terms which provide full-time opportunities to gain practical experience along with theoretical studies. A typical co-op term lasts 12 to 17 weeks. The prerequisites to participate in these programs is a Bachelors Degree of 3 or 4 years duration.
Masters Degree : Is an option for Bachelors Degree. Graduates who have an interest in further learning and research, and for those who want to broaden their career possibilities. It is for 2 yrs duration and can be pursued after a 4 yrs Bachelors or a 3yrs Bachelors & a 1year Post Graduate Diploma from Canada.
Doctorate or PhD : Is a degree ranking above the Masters Degree and generally requires four to seven years to complete
Co-operative Work Term
Co-op is a work term provided as part and parcel of the course curriculum. It provides an excellent opportunity to students to gain first hand practical experience related to the field of specialization. Students can gain on-the-job experience while continuing to study . Co-op provides full time opportunities that last for 12 to 17 weeks.
Co-Operative work programmes, combine courses in many subjects with relevant work, giving students an invaluable head start with their careers. This assists International students in connecting with the Canadian job market and developing a network with the Canadian companies.
Institutions
The degrees & diplomas from Canadian Institutions are among the most widely recognized in the world. The education system in Canada encompasses of both public funded & private institutions. Students have a diverse choice of 92 Universities & 175 Community Colleges offering a wide array of programmes. While pursuing their studies, the students, are allowed to work for the first 6 months on-campus and thereafter off-campus. Student can earn more from vocational & Technology courses than normal degrees.
Post secondary education is offered by four types of educational institutions:
Technical/ Career Colleges : These are privately owned and operated with the main objective of preparing students for the job market after a short period of instruction. The emphasis at career colleges is on practical skills over a broad range of programmes.
Community Colleges & Technical Institutes : They typically have more career oriented, practical/ technical related curricula, with small classes, off-campus course offerings, a greater ratio of laboratory space to class room space, and an interactive teaching style.
University Colleges : As a component of the Canadian University system, University Colleges offer students a choice of either academic oriented university degree programmes or the more practical-oriented college diplomas and certificates.
Universities : Canadian Universities are largely public funded and as a result, offer consistently high quality education at lower tuition rates for International students than their counterparts in competing countries. They offer a broad range of courses and degrees from Undergraduate to Doctorate and also certificate and professional degrees. Class sizes in universities are generally large.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
The average grade achieved by a student during the course of an educational program, is calculated on various scales depending on the Institution. (eg : Generally the student may be evaluated an a 4-point scale or a 9 point scale).
Intake
International students are expected to start planning for their studies in Canada 1 year in advance. The major intake for Canada primarily is ‘Fall’ i.e September. The other intake is in the month of ‘Winter’ i.e. January, but it depends on the students program and the institution that he/she is applying to. Very few institutes might have the May intake as well.
English Language Requirement
All students must be fluent in English if they are applying to Canadian Institutes. International students need to reach the required level of English language competence. All students should take up the IELTS or TOEFL(ibt)exams. An IELTS band of 6.0/6.5 for Undergraduate & 6.5/7 for Postgraduate courses or a TOEFL score of 80 and above for Undergraduate and 90 and above for Post Graduate courses is desirable.
