Student Information

Overview of Study In Canada

Canada’s Constitution Act, 1867, gives the provinces exclusive jurisdiction in education. The provincial and territorial legislatures have developed their own educational structures and institutions, creating 13 education systems with many similarities and some differences. Responsibility for education is usually exercised, in each jurisdiction, through one or more departments or ministries of education. In addition, a variety of public and private agencies provide decision makers with advice, research, and information.

All “recognized” post secondary institutions in Canada have been given the authority to grant academic credentials by their provincial or territorial governments through charters or legislation that ensures institutional and program quality. “Registered” or “licensed” institutions are monitored by government primarily for consumer protection rather than for institutional or program quality.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) control access to Canadian borders by awarding study permits to students meeting the necessary criteria. FAC and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) provide scholarships for a limited number of foreign students registered at Canadian educational institutions.

Public post secondary education institutions in Canada derive most of their direct funding from provincial/territorial and federal government sources, with the largest share coming directly from the provinces and territories. The balance is obtained from tuition fees; research grants; contracts with business and industry; government research contracts; donations; and investment income.

Education System In Canada

The basic systems of provincial and territorial education methods across Canada are similar. Each has three tiers — Elementary, Secondary, and Post secondary — 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.

Post secondary 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.

Post secondary 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 prominence is on diploma, certificate, and attestation programs.

Educational Programs In Canada

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. Mostly, 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. Universities 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.

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 (DMus) 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.

University colleges undertake degree programs as their primary activity and provide three-year and four-year bachelor’s degrees. They generally offer even 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.

Why Study In Canada

International Recognitions

Canadian students consistently rank among the best in world on international tests of reading, science and mathematics such as the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment – a testament to the outstanding quality of Canadian schools. A Canadian degree, diploma or certificate is recognized globally as being equivalent to those from the United States and Commonwealth countries.

Many well-regarded leaders in business, government and academic circles around the world have received part of their education – language studies and/or academic – in Canada.

Best Place to Live in World

The United Nations has consistently ranked Canada as one of the top three places in the world to live. Canada earned high marks for its access to education, high life expectancy, and low crime rates.

As the world’s second-largest country, Canada offers tremendous geographic variety in a climate not nearly as cold as you might think! Visitors discover Pacific coastal mountains, sweeping prairies, sparkling skylines in sophisticated cities, the rugged beauty of the Atlantic region and much more. National parks are located in every province and territory, and some has been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

In a country with an estimated one-seventh of the world’s fresh water supply, beaches, boating and waterfronts are always close at hand. Parks and historic sites offer outdoor activities, which tennis, golf, swimming, skiing – and, of course, ice hockey – are among the vast array of sports and recreational pursuits enjoyed across Canada.

Canada is an international leader in computer and information technologies and has a reputation for 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 optoelectronics, biotechnology, and ocean and environmental industries. Canada was also among the first in the world to connect schools and libraries to the Internet.

International students who have graduated from a Canadian university or college have the opportunity to work in Canada for up to one year after they receive their degree or diploma. International students can work on campus with a work permit.

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