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  • Why Study in Canada
  • Education System in Canada
  • Types of Degrees in Canada
  • Application Procedure for Canada
  • Tests Required

Why Study in Canada

About Canada:

Canada is a country blessed with amazing beauty. It is the world’s second largest country by area. The Canadians are proud of their land and respect their natural environment. Canada is endowed with mountains such as the famous Rockies, the largest coastline on earth, the Great Lakes and several natural forests that have been developed into National Parks. Canadian cities are safe, modern and are highly cosmopolitan. There are 4 seasons; they being more distinct in the regions close to the US border. Temperatures experiences sub-zero temperatures in winters to as high as 40 degree Celsius at the height of summer. Spring and fall are far more moderate.

Canada is a bilingual country with English and French being the official languages. There is much to see and do in the form of public festivals and events that are held by the local government as well as the local communities. World-class theater, music, restaurants, cultural and sporting events (including cricket) can be enjoyed here year-round.

Canada has consistently been ranked among the top 3 countries to live in by the United Nations. Also, the Human Development Index survey consistently ranked Canada number one for a variety of reasons including its excellent education systems, high quality health care, low incidence of crime and clean environment. Popular cities are Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary.

Why Study in Canada:

  • Canada is home to world renowned universities with 3 universities ranking in Top 50 of the QS University Ranking and 8 in the top 200. Close to 5 Canadian business schools for MBA are ranked in the top 100 of the Financial Times (FT) rankings.
  • Canada’s quality of education is one of the best in the world. The universities and the colleges there impart knowledge that is based on quality and recognized for excellence across the entire education sector. It has a highly vibrant and energetic academic environment where in you will learn how to express yourself, exhibit ingenuity, and at the same time develop your personality. They fuse academic excellence with interaction and collaboration in the classroom. Canada’s universities and colleges offer industry-aligned, programs with an increased focus on research and innovation.
  • Canada offers highly flexible course options with different time frames suited to n. It offers diversified study options at the Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Postgraduate Diploma and MS (Master of Science) levels. Universities, colleges, and other postsecondary education institutions offer a range of programs in a wide variety of purely academic and skill oriented professional and technical fields. Canadian universities offer more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as professional degree programs and certificate courses. Fields such as telecommunications, medicine, hospitality, computer technology, business management and international business are the most sought after by Indian students.
  • Due to the flexible course options available, studying in Canada is extremely cheap and almost half the cost as compared to other countries such as the US, UK or Australia.
  • As an international student in Canada, you’ll enjoy all of the same liberties which protect Canadians such as respect for human rights, equality, and a stable and peaceful society. Canadian cities such as Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal have been recognized as world class cities to live and work in.
  • Research is one of the main components of a Canadian education and as a student you will have ample opportunities to become a part of this vibrant aspect of education. In Canada, government and industry together support research in fields such as: telecommunications, medicine, agriculture, computer technology as well as environmental science.
  • There are plenty for opportunities for students to immigrate to Canada. International students with Canadian credentials and Canadian work experience may apply for permanent residency without having to leave Canada.

Work during your Study in Canada

  1. Work on campus in Canada: Students can work part time for 20 hours a week during the academic session and full time for 40 hours a week during the holidays, in Canada while on a study permit. A student can do jobs such as assisting a professor, work in the college cafeteria, the library or at the university research lab.
  2. Work off campus in Canada: Students can also apply to work off campus. If allowed, then he or she can work part time for 20 hours a week and 40 hours a week during the vacation period.
  3. Spouse Work Permit in Canada: The student’s spouse can apply for an open work permit meaning that the spouse need not have a valid job offer in hand if the student is a full time student, having a valid study permit. The spouse’s work permit is valid for the same period of time as the student’s study permit.
  4. Co-op (Internship) Work: Canada offers a range of programs wherein the student has the option to opt for a co-op. A co-op is an internship that the student can undertake as part of his or her course curriculum. The co-op usually lasts anywhere between 12-17 weeks and the student gets credits for doing the co-op and the same gets counted towards the total credits of the course. A co-op can either be paid or unpaid. One of the main advantages of doing an internship is that the same company can offer the student a full time job based on the student’s performance during the co-op. Also Co-Op work programs, 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.

Education System in Canada

Education in Canada is under the complete jurisdiction of the provinces and the states and as such there is no federal education system in Canada. Public education in Canada is free up to and including secondary school (i.e. up to the 12th grade), in all the provinces. The Canadian education system in divided into Universities, University Colleges, Community Colleges and Career Colleges & Technical Institutes, offering a plethora of study options to International Students. A substantial number of university graduates go to college upon completion of their degree in order to attain vocational skills needed for employment.

The College system: Colleges work very closely with business and industry to ensure that their programs are relevant to the changing workplace and to the needs of employers. Canadian college programs offer diverse options in the technical and professional fields including: business, agriculture, food, health, social services, broadcasting and journalism, hospitality management, design, technology, sciences, information technology, engineering, environment, languages and arts.

  • The colleges offer over 8,000 programs at over 135 publicly funded colleges, institutes, CEGEPs and polytechnics in Canada offer credentials that are approved by provincial and territorial governments. Cégep is a French acronym for College of General and Vocational Education, and is two years of general or three years of technical education between high school and university. The province of Québec has the Cégep system.
  • They offer a variety of recognized credentials like certificates, diplomas, university transfer programs, academic and applied degrees, and post-graduate diplomas.
  • 95% of college graduates are employed and over four-fifths report their studies are directly related to the work they do. A lot of Practical programs are designed with potential employers that also offer work placements.

The University System: Canadian universities prepare graduates with the ability to think critically, to be adaptive to emerging technologies, to become leaders in professional fields and to seek solutions in research. From small liberal arts teaching schools to larger research-intensive universities, you can begin your bachelor studies and continue to earn the highest qualification which is a PhD.  Highly innovative research takes place in the fields of health, nanotechnology, biotechnology, high-performance computing, environmental technologies and renewable fuels. The university sector is the 2nd largest performer of research in Canada after the private sector. With only 0.5% of the global population, Canada produces 2.8% of global scientific research.

  • Degrees follow the Bachelor/Master/Doctorate system and are equivalent to those in the U.S. and Commonwealth countries.
  • Vast choice of undergraduate and post-graduate programs, as well as professional designations, certificate and diploma courses, and short career-focused programs.
  • Cutting edge technology and research labs.
  • Opportunities for cooperative education and internships, and international students can often work while they study.

Types of Degrees in Canada

Certificate: A certificate is awarded upon successful completion of a program which is usually one year in duration.

Diploma: A diploma can either be 1 or 2 years in length.

Advanced Diploma: It is a 3 years program which sometimes may lead to a Bachelor’s Degree.

Bachelor’s Degree: A bachelor’s degree is awarded by Universities or Community Colleges after three to four years of full-time study

Post Graduate Diplomas / Certificates: It leads to a Master’s Degree. These programs have work terms which provide full-time opportunities to gain practical experience along with theoretical studies known as co-ops.  A typical co-op term lasts 12 to 17 weeks. The pre-requisites to participate in these programs is a Bachelors Degree of 3 or 4 years duration. These can be done after 15 years of education.

Master’s Degree: Graduates, who have an interest in further learning and research and for those who want to broaden their career possibilities, can pursue a Master’s degree. Ideally it is for 2 years duration.

PhD: Highest qualification awarded on completion of four to seven years of study in a particular stream or specialization. It also comprises some coursework, but mainly evaluated on unique research and the thesis submitted.

Application Procedure for Canada

The application procedure for Canada requires the following steps:

Step 1 – Research: The students should do their research on the universities or their colleges that they wish to apply to along with the programs that they are interested in applying for.

We at AM Consulting counsel you to understand your careers goals and aspirations and accordingly design a custom roadmap for you. We will then help you in shortlisting of the courses and the universities that you should apply to, based on a number of factors. We make our students apply to a minimum of 8-10 universities, dividing them into AMBITIOUS, MODERATE and SAFE options.

Step 2 – Taking the Required Tests: Each program in Canada will require the student to give certain tests in order to be considered for admission. Students need to give the GRE for Master’s and the GMAT for the MBA programs along with English language tests such as the IELTS or the TOEFL. Students need to start preparing for these exams well in advance as many a times; they might have to give additional attempts of the exams for improving their scores. The students will then to report their scores to the Universities that we wish to apply to by paying a small fee.

Step 3 – Preparing the Documents:  Next the students need to put together the following documents for the application process:

  • Transcripts: Transcripts are mark sheets presented in a certain format. A student will need to apply at their respective schools or colleges for getting their transcripts issued. Each transcript will be stamped & signed, and then sealed in an envelope which also needs to be stamped and signed. A student will need to make sure that the transcript states the medium of instruction as English as this may sometimes waive off the IELTS or TOEFL requirement.
  • Statement of Purpose/Essays: Each university will need the student to submit a Statement of Purpose (SOP) as part of the application packet. The SOP is a life story of a student in around 800 words which allows the admission committee to separate the best applications from the average ones. An SOP will contain answers to questions such as what have you studied till now and why? Why are you interested in the particular course that you are applying for? What have you chosen that university? What are you short and long term goals? And so on. All the students applying for a Bachelor’s degree as well as a Master’s degree will need to submit their Statement of Purpose specific to each university. MBA applicants will have to answer 3-4 university specific essay questions. An SOP can make or break a student’s application and is one of the most important parts of the application process. A crisp and well-crafted SOP can make up for a low GRE or GMAT score or even low academics.

AM Consulting specializes in drafting solid SOP’s which have helped our students secure admits into some of the top universities in Canada.  You can contact us here to know about our SOP packages.

  • Letters of Recommendation: Universities require you to submit a minimum of two letters of recommendation (LOR) as a part of your application. One is a professional one and the other is an academic one. You need to nominate your manager at your workplace and a professor at your college for writing these letters for you. These LORs are also one of the most important parts of your application wherein your referees make a case for your selection to that particular university. You need to nominate referees who know your well and under whom you have grown professionally or academically.

We at AM Consulting provide assistance in writing LOR’s for our students. You can contact us here to know more about our LOR packages.

  • Resume: The students need to prepare a professional looking resume which is no more than 2 pages, as part of their application. The resume should contain the student’s academic as well as professional information.
  • Proof of Work Experience/Internships/Social Work: In order to strengthen the application, a student can submit additional documents such as an offer letter, internship experience letter or a certificate for completion of social work done at a local non-governmental organization (NGO).
  • Other Documents: A student will also need to submit their passport copies, 2-3 photos and the university application form.

Step 4 – Application to the Universities: Application for a Bachelor’s degree is normally done through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC), whereas the application for a Master’s degree is done through the university website. Each application contains the above mentioned documents. Most of the universities will ask for an application fee to be paid while submitting the application. The students will need a credit card for paying it.

Step 5 – Test Score Reporting: After applying to the universities, the student will need to report his or her GRE/GMAT and the IELTS/TOEFL scores to the various universities that they have applied to. The universities ask for the scores to be directly sent to them via the testing authorities. Reporting to each university will require a certain fee to be paid to the testing authorities.

Step 6 – Interviews: Some universities have an additional round wherein they will ask the student to have a Skype interview with one of their faculty members or submit a video interview.

Once an application is done, a student has to wait anywhere between 2-3 months for Canadian universities to give their decisions.

Step 7 – Visa: Upon accepting an offer from a particular university, the next step is to apply for the student visa at the Canadian Consulate in or around your city. The student will need to submit forms, get a health checkup done and pay the required visa application fee. Post this; the student will need to go to the consulate for submitting his or her biometrics.

As part of the visa application process the student needs to show funds in his or her account that will be enough to cover his fees as well as living expenses while in Canada. Alternatively if the student’s parents are funding the education then, the student can also submit an affidavit of financial support.

Student Direct Stream: In June 2018, Canada introduced the ‘Student Direct Stream’ (SDS), a faster and easier visa processing mechanism for students from the following countries:

You can apply if you’re a legal resident in:

  1. India
  2. China
  3. Philippines
  4. Vietnam

The Student Direct Stream (SDS) program replaced the Student Partners Program (SPP) in India. Under the SDS program the processing time for student visas will come down to 45 days from 60 days earlier. The SDS program is available to students opting for post-secondary courses at all Designated Learning Institutes (DLI’s) in Canada.

Under the SDS program all the following criteria have to be met upfront:

  • A copy of your acceptance letter from a designated learning institution
  • A copy of your upfront medical exam confirmation document
  • Proof that you have a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) of CAD 10,000. Colleges have tie ups with banks such as Scotia Bank, ICICI bank and a few others from where students can buy a GIC.
  • Proof that you’ve paid the tuition fees for your first year of study
  • A minimum score of at least 6.0 on the IELTS with no bands less than 6.0

The SDS program complements the express entry system as these students will be well placed to continue on the path to permanent residency and Canadian citizenship after completing their studies in Canada. The express entry program for permanent residency is point based and a Canadian education helps garner extra points. An applicant can get 15 points for a post-secondary education program in Canada if it’s 1 to 2 year in duration and 30 points if its duration is 3 years or more.

Next steps are to looking for accommodation around your university, applying for part time jobs at the University; learn some cooking, booking you flights and start preparing for the exciting study abroad journey.

Admission Documents Checklist to STUDY IN CANADA:

  • Transcripts and Degree Certificate
  • Resume
  • Statement of Purpose/Essays
  • A minimum of 2 letters of recommendation
  • Work Offer Letter/Certificates
  • SAT/GRE/GMAT and IELTS/TOEFL Scores
  • Application Form

Tests Required

GRE: (Graduate Record Examination): The GRE is a standardized computer based test administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). GRE is a requirement for gaining admission into graduate schools in the US. Over  half a million individuals take the GRE in over 1,000 test centers in 160 countries every year, and scores are accepted at thousands of graduate programs around the world, for masters as well as doctoral degrees. More than 1,200 business schools around the world accept the GRE, including top-ranked MBA programs as well.  It is used to measure a student’s skills such as verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing, and critical thinking. GRE is scored out of a total of 340. The scoring range is between 130-170 for each of the two sections of verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning.

GRE score of a student is used as a data point to compare applicants and it is one of the main benchmarks used by the admission committee of a school for making their decision.  A high GRE score can help the student get admission into top universities along with securing financial aid in the form of a research assistantship or a scholarship.

Students can register for the exam online on the ETS website. (https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/register/your_ets_account/)

GMAT: (Graduate Management Admission Test): The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a computer adaptive test intended to assess the candidate’s analytical, writing, quantitative, verbal, and reading skills in written English for use in admission to a graduate management program, such as an MBA. The GMAT can be taken up to five times a year. The attempts must be at least 16 days apart. GMAT is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council. More than 7,000 programs at approximately 2,300 graduate business schools around the world accept the GMAT as part of the selection criteria for their programs. Business schools use the test as a criterion for admission into a wide range of graduate management programs, including MBA, Master of Accountancy, Master of Finance programs and others.  The total GMAT score ranges from 200 to 800 and measures performance on the quantitative and verbal sections together.

The GMAT score of a student is used as a data point to compare applicants and it is one of the main benchmarks used by the admission committee of a school for making their admission decision. A high GMAT score can help students get admission into top B-Schools around the world as well as help them secure a scholarship.

Students can register for the GMAT exam here. (https://www.mba.com/exams/gmat/before-the-exam/register-for-the-gmat-exam?__hstc=81503688.591de3dae577f077d9777212e3eebf2c.1550135130962.1550135130962.1550135130962.1&__hssc=81503688.1.1550135130962&__hsfp=3520906242)

IELTS: (International English Language Testing System): The IELTS is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. It is jointly managed by the British Council and IDP in India. There are two types of IELTS exams.

IELTS Academic: This is taken by students who wish to apply for higher education in countries all around the world.  IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand academic institutions, by over 3,000 academic institutions in the United States, and by various professional organizations across the world.

IELTS General: This one is taken by individuals who wish to migrate to countries such as Canada, Australia, UK and New Zealand. It is the only Secure English Language Test approved by UK Visas and Immigration authority for visa customers applying both outside and inside the UK. It also meets requirements for immigration to Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

No minimum score is required to pass the test. The IELTS Test Report Form is issued to all test takers with a score from “band 1” (“non-user”) to “band 9” (“expert user”) and each institution sets a different threshold. The test is administered by the British Council and IDP in India. The cost of taking the exam is Rs 12,650. It can be taken in either the computer delivered or the paper delivered format depending on your city.

You can register for the exam either through the British council website (https://www.britishcouncil.in/exam/ielts) or the IDP website. (https://www.ieltsidpindia.com/)

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): TOEFL is recognized worldwide. It’s a test of how well you can understand and use the English language. The 4 components of the TOEFL test are Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. ETS is the body that handles the TOEFL. It is an exam that is very similar to the IELTS.

You can register for the test here: https://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/register/?WT.ac=toeflhome_registerfortest_180910

  • Costs
  • Scholarships
  • Post Study Work Visa for Canada
  • Job Opportunities
  • List of Universities

Costs

Tuition Fees: Studying abroad can be expensive, but Canada offers relatively low tuition rates for international students compared to the U.K., Australia and the US. This means you can pursue your studies in a globally recognized program of your choice at one of Canada’s top universities for nearly half of what it would cost to attend a similar program at a private U.S. university, for example. The program fees vary widely depending on the type of course, the duration as well as the University or College.

Estimated Tuition fee (per year):

Universities: CAD$ 12,000 to CAD$ 24,000 annually on an average

Colleges:      CAD$ 11,000 to CAD$ 18,000 annually on an average

Living Expenses:

This would include an average for accommodation, travelling & food expenses and occasional move nights. This is purely an average and would vary depending on the lifestyle of the student.

It can be anywhere between CAD $ 10,000 to CAD $ 15,000 per year depending on the lifestyle of the student and also the city that he or she is studying in. For example expenses in Toronto will be higher compared to other Canadian cities.

The costs can be broken down as given below:

  • Accommodation can be anything between CAD$ 6000 to CAD$ 7000 approximately per year. It all depends on whether or not the student is sharing the room or is living alone.
  • Food can cost anything between CAD$ 2000 to CAD$ 3500 a year, assuming that the student cooks one or both the meals at home.
  • Books and study materials can cost around CAD$700 approximately per academic year.
  • Annual travel expense can be anything between CAD$ 900 to CAD$ 1100 approximately.

Scholarships in Canada

University Scholarships in Canada are few in number and hence not easy to find. They rarely cover the full cost of tuition and are available only to international students with exceptional academic achievements. Community and Career Colleges do not usually award scholarships nor do school boards or most private schools. Students must also scour the internet for scholarships available to Indian students through Indian organizations. There are quite a few of such organizations set up by the stalwarts of the Indian corporate sector in order to help deserving students, get a chance to study abroad. For more information kindly get in touch with us here.

 

Post Study Work Visa for Canada- PGWP for Canada

In order to be eligible for a post-graduation work permit, you need to study and graduate from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI). You need to make sure that you university or college is a DLI.

The validity of your post-graduation work permit (PGWP) depends on the length of your study program.

  • If your program was less than 8 months, then you won’t be eligible for a PGWP.
  • If you program was more than 8 months but less than 2 years in length, then your PGWP will be valid for up to the same length as your study program
    • For example, let’s say you completed a 10-month program then you will be issued a work permit for up to 10 months.
  • If your program was 2 years or more, then a PGWP will be issued for a period of 3 years.
  • If you completed more than one program, then you can get a PGWP that combines the length of each of the programs. For this, each of the programs you completed must be:
  • PGWP-eligible and
  • at least 8 months in length.
  • You can’t get a PGWP for Canada, if you already had one after completing an earlier program of study.

Job Opportunities in Canada

International students graduating from a program of 2 years or more in length would be eligible for a 3 year work permit after graduation with no restrictions on the types of employment and no requirement for a job offer.

Students who study a 1 year program are eligible for a 1 year Work Permit.

In order to secure a job, the students need to put themselves out there and network as much as possible with the alumni of the university and also apply on the university’s job portal. Universities in Canada also hold job fairs regularly and the student should use them as a chance to network and apply to their choice of companies. The best way to secure a full time job would be to do an internship and perform well there. This can help the student secure a full time job offer beforehand.

Canada has plenty of job opportunities which enable a student to work and settle down. The entire course curriculum is job oriented and hence as per research, more than 90% of the graduates get employed in less than six months after finishing their studies in Canada.

The most sought after job oriented courses that students are studying in Canada are as follows:

  1. Data Science/Computer Science: The hottest career choice these days is that of a Data Scientist. The data analytics field is exploding with every company out there looking for data science graduates. Companies looking to effectively use the raw data at their disposal and convert the same into something meaningful enough to help it make business decisions, need data science professionals. At present there is a big mismatch between the demand and supply of such professionals with them being few in number. This has resulted in salary hikes of over 100% for candidates.

Computer science & engineering graduates and IT professionals are always highly pursued in Canada. IT project managers and software engineers have turned out to be among the top 10 most in-demand occupations in Canada in 2018. Canada’s tech industry brags of 488,000 IT professionals, who work in diverse fields ranging from project management to software development, to data analysis, to information security.

  1. MBA: There are plenty of job openings for MBA graduates in Canada. Management consulting as well as investment banking jobs are now under the skill shortage category in Canada. MBA graduates with specialization in Big Data or Analytics are also in extreme demand due to the increasing digitalization, automation, and big data boom. The cost of pursuing an MBA in Canada is much lesser when compared to the US.
  2. Engineering: Core engineering & technology remains a candidate-driven field. Central Canada (Ontario and Quebec) are currently the best job markets for engineers, likely due to their strong manufacturing presence. Almost one-third of the new jobs were created in or around Toronto. Following Toronto and Montreal, Edmonton and Calgary are the next strongest markets.
  3. Business & Finance: Finance always plays a vital role in a nation’s economy. With a degree in Finance, you will have an excellent understanding of the functions and applications of financial markets. Students armed with a degree in business or finance, can look for jobs in the big banks, corporate finance roles in large corporations, jobs in the consulting as well as accounting firms.

List of Universities in Canada

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