Canada has a well-established position among the world’s leading study destinations. The most popular Canadian provinces for international students are Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec, which between them are home to many of the top universities in Canada.
For those looking to study at an elite university in one of the world’s most developed nations, applying to study in Canada can be an attractive option. A total of 26 universities in Canada feature in the QS World University Rankings® 2019, of which three are in the world’s top 50, with 11 more making the world’s top 300 – a feat matched only by a handful of other nations.
The two highest Canadian entries are the University of Toronto (28th) and McGill University (33rd), located in Toronto and Montréal respectively (the two largest cities in Canada). Also ranked within the global top 220 are the University of Alberta, McMaster University, Université de Montréal, the University of Waterloo, and Western University.
Grading Systeam
In Canada, your academic performance is measured in terms of “grades” and “grade point average” (GPA). The educational programs are first graded in percentages and then converted into grades.
The grading system and GPA have variations which must be comprehended by non-native students. Even if two students submit same GPA but are from different universities, then their target university may mark their scores differently due to the difference in academic excellence of their previous schools.
Acadamic Year
At almost all Canadian Universities, academic year begins in either August, September or January.
Most Canadian Universities provide studies across two terms called “semesters”, few use a three-term calendar called the “trimester”. There are periods of long break for students to travel home during vacation, keeping in mind that they’ve come from a long distance away.
Undergraduate courses
A student who is yet to get her/his bachelor’s degree is termed as an undergraduate student. Typically these courses are about four years in length. The first two years have a variety of subjects and are called as prerequisite courses – such as in arts, literature, history, science, etc. The purpose is to enable students that they reach a certain standard of education with base on many types of subjects.
A “major” is the main specialization of your degree. For instance, if your major is Computers, then you will be awarded with a Bachelor of Science in Computers. You will have to undergo a definite number of courses in that area so as to fulfil the degree requirements. In some cases, the major can also be chosen at the beginning of third year of your studies. You can change your major later but that will mean having to do more courses, incurring more time and costs.
Graduate courses
Graduate programs in Canada fall into two main categories:.
Masters degrees
Doctoral degrees
Masters programs in Canada are offered in many different fields with two main types
of course – academic and professional.
Doctoral degrees in Canada are the highest level and require students to produce
an original piece of research. Unlike other countries ,doctoral students in Canada
are still expected to complete coursework and written examinations rather than just
focussing on their research.
Masters programs in Canada generally last between 1-2 years, with PhD programs lasting
longer than in other countries coming in at between 4 and 7 years to complete.