Canadian Education System For International Students
Talented students from around the world are attracted to Canada for its prestigious education system, cultural diversity and cosmopolitan cities. Offering a wide range of degree programs across many fields of studies and disciplines, Canada is without doubt the most popular study abroad destinations. The Canadian education system (post secondary education) offers three degrees: bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees.
As an international student in Canada, you can complete all or part of your education here. Tuition fees for public universities range between 7,500 CAD and 22,500 CAD every year, while private universities tuition fee tends to be much higher.
Majority of all university courses in Canada are taught in English. Therefore, international students coming from countries where English is not the official language will have to prove their English proficiency through either the TOEFL or the IELTS. That being said, studying here in Canada is also a great way to work on your English language skills. Practicing speaking English with locals will help you to perfect your skills while also making new friends in Canada.
Post-Secondary Education in Canada
College and University
Once a students successfully completed high school program they are open to apply to the college or university of their choice. In Canada, the term college usually refers to a community college or applied arts, technical or applied science school. These schools are post-secondary institutions that award diplomas, vocational certification, and associate degrees. Many students use community college as a way to prepare further for university program. Other students use college to prepare for vocation or trade, earning a certificate or diploma that would enable them to immediately pursue job opportunities after the completion of the program.
On the otherhand, a university in Canada is an institution of higher learning and research, which awards academic degrees in different subjects. A university is an institution that provides both undergraduate and postgraduate education. The degree structure at Canadian universities is very close or similar to that of the United States:
·Bachelor’s Degree. A Bachelor of Science or A Bachelor of Arts is an undergraduate degree that normally takes three, four or five years to complete for regular students.
·Master’s Degree. A Master of Science or Master of Arts is known as a graduate degree, one that normally takes two (2) years to complete.
·PhD. The Doctorate or PhD degree is a special post-graduate degree that can take anywhere from three (3) – Six (6) years to complete.
International students can also pursue any number of advanced specialized degrees in fields such as Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, and the Law.
All colleges and university education in Canada is the constitutional responsibility of the individual provinces and territories. Provincial governments usually provide the most of these funding to their public post-secondary institutions, with the other funding coming from Federal government, tuition fees, and research grants. Majority of all post-secondary institutions in Canada have the power to award academic credentials.
Predominantly, universities grant degrees (e.g., bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degrees) while colleges, which normally offer vocationally-oriented programs, grant certificates and diplomas. But, some community colleges offer applied arts degrees that is equivalent to degrees from a university.
Although the college and university system of Canada is very closely compared to that of the United States, unlike the United States, Canada has no regulator body that manages its universities.
Generally, Institutions of higher learning in Canada have degree-granting authority through an Act of Ministerial Consent from the Ministry of Education of the individual province.
