Bachelor's Programs

Canada is one of the most preferred countries in the world, by vast number of international students every year. A degree, diploma or certificate from a Canadian University or any other Canadian higher educational Institution is recognized instantly, internationally. The publicly funded and private Canadian education is highly regarded in business, government and academic circles around the globe. Undergraduate or the bachelor's degrees are awarded by Canadian universities after four years of full-time study and lead to graduate level studies. The fees structures of Canada in undergraduate degree programs are much lower than other similar countries.

Canada offers undergraduate or Bachelor's programs through a wide choice of about ninety Universities and one hundred and fifty colleges and technical institutes, in all possible academic fields. For the international students, to get a Bachelor's admission, apart from the usual eligibility conditions, 'letters of reference or recommendation letters' play a vital part in the admission. Further the application essays or the personal essays or the statement of purpose (SOP) of students also play a greater role in getting admission. Many of the Canadian Universities have their own guidelines in admitting the international students. Canadian undergraduate degrees usually take from three to five years to complete.

Education System

Student aspirants, who are willing to pursue their studies in Canada, can know more about the Canadian education system in this article. There is no federal education system in the country of Canada. The provinces are given exclusive jurisdiction in offering education to the people. The provincial and territorial legislatures have developed their own educational structures and institutions, creating thirteen education systems in Canada. Some of them have many similarities while the others are different from each other. At the post-secondary level, institutions are divided into community colleges and universities. Four types of educational institutions offer higher education in Canada:

• Universities
• University Colleges
• Community Colleges or Technical Institutes
• Career Colleges

'Universities' in Canada are mostly public funded and offer constantly high quality education at lower fee structures for international students than other developed countries. They offer an extensive range of courses and degree programs from bachelors to doctorate and also certificate and professional degrees. 'University Colleges' in Canada offer students a choice of either academic-oriented university degree programmes or the more practical-oriented college diplomas and certificates. They also offer combined degrees or diploma programmes and university transfer programmes. 'Community Colleges' and 'Technical Institutes' in Canada normally have vocational-related curriculum. The uniqueness of Canadian colleges lies in the combination of employer-centered set of courses. These institutes have the primary function of responding to the training needs of business, industry and public service sectors. 

Most colleges and technical institutes offer diplomas and certificates rather than degrees, however, more and more now grant degrees and applied degrees. 'Career Colleges' in Canada are privately owned and operated schools with the main objective of preparing students for the job market after a short period of training. The emphasis at career colleges is on practical skills over a broad range of programmes. They specialize in areas such as business, computers and secretarial skills. Although these Career Colleges are privately owned, these institutes are provincially approved and regulated. 

The certifications given after stipulated study period in Canadian Education System are:

• Diploma is the qualification awarded on the basis of one or two year's successful study and is offered at colleges.
• Universities award undergraduate or bachelor's degree after four years of full-time study.
• Graduate or postgraduate degrees lead to advanced degrees, diplomas and certificates. Eligibility to participate in graduate studies is a four-year bachelors or undergraduate degree.
• Doctorate or Ph.D. is a degree ranking above the master's degree and generally completed after four to seven years of study in which a combination of course work, original research and a thesis is required. Prerequisites to this course are include typically a master's degree, although direct entry from a bachelor's degree to a Ph.D. program may be possible depending on the school and levels of the research topics, students choose to pursue.

Internship Programs

There are many kinds of an international internship programs available in Canada in order to work abroad or to gain specific career-related work experience! Interning in a foreign country or doing a volunteer work for international organizations is one of the best personality building experiences. There are plenty of internships and volunteer work possibilities to choose from in the land of Canada! The first and foremost thing to do before deciding up the internship programs in Canada is to identify the area and self-interest of individual to decide what internship or volunteer opportunity is right for you. The next step is to categorize the internship Organizations and the details of the their particular internship and volunteer opportunities.

The wide range of internship programs available in Canada offer programs to students or people of different categories. There are internship programs for students who are graduates of university, college or high school students with little or no relevant work experience and want to get their foot in the door of a Canadian organization etc. The duration of the programs may vary from few months to a year or some times more than a year also! Students, who undergo internship programs in the country like Canada, develop skills in the areas such as responsibility, teamwork, flexibility, critical thinking, and communications etc. internship programs in Canada generally involves a training by a dedicated, expert coach and will be supervised.

The significant areas to intern from the internship Organizations in Canada are:

• Business and Trade Internships
• Medical Internships and Volunteer Work
• Technology Internships
• Canadian Government Internships
• Child Related Internships that includes teaching internships
• U.N. Internships
• Humanitarian & Developmental Volunteer work
• Environmental Internships and Volunteer work

The internship Organizations in Canada to offer internship programs may vary from non-government organization to multinational Companies to the government organizations… Students can check for the respective websites to get the right information.

Master's Degree Programs

The four different types of higher educational institutions in Canada are Universities, University Colleges, Community Colleges, Technical Institutes or Career Colleges offer postgraduate or master's degrees and diplomas, possibly in all subject areas. The minimum eligibility conditions for participating master's programs in Canadian Universities are - a relevant graduate degree, at least two academic letters of reference and other qualifications as specified in the respective Universities or Colleges and TOEFL, GRE or any other specified standardized test score. Master's programs in Canada, generally require two years of full time study along with course work and submission of thesis. 

Master's programs in business study areas i.e. MBA programs in Canada will normally require a minimum of two to three years of relevant work experience, GMAT, TOEFL score and a 4-year graduate degree. While generally the duration of master's programs in Canada is two years, students may find some institutes in Canada that offer a fast track post graduation choice. A master's degree or diploma from Canadian educational institutions is instantly recognized around the world for its highest standards. The Commonwealth scholarship is one source of funding for Canadian Universities at the post-graduate level but it is restricted to a very limited number of students that have exceedingly high intellectual promise and who live in Commonwealth countries.

PhD Programs

In Canada, a PhD or a doctoral degree program is a high level master's degree program that usually requires four to seven years of study on full time basis. The PhD degree is offered to students from the higher educational Institutions of Canada after a disciplined research work and submission of thesis based on the research work. The minimum requirements to get PhD admission in Canadian higher educational Institutes normally are:

• A master's degree in the relevant subject,
• At least two academic letters of reference, and
• Other TOEFL, GRE or any other specified standardized test scores.

Doctoral programs are available at two different levels in Canada - Doctoral and Postdoctoral programs. Post-doctoral programs are much more specialized and research oriented programmes. One of the most vital features in granting post-doctorate fellowships in Canada is the personal network established between the interested applicant and the faculty member within the institution. There are different ways to avail the scholarships or funds for PhD programs. They come in different ways such as doctoral scholarships, fellowships, research and teaching assistantships, loans, personal savings and support from an employer and employment earnings among others. Depending on the program and the university, a doctoral aspirant might have to meet a performance requirements, produce a literary composition, research, write and defend a dissertation, report on research findings, publish research results or demonstrate proficiency in a second language in order to graduate to get the title of 'Doctor'.

Student Visa Details

Students who are willing to leave for Canada from overseas countries are required to get a Student Authorization Visa before going to Canada for studies. All the international students in Canada should also meet the requirements of the Canadian Immigration Act and Regulations. Students are recommended to have at least two months before the commencement of the study programs for the visa procedures to be processed. It is a general procedure that the overseas students heading for Canada for studies should submit the completed application kit to the immigration section of the Canadian High commission.

Every students-applicant must show that they have adequate monetary resources available to them to pay tuition fees, maintain him or her and dependants who go to Canada and to pay return transportation costs without engaging in employment in Canada. The documents needed to get Canadian Visa normally include the Completed Student Application, Completed Supplementary Questionnaire for students and postdoctoral researchers, Official letter of acceptance from Canadian university, college or technical Institute, Certificate of Acceptance from the respective province, TOEFL scores (if applicable), Passport that is valid for at least one year from the planned date of entry to Canada along with valid passports of any accompanying dependants and Bank Draft towards the fee for the appropriate visa processing etc.

However, students are advised to check the nearby Canadian immigration or visa office for complete details of documents. Students may be required to attend an interview regarding their visa requirements by the Visa officer. They are also required to go through a medical examination along with the dependants of the students (if any) going with them. Once the visa officer is satisfied that you are a 'bonafide' student and all statutory requirements are met, you will be issued a document, which must be shown to an immigration officer at the port of entry in Canada in order to obtain a student authorization.

College Admission Procedures

Most of the Canadian universities and other higher educational Institutions have their own application guidelines and deadlines. Overseas students are therefore advised to start the application procedures well in advance. Once students decide the institution(s) that they are interested in, they are advised to write directly to them to receive the application procedure and detailed requirements for acceptance. It is also good to inquire about scholarships and other financial aid details and staying facilities. Students should apply for a student authorization at the nearest Canadian diplomatic mission after being accepted by an institution for a program of study in Canada. In order to apply for a student authorization, overseas students need the following documents:

• A valid passport.
• Letter of acceptance from the respective Canadian University, college or other institution where the student is enrolled.
• Evidence of adequate funds to cover tuition and living costs of students and their dependents (if any), including return transportation.
• If applicable, a letter from the student's sponsor.
• A letter of reference from a dependable person in your community will help.
• In some cases, a medical examination by a doctor designated by the Canadian government may be needed. The immigration officer will provide information about this requirement.

An exception to the above exists for citizens and permanent residents of the important countries such as the United States, St. Pierre, Miquelon and Greenland, who may apply for the student authorization at a Canadian port of entry. Otherwise, the same documents are required to apply in Canada for all students