Why Canada
Canada is a huge and diverse country. Geographically, you should know this, but it sits in above the USA, making it perfect for exploring a little further. Canada itself is full of famous tourist attractions, such as the powerful Niagara Falls, the huge CN Tower, Toronto Zoo, the beautiful Glacier National Park, the equally gorgeous Banff National Park, and the imposing Canadian Rockies, to name a few. The huge blinding cities of Quebec, Montreal and Toronto offer everything you could possibly want from life, with city life running seamlessly into nature. It’s beautiful. With a huge range of landscapes, from massive mountains, to green vegetation, to snow capped hills, to bustling metropolis, the choice is endless. Of course, the Rockies are famous the world over.
Canada has two official languages – French and English, so study in Canada is the perfect opportunity to add another language to your repertoire, which is vital in the business world and a huge advantage. And with two national languages, universities in Canada are experts in language studies.
Education System
The Canadian education system draws students from all over the world and is maintained to a high standard by each of the provinces and territories. The Council of Ministers of Education is a forum for education ministers to discuss matters related to education, coordinate education activities and share information. Canada boasts one of the highest rates of post-secondary education in the world, with 6 of every 10 adults between the ages of 25 and 64 having completed some form of post-secondary education.
There are more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate degree programs available in Canadian universities, from certificates to PhDs and everything in between.
Universities and university colleges focus on degree programs but may also offer some diplomas and certificates, often in professional designations. University degrees are offered at three consecutive levels:
- Bachelor’s level students can enter after having successfully completed secondary school or the two-year cégep program in Quebec. Bachelor’s degrees require three or four years of full-time study, but this depends on the province and whether the program is general or specialized.
- A Master’s Degree typically requires two years of study after the bachelor’s degree.
- For a Doctoral Degree, three to five years of additional study and research plus a dissertation are the normal requirements.
For regulated professions such as medicine, law, education and social work, the education system in Canada generally requires a work placement to obtain a license to practice.
Degree-granting institutions in Canada focus on teaching and research. Teaching is the other key function, whether at the small liberal arts universities that primarily offer undergraduate degrees or at the large, comprehensive institutions that offer more. Registration varies from about 2,000 students at some institutions to a full-time enrollment of over 62,000 at the University of Toronto, Canada’s largest English-language university.
Keep in mind that unregulated educational institutions in Canada are privately run commercial enterprises with no regulations. It’s recommended to know the states of an educational institution to understand the quality of a certain program
Cost of Studying & Living in Canada
One of the most important aspects of choosing your study abroad destination is cost. Studying in Canada offers great value for money in terms of tuition fees and living costs.
Estimated living expenses per month are around CAN$400-800, but obviously you can live on less or more than that, depending on the way you choose to spend your time. As far as course fees are concerned, expect to budget around CAN$6000 to CAN$17,500 per year for undergraduate courses, with graduate courses coming in on average from CAN$6500 to CAN$33,000 per year.
Compare that to many countries worldwide and you’ll see why study in Canada is so popular from a solely financial point of view. Of course, it all depends on what you’re studying, so it’s worthwhile checking before you make any decisions, as subjects such as medicine or engineering may cost more.
It all depends on what you choose to study but your course duration will generally be 3-4 years for undergraduate courses, and then 1+ years for postgraduate courses. You need to apply at the very latest in March for the September intake, but if your course is super popular, the earlier the better is always advisable. There is a second intake following this, in January or February of each year.
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