Study in Canada

Canada offers some of the finest institutes in the world and thanks to its cosmopolitan culture, influenced largely by the French, one can find it rather easy to blend in with the crowd.Studying in Canada gives you access to some of the best facilities and laboratories - giving way to extensive experimentation and problem solving based learning. Canada offers highly paid job opportunities, quality education at very affordable rates, globally recognized degrees and exposure to cultural diversity too. And the process of obtaining a visa is much easier than you thought.

There are less strenuous visa and immigration procedures (as compared to the United States and the United Kingdom) making it more popular for international students.

Canada is a bilingual country, even though they have a huge community of immigrants. They are a world leader in English and French language training and so if you want to pursue your education here, it is highly recommended that you have fluency in either one. In fact the government has dedicated institutes for teaching English and French, often exclusively to international students and new immigrants. Specialized business training is further available.

Important Higher Education Facts of Canada

There are more than 8,000 college programs at 135 public institutions here that are accredited by the provincial and territorial governments.

They offer credentials like certificates, diplomas, university transfer programs, academic and applied degrees, and post-graduate diplomas.

Programs vary in length from a few months to 4 years.

An average of 90% college graduates get employment within 6 months of graduating.

You can find a range of practical programs designed here with potential employers that also offer work placements.

Tuition fees range from CAD 5,500 to CAD 15,000 per year depending on the program.

Boarding or homestay and living costs are estimated at CAD 7,000 to CAD 13,000 per year.

Visa Process in Canada

For studying in Canada one needs to get a study permit, which serves as a Canadian student visa for the duration of your stay. There is no need for a Canadian study permit if the course or program you chose lasts six months or less. It is recommended to get a permit in case you decide on extending your studies. In case, you don’t have one, then you’ll need to leave Canada to apply for a study permit through a visa office. Easier renewal options are always there.

One can get a Canadian study permit either online or through a paper application, which is available at the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website. Usually paper applications take double the time.

Some of the basic requisites here include-

Getting a standardized letter of acceptance from a recognized higher education provider. If you want to study in Quebec, then you must also apply for a certificate of acceptance, known as a CAQ. This is available from the government of Quebec and this should be acquired prior to being permitted to apply for a study permit. One can do this by getting an online form or requesting a paper form from your university.

The next level is getting a Canadian student visa application package. You can visit the official website of CIC https://ircc.canada.ca/ or by contacting your local visa office, or the Canadian embassy or consulate in your home country. You may also need to obtain a temporary residence permit if you are from a designated country with exceptions that include U.S. citizens, and travellers with a valid Canadian visa. Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, and Canadian permanent residents cannot apply for an eTA. For other countries, this will be processed at the same time as your study permit application and is not complicated.

You will also need to answer some questions about yourself when you apply online for a Canadian student permit along with a list of documents you’ll need to provide. If you are eligible, then you get a personal checklist code, valid for 60 days. This is essential to submit your application online. Keep a print out of code for future reference. The page provides you with an application guide, an estimated tuition fees amount, a list of documents, etc. too.

Once you have these papers in line, create your MyCIC account, where you will enter your personal checklist code. You would be provided with personal document checklist and upload and send your documents to CIC. On paying relevant fees and submission of documents, the process is completed. In some cases, an interview may be conducted.

Additional Canadian Student Visa Requirements

Applicants from certain countries may have to provide biometrics with exception of U.S. and UK citizens.
Medical exam and/or police check for criminal record may be required
Unless you’re from the US or St. Pierre and Miquelon, two passport-sized pictures are also required, with your name and date of birth written on the back.
Canadian student visa requirements also include proof of funds to support yourself. At present this is deemed to be C$10,000 (~US$7,070) for every year of your stay (C$11,000/~US$7,780 if you’re applying to study in Quebec) on top of your tuition fees. You will also need ample funds to return home. Bank statements, evidence of a Canadian account, a bank draft in a convertible currency, proof of payment of tuition and accommodation fees, a letter from a person or institution providing you with money, or proof of funding paid from suffice the same.
Study and work permit holders from visa-exempt countries who received their permit on or before 31 July 2015 will have to get an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) as of 15 March 2016 to return to Canada. Applicants who get their study or work permit on or after 1 August 2015 will automatically be issued an eTA along with their permit.

On completing the above formalities, you get a letter of introduction, while students from countries which require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) and/or a temporary residence visa will be issued these if required. The eTA gets linked to your passport. One has to provide these documents along with passport, proof of your finances and your letter of acceptance (and any other documents that you’ve been advised to take) to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in Canada. You will then be given the Canadian study permit and access into Canada.

Today, getting a degree or certificate from a recognized Canadian university simply implies that you are going to get world-wide recognition. Here are some of the most popular courses you can study in Canada.

Engineering in Canada

Canada has one of the best engineering courses. Not only do they boast of having the latest technologies in terms of teaching methods, they also provide a sharp bend of practical and theoretical knowledge. In Canada, only the engineers with formal training and accreditation from the Canadian Council for Professional Engineers are referred to as professional engineers. All students must graduate with a degree from an accredited program in engineering or applied sciences have to sit through or complete an interim engineering training program under. This should be done under an already-licensed Professional Engineer, and pass a professional practice exam administered by the CCPE.

Sheridan College
Algonquin College
Durham College
Niagara College
Selkirk College
St. Lawrence
University of Alberta
Brandon University
Centennial College
Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning

Medicine/ Pharmacy Courses in Canada

Another popular area of study is includes the medicinal and pharmacy courses here along with other degrees. The course is about 3 to 5 years, depending on Universities and the background of each student. Canada has 17 Medical universities offering medical programs (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, etc.) in English and French. One has to pass Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) for studying here. Not all colleges here accept medicine students from foreign countries. Medical Council of Canada (MCC) must assess all graduate medical students.

Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine
UBC School of Medicine
Faculty of Medicine University Laval
McGill University Faculty of Medicine
Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Queen's University Faculty of Health Sciences
Western Ontario Univ. Schulich School of Medicine

Animation and Arts Courses in Canada

Canada remains to be one of the most preferred places for studying animation across the globe. Two contributing factors for foreign students here includes easier job opportunities across the world, including in Canada and its neighbor U.S. Plus, the state of the art-facility and detailed courses include world-class courses. Some of the available courses here include Game Design, Game Programming, Special Effects, and Graphic & Web Design. Their two animation programs are Animation Art & Design, and, 3D Modeling for Animation & Games. Job options in the future include Layout Artist, Compositor, Color Stylist, Character Animator, 2D Animator, 3D Animator, Flash Animator, and Stop-motion Animator. Various facilities such as the studio resources, theater and performance spaces are available for helping students learn more about film making and the relevant fields.

Algonquin College
Capilano University. North Vancouver, Squamish, and Sunshine Coast
Emily Carr University of Art and Design
LaSalle College International Vancouver
LaSalle College International Vancouver
The Art Institute of Vancouver
Banff Center For The Arts

Petroleum Engineering in Canada

This course is highly relevant for the country and also very popular considering the natural deposits of oil found here. Along with the resources, there is also ample technology available here for studying the same. Students from across the world choose this field because of the relevance of jobs here. It also gets you one of the highest paid jobs here. Admission requirements for these colleges are not easy. It involves highly competent undergraduate scores, exceptional TOEFL/IELTS scores, GRE, statement of purpose, resume, letters of recommendation, research proposal and adequate financial funds. Petroleum Engineering courses include speculation in both offshore oil and gas operations; safety, risk and environmental management; reservoir engineering; drilling engineering; offshore structures; natural gas engineering, with a focus on unconventional developments; asset integrity management; subsea system; control and instrumentation. Students get access to drilling laboratory, geo-mechanics laboratory, process engineering laboratories, fluids and micro-fluids laboratories too.

University of Alberta
University of Calgary
University of Dalhousie
Memorial University of NewFoundLand

Biotechnology in Canada

Biotechnology refers to a field of applied biology that uses and modifies living organisms for technology, medicine, and engineering. It is often known as genetic engineering. Canada is regarded as one of the largest biotechnology hubs outside U.S.A. With restrictions being there on the medicinal front, bio-technology has a plethora of opportunities in the economy and advanced technologies. One gets an option to perform breakthroughs in this field with excellent salary accompanied by quality lifestyle.