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According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, the number of students studying in Canada is more than the number of students in USA, UK and Australia. In 2021, around 2,15,000 Indians were studying in Canada. Before taking a detailed look at the different programs to study, eligibility requirements, costs and universities, lets first take a look at why Indians have preferred Canada over other countries in the last five years.
Here are some reasons why students should choose Canada for their postgraduate education:
Top Quality Programs: There are 3 Canadian universities in the top 50 universities in the world, 9 in the top 300 and 17 Canadian universities in the top 500 universities of the world. Given that there are 40,000 universities in the world, this means 17 of Canada’s universities feature in the top 2% of universities in the world. Universities Canada, a national level body sets standards for education in Canada and each province maintains strict academic accreditation protocols. Due to such mechanisms, the quality of programs in Canada is top notch.
No Language Barrier: The most widely spoken language in Canada is English. This makes it very easy for Indians to integrate into the Canadian Education system. The only province where English is not the most widely spoken language is Quebec. In Quebec, French is the most widely spoken language but there too, the majority of people understand and can speak in English.
Work while you study: The Canadian government allows students to work while they study. Students can work for upto 20 hours per week on or off campus when school is in session and full time (i.e. upto 40 hours per week) when school is not in session. Minimum wage in Canada is around CAD 14 per hour i.e. Rs 850 per hour. This means students will earn a minimum of Rs 76,000 per month when school is in session and at least Rs 1.5 lakhs per month during semester breaks.
Easy Immigration: Canada offers a relatively easy and transparent pathway to immigration. If students pursue a masters’ program which is 2 years in length, they get a 3-year post study work visa and if they pursue a 1-year postgraduate program, they get a 1-year post study work visa. After this, students can apply for a Permanent Residency (PR) and once they have stayed as a PR for 3 years in Canada, they can apply for citizenship.
High Quality of Life: According to the US News and World report, Canada ranked first in the Quality-of-Life rankings. This is due to a well-developed healthcare system, low corruption, ease of doing business and because of relatively high salaries (Rs 33 lakhs average annual salary).
Job Opportunities: The Canadian economy has consistently added jobs since 1960. The only exceptions were the Covid years – 2020 and 2021 in which Canada’s job market shrunk. The country has however shown impressive recovery with 3.3 lakh new jobs added in February 2022 alone. Job growth in Canada is driven by consistent growth in GDP (around 2.5% annually) and because of the Government’s investment in diversifying the economy which creates new categories of jobs.
The most popular programs to study are those for which Canada has ample jobs and for which Canadian universities are among the best in the world. Broadly speaking, these are the following domains that are the most popular to study in Canada:
Students in Canada can pursue PhD programs, MBA programs Masters’ programs or PG Diploma programs.
PhD programs: These programs are doctoral level programs, are generally fully funded and are extremely difficult to get into. Those who wish to pursue research or become academicians should pursue PhD programs. While most students will not have to pursue a PhD to land their dream job, there are some specific areas like Psychology in which students will have to pursue a PhD before they can get good job opportunities.
MBA programs: Most Canadian MBA programs are two years in length, but a few are 1 year in length. Students graduating from these programs largely work in finance, consulting, product management and marketing roles. According to the QS MBA rankings, there are 6 Canadian business schools that rank in the top 100 business schools of the world.
Masters’ Programs: Masters’ programs are typically two years long and can be technical (like Engineering, Computer Science etc.) or non-technical masters’ (like finance, philosophy, literature etc.). Masters’ programs are run by universities and generally focus on research.
Post Graduate Programs: Postgraduate Diploma / Certificate programs are typically 1 year in length. These programs are run by college (not universities) and are geared towards vocational training as opposed to research. In fact, many of these colleges offer Co-Op programs i.e. programs in which students take a term off college and work as an intern / apprentice in the industry.
Often, students are confused about the differences between Masters’ and Postgraduate diploma programs in Canada. Here are the differences between Masters’ and Postgraduate Diploma programs:
| Parameter | Masters’ Programs | Postgraduate Diplomas |
| Run by | Universities | Colleges |
| Typical Length | 2 Years | 1 Year |
| Focus on | Research | Vocational Training |
| Years of Undergraduate education needed | 4 years | 3 Years |
| Min. Undergraduate GPA needed | 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 | 2.7 on a scale of 4.0 |
| Min. IELTS / TOEFL Score needed | 7.0 in IELTS / 90 in TOEFL | 6.5 in IELTS / 80 in TOEFL |
| Selectivity | Difficult to get in | Easier to get in |
| Cost | More Expensive | Less Expensive |
The cost of studying in Canada consists of living expenses and tuition fees. Living expenses can range between Rs 7 – Rs 10 lakhs per year. But paying for living costs is easy through part time jobs and internships. The main expenditure is tuition fees. Tuition fees depend on the program, university / college and program length. On average, tuition fee costs the following in
Canada:
| Program Type | Typical Tuition Fee Range |
| PG Diploma | Rs 10 lakhs – Rs 20 lakhs |
| Masters’ | Rs 15 lakhs – Rs 40 lakhs |
| MBA | Rs 35 lakhs – Rs 60 lakhs |
| PhD | Mostly Fully Funded. Few (<5%) cost up to Rs 15 lakhs |
The top 10 universities to study in Canada are:
| University | QS World Rank | City | Province |
| University of Toronto | 26 | Toronto | Ontario |
| McGill University | 27 | Montreal | Quebec |
| University of British Columbia | 46 | Vancouver | British Columbia |
| Universite de Montreal | 111 | Montreal | Quebec |
| University of Alberta | 126 | Edmonton | Alberta |
| McMaster University | 140 | Hamilton | Ontario |
| University of Waterloo | 149 | Waterloo | Ontario |
| Western University | 170 | London | Ontario |
| University of Ottawa | 230 | Ottawa | Ontario |
| University of Calgary | 235 | Calgary | Alberta |
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All these universities offer programs across the spectrum of engineering,
technology, business, commerce, arts and medicine. Getting into these universities can be tough though, and
their programs are expensive.
A popular, viable alternative to these universities are colleges and their PG
Diploma programs. Here are the top 10 colleges (in alphabetical order) to study in Canada:
| College | Popular Programs | City | Province |
| Algonquin College | Health Sciences, Veterinary Sciences, Electrical Engineering | Perth | Ontario |
| Centennial College | Marketing, Media, Project Management, Hospitality, | Toronto | Ontario |
| Conestoga College | Computer Science and IT, Engineering, Project Management, Supply Chain | Cambridge | Ontario |
| George Brown College | Design, Fashion, Media & Performing Arts, Business, Construction Management, Health Sciences, Hospitality & Tourism |
Toronto | Ontario |
| Georgian College | AI, Data Analytics, Business, Project Management, Supply Chain | Barrie | Ontario |
| Fanshawe College | Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Construction Management, IT, Marketing, Supply Chain, Project Management |
London | Ontario |
| Humber College | Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Management, Journalism, IT, Project Management, Web Development, Creative Writing |
Toronto | Ontario |
| Langara College | Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Computer Science & IT, Business, Arts | Vancouver | Ontario |
| Sheridan College | Architecture, Business, Computing, Manufacturing, Social Sciences, Performing Arts | Oakville | Ontario |
| Seneca College | Accounting, Biotechnology, Business, Business Analytics, Computer Science, Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Tourism |
Toronto | Ontario |
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Eligibility Requirements and Application Procedure
The eligibility criteria and application procedure to apply to universities in
Canada is as follows:
The eligibility criteria is as follows:
Most universities require students to have completed a 4 year bachelors’ degree for
Masters’, MBA and PhD programs. For PG Diploma programs – a 3 year undergraduate degree is sufficient.
Most universities require a minimum of 3.0 on 4.0 while applying while the average
GPA at top universities can be as high as 3.6 on 4.0. The minimum GPA to apply to colleges for PG Diploma
programs is 2.7 on a scale of 4.0
Whether to take a test or not depends on the institution and program. Top
universities require the GMAT / GRE for MBA programs and the GRE for technical masters programs. Other
universities, and colleges mostly do not require students to take any standardized test while applying.
Students must submit their English Language Test scores when applying to
postgraduate programs in Canada. Masters’, MBA and PhD programs typically require students to score 7.0 on the
IELTS or 90 on the TOEFL while PG Diploma programs require students to score 6.5 on the IELTS or 80 on the
TOEFL.
To apply to a postgraduate program in Canada, students must submit the
following:
If you have any questions about pursuing masters in Canada, or about the study abroad process in
general – do contact us; our counsellors would be happy to help.
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