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Last Updated: March 25, 2021

All you need to know about Studying in Canada

Canada is an ever-growing country that is attracting more students than ever. With a high acceptance rate of visas, low cost of study and living, and an opportunity to be able to have a permanent residency in the country of maple leaves, international students have been more than keen to study in Canada.

The information below has everything a student would want to know about - from visa regulations to the cost of study and much more.

Top Universities of Canada

Some of the top universities in Canada to look at:
  1. University of Toronto
  2. University of British Columbia
  3. University of Ottawa
  4. McGill University
  5. University of Alberta
  6. Queen's University
  7. McMaster University
  8. The University of Western Ontario
  9. Simon Fraser University
  10. Universite du Quebec

Admission Requirements for Canada Universities

The admission requirements for Canadian universities are pretty much consistent, but the details vary as per the university and the course an international student would be applying to.

Therefore, it is advisable to apply as early as possible in regards to the visa process, the documents submission, fees payment, and most importantly, the closing date.

The applications for Canadian universities are mostly the whole year, so it is important that international student align their application to the year of entry. For example, if an international student plans on studying in the year 2021, the application to their desired universities must be sent in 2020.

Undergraduate degree requirements

Requirements to get an offer from your desired university for an undergraduate course vary between universities. They are usually a mix of grades, essays, and other additional documents. You can check the website of the university to get detailed information about the entry requirements.

The basic entry requirements of any university are as follows:

Postgraduate degree requirements

Unlike an undergraduate degree, postgraduate degree requirements and applications are pretty straight-forward. Just like the entry requirements for an undergraduate degree, the entry requirement details for a postgraduate degree are as per the university's requirements.

The basic entry requirements for a postgraduate degree are as follows:

English Language requirements

You may have to take ONE of the following tests:
  1. IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) with a score of 7.0 (6.5 in all categories). The IELTS scores are very much susceptible to change depending on not only the university a student chooses to attend but even the subject they choose to study.
  2. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a score of 100 or above.

Cost of study in Canada

Undergraduate degree

Postgraduate degree

Popular Scholarships

  1. Carleton University Awards: The University of Carleton offers the Carleton University Award as a scholarship exclusively to international undergraduate students. The scholarship is awarded to students who portray an outstanding performance in regards to their academics; the scholarship covers their tuition fee cost for the whole duration of four-years.
  2. Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship: The Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship is awarded by the University of Toronto to potential students who display outstanding performance in their academics. This scholarship is exclusively available to international undergraduate students, and it covers accommodation costs, books, incidental fees, as well as tuition costs for the entirety of 4 years. Moreover, the scholarship does not only consider the academic performance, but also the creativity and leadership qualities an individual displays.
  3. Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program: This program provides a basic fund to students to meet initial living expenses in Canada for the first few months. The grant may go up to $ 10,000.
  4. Dalhousie University Scholarships: This scholarship is awarded by the Dalhousie university for domestic, as well as international students. The scholarship is available for all degree levels and can be awarded to current students or prospective students.
  5. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship Program: This program promotes admissions in Health / Natural Sciences / Engineering / Humanities / Social Sciences Research courses. The university / educational institution in which you are seeking admission will help you apply for this program. A student may get up to $ 50,000 per year for three years under this program for pursuing their doctoral studies. The candidate must have pro-active research potential in addition to an excellent academic record.
  6. Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships: Similar to the above-mentioned scholarship program, research fellows in the field of Health / Natural Sciences / Engineering / Humanities / Social Sciences are eligible for this fellowship program while pursuing their research at a Canadian Institution.
  7. Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships: This scholarship is awarded to International students who want to pursue a doctoral program in Canada. It is a 3-year program where the student goes through a rigorous curriculum under the mentorship and guidance of other scholars, mentors, and fellows. The student is also required to meet certain goals every year and also become fluent in English and French during this time period. Appropriate guidance and support are provided throughout.
  8. Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program: This scholarship is primarily for MBA students and doctoral-level studies. Many top universities in Ontario offer this program. Similar to several other scholarship programs, this program is also merit-based.
  9. IDRC Research Awards: There is no competitive exam for this award. Usually, it is granted on the basis of academic record (preferably Master's, Ph.D., or Post-Doctoral Degree), skills, and experience. This program aims at inviting qualified candidates from developing countries to work on research programs with IDRC staff.
  10. Quebec Merit Scholarship & Anne Vallee Ecological Fund: and many other scholarship programs are on the list. Deserving candidates have many opportunities for seeking financial support for pursuing their education or research in Canada. The only care is needed to find astutely for a scholarship program in their discipline and university and apply with the complete form before the deadline of the scholarship grant. Full support by your university / educational institution can be expected by international students.
  11. FINCAD Women in Finance Scholarship: is offered by FINCAD to those women who are already pursuing a graduate Finance course in any nationally or internationally accredited institution. The scholarship is awarded to eligible women in the amount of US $10,000.
To know more in detail about the scholarships and how to apply for them click here

Accommodation

Just as any other university destinations, Canadian universities offer international and domestic students the option of living on-campus or off-campus. Details about both the options of accommodation are given below:

On-Campus

On-Campus is the choice of living within the university campus. The option of living on-campus is appealing to a majority of students as it saves time and money by a margin. Living on-campus is certainly popular with international students as it helps them to save extra money on electricity, the internet, food, water bills, and much more. Additionally, students get to mix with other international and domestic students, and also get to become more familiar with the campus.

On-Campus accommodation is certainly much more affordable, although it depends on the budget of the student and if it aligns with the university's cost. The good news is that some scholarships provided by universities may also cover the cost of living for the student who is awarded the same, and it is usually for the whole duration of the term.

Off-Campus

Off-Campus accommodations are living options that are not provided by the university, nor are they in the campus area of the university. In Canada, a student can choose to rent a flat for themselves or they could go to a share-house.

Renting an apartment is usually done by domestic students as it seems to be affordable for them. Moreover, for an international student, there is a pile of additional costs such as the electricity bill, the water bill, paying for the internet, and so on but it is possible for students (domestic or international) to share the apartment together and split the costs of the same. The average cost of renting is between $250 - $700 per month; the cost increases as per the location of the apartment as well as the type of apartment.

The other option of a share-house is very popular amongst all kinds of students. Usually, at least 4-5 students will share a house, with separate bedrooms. The bathroom is usually personal but it depends on the infrastructure of the house. Additionally, the kitchen and the hall are always shared by all the residents of the share-house. The cost for a share-house falls between $400 to $1,400 per month.

Visa Regulations

As of 2019, Canada has approved over 400,000 new study visas, making it a prime destination to pursue higher studies for international students. Furthermore, Canada provides a highly innovative educational infrastructure along with its welcoming society, and successfully attracts students from all across the globe. Hence, it has secured a well-deserved rank as the fourth country that houses the most number of international students.

The document that is required to pursue higher education in Canada is known as the Study Permit and it is issued by the Government of Canada. The document is mostly applicable to all international studies wanting to study in Canada, and it is the document that determines the issuing of a visa to international students.

The visa granted to international students is valid for the duration of the course, and plus 90 days. If an international student wishes to prolong their stay in Canada after completing their higher studies, it is essential to renew the visa for an extended stay. Failure to do so will lead the international student to leave Canada as soon as possible.

To learn about the duration, documents required, and working status, click here

Studying in Canada

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