Choose to
study in Canada, and you’ll have the opportunity to encounter vastly different
cultural and natural experiences – from the ski slopes of British Columbia to
the prairie province of Manitoba, with cities such as Toronto, Montreal,
Vancouver and Quebec famously friendly, tolerant and multicultural.
Occupying
the northern half of the North American continent, Canada is known for its
natural beauty – few nations in the world can boast anything close to its
wealth of forests, lakes and mountains – and for its multicultural diversity.
The country has official bilingual status, with both English and French used
concurrently in the government and official documents.
It’s also
known for its sparse population (despite being the world’s second-largest
country, it has a population smaller than that of just one US state,
California) and for its harsh winters (in some parts of Canada, snow covers the
ground for almost half the year – but you’re unlikely to find any Canadian
universities in those regions!).
Canada has a
well-established position among the world’s leading study destinations; as of
2012, it was the seventh most popular country for international students, who
accounted for 6.5% of all post-secondary students in the country. Of those, the
most popular Canadian provinces were Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec,
which between them are home to many of the top universities in Canada.
For those
looking to study at an elite university in one of the world’s most developed
nations, applying to study in Canada can be an attractive option. A total of 26
universities in Canada feature in the 2013/14 QS World University Rankings®, of
which three are in the world’s top 50 and nine make the world’s top 200 – a
feat matched only by a handful of other nations. The two highest Canadian
entries are the University of Toronto (17=) and McGill University (21), located
in Toronto and Montreal, the two largest cities in Canada. Also within the
global top 200 are the University of British Columbia, University de Montreal,
University of Alberta, McMaster University, University of Waterloo, Queen's
University, Ontario, and Western University.
Undergraduate
degrees in Canada can take either three or four years to complete, depending on
the university, while postgraduate degrees last between one and three years to
complete depending on the type of degree. Different types of higher education
providers in Canada include: community colleges, technical, applied arts
schools or applied science schools (which grants certificates, diplomas,
associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees), or universities (which carry out
research and provide both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees).
As
universities in Canada are managed by provincial governments, you’ll find there
will be slight differences in how education is carried out. Quebec in
particular is markedly different to the rest of Canada, with different term
times and length of study (in secondary school students finish a year early and
must take a mandatory pre-university ‘General and Vocational College’ (CEGEP)
course, essentially eliminating the freshman first year of university).
Checking with your chosen institutions for specific details.