Education System in Canada

The education system in Canada varies slightly in each state and province, but the overall standards are the same and all programs are accredited by the federal government of Canada.

🇨🇦 Higher Education in Canada

• University

There are a number of public universities in Canada that offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees equivalent to the standards of UK and US universities. There are generally no entrance exams, but each university will have their own rules and standards for accepting students.

• Bachelor’s Degree

Bachelor’s degree programmes take approximately 3 -5 years, with some universities offering two types of bachelor’s degrees:

• • General bachelor’s degree which takes approximately 3 years to complete
  • Bachelor’s degree with honors, which requires more credits and a thesis submission (suitable for those interested in continuing on to a master’s degree)

• Master’s Degree

A master’s degree usually takes 1.5 years to 2 years to complete, depending on the university and the required foundational courses of each subject area that students must either study or take an exam for.

• PhD

A PhD usually takes 2 years to complete, having previously studied a master’s degree or 3 years if pursuing the PhD after completing a bachelor’s degree with honors. However, on average students tend to take about 3-5 years upon graduating from a master’s degree, by spending 2 years working on coursework and the rest of the time on research, academic reports and thesis write up.

• College (University College)

In general, courses are similar to university, but focus more on the practical aspects. Courses usually take 1-3 years to complete, with the aim of producing students ready to enter the labor market. There are also courses equivalent to a diploma, which allow students to transfer to university level.

• Vocational College (Community College)

Vocational colleges offer professional and technical courses that last 2-3 years, covering important professional skills, such as: construction, commerce and industrial services etc.

• Vocational Training College (Career College)

Vocational training colleges are private colleges that offer vocational training courses in various career fields, such as computer secretarial etc.

• Cooperative Education (Co-Op Education)

Cooperative education is part of Canada’s educational system, whereby it is a working partnership between students, the institution and businesses, to enable students to gain real-life work experience, working in an industry related to their field of study, for approximately 2 semesters before graduating.

MBA in Canada

MBA programmes in Canada typically last for two years, full-time, though part-time MBA programmes are also available.

English Language Institutions

Since Canada has two official languages, French and English, most language schools will offer both languages to international students, known as English as a Second Language (ESL) and French as a Second Language (FSL), as well as specific courses for academic purposes.