Postgraduate Studies & Courses in Canada for International Students

Canadian universities offer a plethora of options for postgraduate study for its international students. More than 150,000 international students enroll every year to different universities in Canada. Since Canada offers high quality education in reasonable tuition fees, it has become one of the important destinations for international students.

As no federal ministry of education or formal accreditation system exists, the responsibility of accreditation of universities lies on the provinces through membership of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). Currently, there are 94 universities with membership of the AUCC.

In Canada, there are two types of graduate degrees: Masters and Doctoral

Masters Degrees:

Masters degrees offered by Canadian Universities are of two types: academic and professional. Masters degree program usually last for one or two years and at the end of the program, they are awarded the qualification of MA (Master of Arts) or MSc (Master of Science). Some even go on to enroll for research-oriented Master of Philosophy (MPhil) programme.

Doctoral degrees:

A doctoral degree is the highest level of degree offered by the Canadian universities. Unlike other countries like India and UK, where a doctoral dgeree focuses only on research work, in Cananda, one is required to complete coursework and write examinations as well.  A Canadian PhD often takes longer to complete, with typical programs ranging between four to seven years.

When to Apply

Applications for postgraduate study is usually accepted one year before the start of the program. One has to apply directly to universities for postgraduate study. Most universities accept online application forms.

Documents Required:

• Official transcripts of all previous university-level studies
• Letters of recommendation from professors
• Letter of intent describing your academic and career objectives and reasons for applying to the program
• Test scores like GRE, GMAT or LSAT

Entry requirements vary from program to program, and it is best to seek details about what your university expects by directly consulting its prospectus and website.

Scholarships: For the list of scholarships available to Indian students for study in Canada, please click here.
Universities: Click here for the list of top universities in Canada