Each territory and province offer universal, free elementary and secondary schooling up to 12 years of age. However, Quebec just offers this up to 11 years of age. For the ages between 15 and 18, education is compulsory in almost all provinces and territories.

Types of schooling and education:

Elementary schooling: Children start schooling at the age of 5. This segment of schooling includes grades 1 to 6 followed by 2 years of junior high/middle school. For areas that do not have the middle school provision, elementary education continues up to grade 8. However, Quebec is a little different from the rest of the country. Students here continue elementary education from grade 1 to 6 and then move straight into high school/secondary education.

Secondary schooling: Secondary schooling typically starts from grade 9 and continues through grade 12. The regions without a middle school system start secondary schooling from grade 7. Quebec conducts secondary schooling from grade 7 to 11. Students there then graduate to College d’enseignement général et Professionnel (CEGEP, basically a pre-university college publicly funded, and only available in the province of Quebec) for 2 years before applying to a university.

Post-secondary schooling: Vocational school, community college, university, and graduate school all cover the post-secondary education that includes the career college.

Following types of Certification are offered by the post-secondary education provider institutes :

• Certificate: is a qualification awarded upon successful completion of a program which is usually one year in length.
• Diploma: is a qualification awarded based on one or two years of successful study.
• Advanced Diploma: is a 3 years program some of which may lead to a Bachelor’s Degree.
• Bachelor’s Degrees: Usually awarded by Universities/ University Colleges/ Community Colleges after four years of full-time study and lead to graduate-level studies.
• Post Graduate Diplomas / Certificates: It leads to a Master’s Degree. These programs have work terms that provide full-time opportunities to gain practical experience along with theoretical studies. A typical co-op term lasts 12 to 17 weeks. The prerequisite to participate in these programs is a Bachelor’s Degree of 3 or 4 years duration.
• Master’s Degree: is an option for undergraduates who have an interest in further learning and research, and for those who want to broaden their career possibilities. It is for 2 yrs duration and can be pursued after a 4 yrs Bachelors or a 3yrs Bachelors & a 1 year Post Graduate Diploma from Canada.
• Doctorate or Ph.D.: is a degree ranking above the Master’s Degree and generally requires four to seven years to complete

Co-operative Work Term

Co-op is a work term provided as part and parcel of the course curriculum. It provides an excellent opportunity for students to gain first-hand practical experience related to the field of specialization. Students can gain on-the-job experience while continuing to study. Co-op provides full-time opportunities that last for 12 to 17 weeks.

Co-Operative work programs, combine courses in many subjects with relevant work, giving students an invaluable head start with their careers. This assists International students in connecting with the Canadian job market and developing a network with Canadian companies.

Types of Post Secondary Institutions :

Technical/ Career Colleges: These are privately owned and operated with the main objective of preparing students for the job market after a short period of instruction. The emphasis at career colleges is on practical skills over a broad range of programs.

Community Colleges & Technical Institutes: They typically have more career-oriented, practical/ technical related curricula, with small classes, off-campus course offerings, a greater ratio of laboratory space to classroom space, and an interactive teaching style. Attending a community or technical college for the first two years of university education is a popular option for international students. It allows you to prepare for a career or to prepare for transfer to complete your bachelor’s degree from the college or university of your choice.

University Colleges: As a component of the Canadian University system, University Colleges offer students a choice of either academically-oriented university degree programs or the more practical-oriented college diplomas and certificates.

Universities: Canadian Universities are largely public funded and as a result, offer consistently high-quality education at lower tuition rates for International students than their counterparts in competing countries. They offer a broad range of courses and degrees from Undergraduate to Doctorate and also certificate and professional degrees. Class sizes in universities are generally large.

How can I apply to Canadian Universities?

It is always recommended that you plan ahead for studies abroad. As an international student, you ought to start preparing at least a year ahead, to keep up with the pace of international applications. Canadian semesters are divided into two major intakes. The first is the ‘Fall’ semester that begins in September, and the next is the ‘Winter’ semester that starts in January. University deadlines for each semester vary from one to another. You must be careful while checking the dates for each university that you intend to apply for. There are colleges with rolling admission policies. They will accept applications for as long as the processing time permits.

English Language Requirements :

International students are asked to show proficiency in English before their applications are considered. An IELTS band of 6.0/6.5 for Undergraduate & 6.5/7 for Postgraduate courses or a TOEFL score of 80 and above for Undergraduate and 90 and above for Post Graduate courses is desirable.

Documents required to make an Application :

• • Secondary school reports- Your accomplishments and experience in school, a scoring guide, school/college leaving certificate, all transcripts in English.
  • Standardized tests- TOEFL/IELTS scores; Customized English proficiency tests are held for certain universities.
  • Letter of recommendation- Furnish a minimum of 2 letters of recommendation from professionals and teachers who have known and worked with you. Your recommender must know you personally and professionally.
  • Statement of Purpose- This can be a general SOP. There are business schools that have personalized formats that you may have to use for an SOP.

• Passport copy
• Resume ( for management school applications )
• Work experience ( if applicable)

Ontario universities and colleges application system:-

For colleges and universities in Ontario, your application must come via central application centers. The deadline for application for the Fall Semester of a particular year is the 1 st of March. Any application beyond this date is treated on a first-come-first-serve basis. Again, there are exceptions with certain institutions which accept direct applications.

The application process at Ontario universities: Fill the application form for Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC). You can apply for up to 3 programs or universities of your choice. Pay a fee of C$95 by the 1st of March.

The application process at Ontario Colleges: You can apply via Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) to 5 programs or colleges of your choice. A fee of C$65 has to be paid by the 1st of March.

OUAC and OCAS forward your applications to the appropriate institutions. However, you have to submit the necessary documents and supplementary fees to the respective universities on the requested deadlines.

Quebec and the rest of Canada

All the application requirements must be submitted to the Registrar’s office of your chosen institutions. Once you receive an official acceptance letter you may apply to the Canadian High Commission for student authorization (Visa). In the case of Quebec, additionally, you need to apply for a Certificate of Acceptance (CAQ) from the government of Quebec.