So often, students place Australia, the UK or the US as their top study destinations for Masters or PhD-level international study, yet Canada offers an educational system that is well-known for the academic quality of its graduate degree programs and an enjoyable and relaxed place to live. For an increasing number of international students every year, Canada is their only choice for either a Masters of PhD program, attracted by a unique combination of academic excellence, the varied choice of universities and colleges, the reasonable cost of tuition and living and increasing prospects for living and career opportunities after graduation.
Canada offers an almost unparalleled living experience for international students, with its high standard of living, low crime rate, excellent medical system and informal society. A bilingual country offering both English and French as the main languages, Canada is regarded as being one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world, with cosmopolitan cities such as Toronto and Vancouver leading the way. Canadians themselves tend to be regarded as open, easy-going and welcoming to visitors and particularly enjoy their own unique environment. There are 42 national parks throughout Canada and international students are often struck by the widely varying natural environments the country presents.
Graduate programs in Canada are particularly popular amongst international students, with their clearly defined structure, opportunities to interact with high quality academic members of staff and the teaching approaches that are employed. The Masters degree in Information Studies offered by the University of Toronto, one of Canada’s largest hosts of international students, is typical of the way in which Canadian Masters degrees are taught. Spread over two years, students complete core compulsory courses in their first year and specialize in their second year by electing to concentrate on a small number of academic areas most relevant to their own interests and career ambitions. Teaching and learning methods are varied, but include lectures, group assignments and seminars, demonstrations and access to online learning environments.
Canada is becoming increasingly attractive with its value for money tuition fees and cost of living.
Costs are a consistent factor in international students choosing their study destination, so Canada is becoming increasingly attractive with its value for money tuition fees and cost of living. Masters degrees cost as low as CA$9,000 a year and living costs vary from an additional CA$1,200 and CA$1,600 a month. This means that some Canadian graduate schools offer an overall cost of half that charged by universities and colleges in the UK or the US. Moreover, financial aid offered through scholarships, bursaries and teaching assistantships can reduce the costs paid by international students even further.
According to experts at the Canadian Immigration Centre, an organization specializing in securing study places and jobs for those interested in choosing Canada, the financial aspects of life in Canada can be compelling for international students: “Canadian Masters and PhD tuition fees are among the lowest in the English-speaking world and, coupled with the possibilities for international students to work during and after studies, makes the financial side of life in Canada for graduate programs very attractive. In some cases international students do not need a work permit to be able to work on campus – a unique feature amongst other national systems of education.”
Canada offers a great deal more to the prospective international graduate student than just value for money. Saif Rahman, a Masters business student at Wilfred Laurier University, located in the city of Waterloo just an hour west of Toronto, is originally from Bangladesh. Drawn to one of Canada’s best and fastest growing university’s by the quality of the academic program, Saif now equally enjoys the life offered outside of the classroom: “I always feel refreshed whenever I go to university. Seeing and mixing with people of different backgrounds really makes the campus atmosphere something to look forward to – it can be defined as friendly and lively! For me, one of the best aspects of living and studying in Canada is the exposure to people from different cultures. I have met some amazing people here and made some great friends during my time in Canada."
With more than 70,000 international students in Canada this year, meeting people from all over the world is central to the study experience.
Saif’s experience of a Canadian campus that is both diverse and exciting is typically one of the most attractive features of studying graduate programs in the country. With more than 70,000 international students in Canada this year, meeting people from all over the world is central to the study experience. Canadian universities equally support very vibrant approaches to life away from the lecture hall – student clubs and societies encourage participation from graduate international students in all aspects of their activities and it is common for your social networks to be based around these aspects of student life.
One of the features of Canadian graduate education most relevant to international students is the great investment in English-language support and study skills many universities make to ensure that the study experience is as positive as possible. Carleton University in Ottawa, the nation’s capital, is one of the most internationally diverse of all Canadian universities. With large concentrations of graduate students from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe, the support provided to international graduate students is essential. Eric Koshinsky from Carleton’s Learning Support Services describes the way in which they help incoming students: “We focus on helping international students improve their listening abilities so that when they go in to a regular lecture in economics, physics or mathematics they will easily and clearly be able to understand what the professors teach them, they will be able to write and take notes quickly. We also focus on writing skills so they will be able to express their own ideas in their own ways so that they can learn and share what they know with others.”
The experience of graduate school at a Canadian university is one that has real benefits for many of the international students that make it their first choice. New legislation in Canada allows all international students completing a graduate program at a recognized university a work permit for up to 12 months in a work area related to their field of study. The opportunity to put in to practice all that you have learnt is one that in the coming years is likely to make Canada even more popular amongst international students. As Saif Rahman concludes: “Changing the immigration practices to allow companies to hire international students after graduation is very important – it will certainly be the way the country can retain talented international students.”