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Study in North America: An introduction to graduate schools in Canada and the USA
Universities and grad schools in Canada and the USA are amongst the most famous and well known internationally.
The names of MIT, Harvard, McGill and Toronto feature at the head of many international graduate students’ shortlists when they begin to select the universities and colleges they will apply to.
If you choose to study in either of these countries you will certainly be in good company – close to 700,000 international students study in these two countries every year!
Why North America and Canada?
What draws such huge numbers of students to Canada’s and the US’s university systems? Undoubtedly, the reputation of the overall university systems in both countries is one of the most attractive features for international students. Universities are accredited to very high international standards by agencies and state bodies who ensure that the curriculum and levels of research output reach appropriate standards. Another key feature is the number of international students already studying at many of their universities, enabling them to directly support their student communities and ensuring that they meet their academic potential. Finally, the quality and the style of teaching at the graduate level, the excellent academic facilities and structure of taught and research degrees all contribute to making universities in this region amongst the most popular in the world today.
The quality of research in both Canada and the USA is also an important factor that influences international students.
Research students are encouraged to apply to graduate programs where facilities and financial aid are both attractive and plentiful.
Both state and federal support exists for international PhD students to enable them to actively contribute to the research cultures of their respective systems and in many cases opportunities exist for students to stay on after their period of study as fully incorporated members of the academic faculty.
Student finance
Financial aid too is more commonly available in Canadian and US universities than in other systems of education, making them popular choices amongst those who are constrained by their own financial circumstances. Though very competitive, graduate scholarships are given to students both on the basis of financial need and academic merit and in some cases more creative ways of funding international students, such as teaching assistantships or research positions, are offered to those who demonstrated the appropriate background.
Both countries also offer comfortable and somewhat familiar living conditions to international graduate students, who are often struck by the informal and open nature of their local hosts. Depending on the location of your university, cost of living and the opportunities to work at the same time as studying at the graduate level are both reasonable. Moreover, skilled migrants dominate many regions in these two countries and international students are made to feel very welcome and part of the community very quickly, making them attractive destinations for students and their families. Study visas for both countries too are now largely straightforward to obtain once an offer of admission and proof of financial support are produced to the relevant authorities.
North America offers one of the most diverse choices for international students of any of the world regions. World famous universities, attractive living conditions, open and relaxed cultures and a reasonable cost of living all contribute to making this part of the world the natural first choice for many international students. Perhaps you will join the international student community in either Canada or the USA this year?
