31/08/2007 | University News, Newsletter
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Graduate study opportunities in Canada

Academic programs offered by universities in the USA dominate the minds of many international graduate students, yet just to the northern borders of the country lies one of the most exciting, yet amazingly undiscovered destinations for university studies in the world today. Canada represents one of the more unique locations for international graduate students, with its highly developed systems of graduate programs and world-class universities, reasonably priced tuition fees and cost of living, strictly quality-controlled Masters and PhD programs all located in one of the most open and enjoyable countries in the world today.

Another attractive feature of graduate study in Canada is that although the universities and graduate schools are very outward facing and open to receiving international students, many of the institutions are not overwhelmed with students from outside of the country.  Over the last ten years, Canada has become increasingly attractive for international students wishing to study at the graduate level, though numbers have yet to exceed 75,000 throughout the country.

Canada’s leading universities are known as the Group of Ten.  These institutions are amongst the most research active in the country and specialize in offering joint research programs.  The member institutions are the Universities of Alberta, British Columbia, Laval, McGill, McMaster, Montréal, Queen’s, Toronto, Waterloo and Western Ontario.  A range of other Canadian universities are equally well-known and offer taught and research programs across a broad range of academic subject areas.  Like other universities in the country, three different types of graduate degrees are generally offered.   These are:

  • Course-based Masters degree: this requires the successful completion of a specific program of graduate-level courses and is typically one or two years in duration.
  • Research-based Masters degree: this requires the successful completion of both graduate level courses and a thesis and is typically two years in duration.  Students typically choose a thesis topic in consultation with a graduate supervisor, although many universities require that the area of research is specified as part of the application.
  • Doctoral or PhD degree: this requires the successful completion of original research and the defense of a thesis that makes a substantial contribution to the advancement of knowledge in a student’s chosen field of study.  The doctoral degree usually requires either two or three years of full-time residency, although it is common that more time of directed research and writing are required to complete the doctoral thesis.  A thesis supervisor plays a critical role in helping a student choose an appropriate research topic, designing and directing the research studies within a realistic period and providing the candidate with professional training in the chosen field.  Since the research topic will often determine a student’s career path, the choice of program and thesis supervisor requires thoughtful planning and expert advice.


As one of the largest systems of higher education in the world, Canada has an extremely robust quality assurance and accreditation process ensuring that degree-level studies are recognized internationally.  Most Canadian institutions subscribe to the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada principles of institutional quality assurance.  Adherence to these principles is renewed every five years.  Further details are available at www.aucc.ca/qa/principles/index_e.html. 

Within the Canadian structure, universities have to also be in compliance with provincial or regional authorities for quality assurance, thus creating a double guarantee for students.  All institutions and programs subscribe to a regular cycle of reviews by the appropriate authority.  These tend to be peer-led and involve an element of self-evaluation and external review by subject experts, the results of which are made public for the sake of transparency.
Though admissions processes and requirements alter from institution to institution, generally an honours baccalaureate (or equivalent) and high academic standing are required for admission to a Masters program.  Masters programs that have a professional focus often require work experience in the intended field of study.  For a doctoral program, a high level of achievement at the Masters level is typically required.

Other factors that are considered as part of an application include an official transcript of marks, official test scores (which are required by certain professional Masters degree programs), letters of recommendation from faculty members or professional colleagues, and a personal letter describing your academic and career objectives and your reasons for applying to the program.  The graduate school admissions committee will be looking for evidence that your goals are realistic, that the program is appropriate to your interests and that you have the qualities that are required to successfully complete your studies.

Scholarships are available to offset some of the costs of studying in Canada.  The best source of funds tends to be individual universities and colleges, many of whom offer a range of different scholarships that cover tuition costs or living expenses and sometimes both.  Many awards are based solely on academic merit and therefore financial aid is not taken into account through the application process.  The Canadian government also offers a range of awards for graduate students as do a large number of individual universities.  A free service coordinates most scholarships and is available at www.scholarshipscanada.com.  A number of scholarships that offer funds to cover tuition fees and living expenses are administered by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, details of which can be found at www.aucc.ca/scholarships/open_e.html.

All international graduate students are also given permission to work on and off of campus at the same time as being a full-time student.  In order to be eligible for the program, foreign students must have a valid study permit and they must have studied full-time at an eligible public, postsecondary institution for at least six months out of the 12 months preceding their application.  Institutions must sign an agreement with the province or territory in which they are located in order to participate in the program and this agreement includes monitoring and reporting requirements to ensure that students retain their eligibility for the program.

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