Education is a high priority in Canada which is why so much is invested in the education system to guarantee quality, choice and flexibility for international students. Canada has one of the highest postsecondary education participation rates in the world. By Johanne Lacombe

Since education in Canada is a provincial responsibility, each province manages and oversees education at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary level. All provinces offer high-quality options and easy transfer opportunities among the different types of institutions. 

Many Canadian universities have sizable foreign student populations and boast a range of special services for foreign students including orientation programs, counseling and international student clubs. The top ten countries from which Canada attracts international students are: China, Korea, the United States, France, Japan, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Germany and the United Kingdom.

International students considering Canada as an educational destination have many of the same choices and options as Canadian students. To qualify for admission to a degree program at most English-speaking universities, students for whom English is not a first language must pass an English examination test.

Since Canada has two official languages - English and French - an international student can pursue a degree either from an English language or French language institution. Some universities offer instruction in both languages. However, students do not have to be fluent in both languages to attend a Canadian university.

Canada has a large selection of universities and university colleges and is internationally known for the quality of teaching and research. Degrees from Canadian universities are considered to be equivalent to those from American and other Commonwealth universities. Depending on the program or discipline, a general bachelor's degree, in all provinces of Canada takes 3-4 years to complete. As for the curriculum, students may choose to study a variety of subjects and then choose a major in order to achieve their bachelor degree.

The university calendar year usually runs from September to May but some universities are on a semester or trimester system, with all courses available throughout May to August. There is currently no Canada-wide entrance test: each university sets its own admission standards and assesses the qualifications of each individual applicant. The minimum requirement in order to apply for a program at the university level is a high school diploma.

International students may gain valuable work experience through participation in On-Campus and Off-Campus Work Permit Programs while attending university. Students are required to meet the following minimum requirements:

• Must be a registered full-time student within a public post-secondary institution, private post-secondary institution or Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute.

• Must have a valid study permit.The study permit is normally valid for the duration of the study period but the student must attend only a specified institution and be enrolled in a specified program. Students planning to enrol in short term programs (less than six months) do not require a study permit for entry into Canada.

More information about study permits and work rights can be found on the following websites: Council of Ministers of Education, Canada www.cmec.ca/Pages/splash.aspx and Citizenship and Immigration Canada www.cic.gc.ca/.

Community Colleges, Technical Institutions and Cégeps (in Québec) are also popular education choices in Canada; as they offer professional programs of 1 to 3 years which meet the demands of the job market.  Many of them are now able to grant degrees and applied degrees. Some community colleges offer university transfer programs that recognize transfer credits for the first two years of a university degree program.  Students then would still apply for admission to a university to complete the last two years of the four year program.

Canada offers a unique advantage in its national organization Languages Canada. This association goal is to guarantee that international students who come to Canada to learn English or French receive a uniform level of excellent instruction in a well-run language training facility. Languages Canada is the only Canadian association representing over 140 French and English public and private language programs. All recognized Languages Canada programs are required to be accredited and to abide to a code of ethics. This unique advantage assures international students that they are investing in quality French or English language training in order to pursue their studies afterwards at the post-secondary level.

Johanne Lacombe, MBA National Executive Director at Languages Canada