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Fact Sheet: Advanced Education

Information for Newcomers

Post-Secondary Training and Education

In Canada, there are various opportunities for education beyond secondary school. You can study at a community college, at a university or at a professional school.

• At community colleges, you can learn a trade or acquire technical or administrative skills. After you successfully complete your studies at a community college, you usually receive a diploma.
• Universities offer programs of study in a wide variety of areas, usually leading to an undergraduate degree.
• You will usually need an undergraduate degree if you want to learn a profession, such as law, medicine or social work.

Community College

At community colleges, you can learn a trade or acquire technical or administrative skills. For example, you can study to be an electrician or a health-care worker, or to work in business.

After you successfully complete your studies at a community college, you usually receive a diploma rather than an academic degree.

Differences Between Provinces

Canada’s provinces and territories are responsible for education. They each do things a little differently. For example, there are several different names for community colleges depending on where you live. They can be called:

• colleges of applied arts and technology;
• institutes of applied arts and sciences;
• technical, vocational or university-oriented colleges;
• institutes of technology or technical institutes; and
• in Quebec, they are known as collèges d’enseignement général et professionnel, or CEGEPs.

There are also training institutes that specialize in specific fields such as forestry, fisheries and transportation.

In some cases, it is possible to transfer credits from a community college to a university. You should confirm this before you enrol in a university program if you want to get credit for your college courses. A student advisor at the university can help you.

Getting a Diploma from a Community College

It usually takes one to three years to complete a diploma at a community college. The length of time it will take you depends on the program of study you enter and your previous education.

It is possible to earn a diploma in less than a year, particularly if you attend a college that is open all year long. Courses such as computer programming, communications or administration can take from two to three years.

You can find out more about colleges in Canada by visiting the Web site of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges.

Trades and Technical Training

Training for a trade or in a technical field varies from province to province. Generally, trade and technical training is offered at community colleges or vocational centres.

You may qualify for a government training program designed to help newcomers to Canada. There are also programs designed to help people in specific regions. You can find out about government training programs at Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

You may also be able to get training through your workplace. Talk to your employer.

Skilled Trades

If you want to become a hairdresser, an electrician or a mechanic, you must start as an apprentice. An apprentice works with an experienced tradesperson to learn a skilled trade. Skilled trades are also known as registered trades. In order to work in a registered trade, you must have the required qualifications. There are many registered trades. Qualifications for registered trades are controlled in each province or territory.

Your apprenticeship will include in-class sessions, on-the-job experience and examinations. Depending on the trade you select, your training could take several years. When you complete your training and pass an exam, you will become registered in the trade you chose. If you move to another province, you may have to requalify.

Contact the Department of Education in the province or territory where you live for more information on skilled trades.

Requalifying in Canada

If you have been practising a profession or trade in your home country, you will probably have to requalify in Canada. This usually involves attending courses and gaining Canadian job experience. For more information, please read the CIC Web page on Employment Information for Newcomers, or visit CIC’s Web site on government initiatives to recognize foreign qualifications.

Universities

Getting into University

If you want to go to university, you must have a high school or an equivalent diploma. Most universities in Canada receive more applications than the number of students they can admit. If you want to attend university, you must have above-average marks.

Many universities allow adults over 25 or 30 to enrol as mature students. A mature student is usually admitted based on their abilities, experience and background, not just their previous education.

You can find out more about universities in Canada by visiting the Web site of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.

Getting a University Degree

A bachelor’s degree normally takes three or four academic years. At most universities, the academic year starts in August or September and lasts until April or May. An honours bachelor’s degree usually requires four academic years. Bachelor’s degrees are offered in arts (BA, BA Hon) and in sciences (B.Sc., B.Sc. Hon).

Some universities offer courses throughout the calendar year. This allows students to complete a degree more quickly. If you need to earn money for your education, you can work during some parts of the year.

Fees

You must pay fees to attend college or university. Tuition costs range from $3,000 to $9,000 year, depending on the province, the program and the university. Medicine, science and business programs generally cost more than the humanities and arts. Living expenses, books and supplies, student and lab fees and other expenses are extra.

You may be able to get a scholarship, bursary or student loan to help you pay university costs. Many university students get a part-time job to help pay for their education. Many graduate students support themselves financially through bursaries, scholarships and loans or by working as teaching assistants.

Professional Education

Careers such as law, medicine and accounting require a professional degree. You may also have to register with a professional association.

To enter a law degree program (LL.B.), you usually need a bachelor’s degree or at least two years of undergraduate courses, plus high marks in a standardized examination. A law degree takes three years to complete. After completing the program, law students must article with a law firm for one year, and then pass bar examinations to be granted professional status. Lawyers who move to another province or territory may have to requalify by passing another bar exam.

A medical degree (M.D.) usually takes three to four years to complete. High marks and an undergraduate degree in science are usually required to get into medical school. Medical students must work as interns for one or two years before they receive a licence to practise from the medical board in their province or territory. Students who want to specialize in a particular field of medicine have to study longer. Doctors who want to move to another province or territory may have to requalify by passing another exam.

Professional degrees are also offered in engineering, accounting, social work and many other fields.

If you want to continue your education, you can study for a graduate degree. A Master’s degree usually takes another one to two years, while a doctorate (PhD) can take up to five or six years to complete.