Fancy studying at a Canadian university but don’t know where to start? Here is everything you need to know about intakes in Canada, Canada admissions, and eligibility requirements as an international student.
Preparing to study in Canada as an international student can be challenging, with many steps to follow. But you can do it! Luckily for you, student admission in Canada is often pretty straightforward. Though requirements usually differ from school to school in Canada and sometimes depend on your preferred courses. Yet, most of their core demands are often the same for international students.
In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about studying at any university in Canada.
Requirements for bachelor’s degree in Canada for international students
To apply for a bachelor’s degree program in Canada as an international student, you must meet all the eligibility requirements. These include:
1. High School Certificate
If you are seeking admission in Canada as an international student, you must have a high school certificate like OSSD.
High school results in Canada are usually graded as Grade Point Average.
Your result will most likely get converted into the Grade Point Average especially if you are from countries like India, which does not use the same system.
To gain Canada admission into any school, you must get a score of at least 60-70% on your high school certificate.
There are a few tools online to help you convert your results into the GPA system. Remember that these tools are only meant to give you an idea about your score and not as authority tools.
But you don’t have to do any of the conversion yourself. All you need to submit is an original transcript of your high school results to process your Canada admission.
2. English Skill Test
Canadian universities need English skill tests to offer admission to international students.
This is often not a general rule for every nationality. For example, some countries are exempted from the English language test. If your country is not exempted, you must present an IELTS or a TOEFL certificate.
These English skill tests assess four basic skills — listening, speaking, reading, and writing. You must pass all four categories to gain admission to Canada.
The pass mark is usually a score of at least 5.5 on each skill test and a general score of 6.0-7.0 on any examination.
The Language skill test score requirements differ from school to school in Canada. And some courses may need higher scores on the test than others.
As such, you might consider checking your school’s specific score sets for your course. This way, you can set a target for yourself before taking the test and starting with your application.
3. Statement of Purpose
A statement of purpose is an essay about you, your personality, and your aspirations.
It should also capture what you hope to achieve by studying the course you are applying for.
The SOP is a crucial requirement for most courses in Canadian schools.
This is because the SOP introduces you to the admission screening committee.
As such, you must showcase your unique academic achievements in it. This might help you stand out from all the other applicants to be considered for admission.
4. Letter of Recommendation (LOR)
You will also need a letter of recommendation to be considered for student admission in Canada.
Top universities in Canada are usually specific about letters of recommendation. The LOR shows them that you are trustworthy and often substantiates your claims in the SOP.
As such, you might want to get at least one or two LORs from your former schools.
The above are the general documents required by every institution in Canada.
You might also want to check with your institution of choice. This is because they might need more documents from you depending on the course of study.
Requirements for master’s degree in Canada for international students
1. Completion of an undergraduate program
You will need to provide a transcript of your undergraduate result from a university in your home country to gain admission into any school in Canada for a master’s degree program in any field.
For most courses, you must obtain a GPA of at least 3.0-4.0 to be eligible for intake in Canada. Also, the master’s degree program you will be applying for must be in line with your field of study in your bachelor’s certificate or related.
2. English skill test
Regardless of your undergraduate result, you will need to present proof of your English skills.
The language test can be through any of the three language tests accepted by most universities in Canada — IELTS, PTE, and TOEFL.
This is required for Canadian admission into any master’s degree program from countries not on the exempted list.
3. Statement of purpose
Statement of purpose plays a very critical role in intakes in Canada for master’s degree programs. As such, you might want to consider crafting a compelling statement of purpose when applying to any university in Canada.
4. GMAT or GRE
Depending on your chosen program and institution, you may be required to undertake a computer-based test. For example, if you plan to attend a business school, you must take a GMAT.
As such, it is essential to check with your choice of institution and see if GMAT or GRE is required for admission into the master’s program.
5. Working experience
Some business schools need a certain level of business experience to qualify for intake in Canada.
Most times, you will need to state clearly that you have previous experience in your field with proof of employment or engagement.
However, this is not a general requirement for a master’s degree in all courses. It is, however, crucial for some business courses in Canada.
How do you apply to study in Canada?
1. Choose an Institution
The first step in any school application process is usually deciding where you want to start and complete your learning program. This is because, if you are reading this, you probably already have an idea of the course or program you want to enroll in Canada.
The next logical step is finding a university that offers such a program. But, even more importantly, you want to ensure the school is accredited for international studies.
An excellent place to check for courses and accredited universities in Canada is the EduCanada official website.
You can also check the country’s official websites for accredited places of higher education.
Top 10 Canadian universities to consider
- University of Toronto
- University of Calgary
- University of Victoria
- McGill University
- The University of British
- Université de Montréal
- Queen’s University
- Simon Fraser University
- University of Alberta
- University of Waterloo
- York University Toronto
Some of these institutions may not have your preferred course of study in Canada. As such, you may want to consider other schools. Sometimes you may want to consider other things like the cost of living in the city and the university’s tuition fees before making a final decision.
Language most times will not be a problem for you since the courses are usually taught in English or French based on your preference.
2. Prepare to apply to International University.
After deciding on your choice of institution, the next step is to start preparing your documents for the admission process.
You will need to check your school website to verify your required documents for admission to Canada. This is because requirements for admission often vary from school to school.
While cross-checking the documents required for intakes in Canada on the university portal, you should keep an eye out for important details like minimum scores.
Schools in Canada are free to set their eligibility scores. However, the academic requirements will often vary, and the stakes are higher when the school or course is very competitive.
3. Meet the language skill requirements
The language proficiency score requirements are a good thing to keep an eye out for While checking for eligibility on your preferred school for their admission requirements in Canada.
Generally, to be considered for admission in Canada, you must meet the language requirements set by the government.
4. Gather the rest of your university application documents
Aside from the above documents required for admission in Canada, you may need to submit other documents.
This might include documents like work experience, proof of financial stability, police reports, age, and marital certificate. Other documents depend on your nationality and the school you are applying to for admission in Canada.
So you might want to get original copies of every document required before starting your application for admission to Canada.
5. Submit an application
Most universities in Canada accept applications for intakes on their official website. In addition, the online application process makes it easier for you to apply from anywhere worldwide as an international student.
You will usually need to pay an application fee through a payment gateway. After which, you will be allowed to either create an account with the university to start your application or download an application form, which you can mail to the university after completing it.
Check your preferred university’s application process and complete it on their website.
University application deadlines in Canada
Schools in Canada have two windows of application for international students hoping to study in Canada.
This includes the winter application window with a deadline of the 1st of September each year.
And then, the summer enrollments usually start on the 15th of January for master’s students. However, summer enrollment often begins much earlier for bachelor’s degree students.
It is important to note that enrollment dates and deadlines vary from school to school. Sometimes different courses within the same school may have other enrollment dates.
You might want to check with your university to see when they will begin admission for your preferred course.
FAQ
– Transcript of your secondary school or undergraduate results
– Language proficiency test
– Statement of purpose
– Letter of recommendation, if applicable
– Choose your preferred institution for Canadian admission
– Check the eligibility requirements for your preferred course
– Gather the necessary documents
– Pay for admission application
– Attach the required documents and submit
To get into a university in Canada, you will need to apply for a study program in that university, gain acceptance, and then obtain a student visa which will grant you access to travel to Canada for your studies.
According to a study conducted by Maclean, the university with the highest number of international students is the University of British Columbia. It has 31 percent of its first-year students from out of Canada. McGill University closely follows this with a total of 30 percent.
Other universities that accept the most international students in Canada include the Toronto, Saint Mary’s, Dalhousie universities, etc.
Most universities in Canada accept PTE for admission in Canada. Some of the top universities that accept PTE include:
– University of British Columbia
– McGill University
– Dalhousie University
– York University
– University of Saskatchewan
– University of Ottawa
While there is no such thing as the best intake section, the fall intake may be your best option. This is because more courses and universities are open for admission during the fall intake than any of other intake season.
However, your course of study in Canada might not be available for the fall intake, and at such times, it might be best to wait for the winter or spring intake in January or May, respectively.
To apply for a Ph.D. in Canada, you will need to
– Have a master’s degree in your preferred field
– Have proof of English or French language skill
– Have a strong score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
If you have the above, you can kickstart your Canada admission process for your Ph.D. program. First, search for your preferred school offering the Ph.D. program and then submit your application.
There are four intake seasons. Each intake season differs from school to school. Sometimes courses within the same universities in Canada might have different intake dates.
You will need to check your acceptance letter for your school’s opening session to see if you have gained Canadian admission.
– Choose your preferred institution for admission in Canada.
– Check the eligibility requirements for your preferred course
– Gather the necessary documents
– Pay for admission application
– Attach the required documents and submit
This mainly depends on your choice of institution and course of study in Canada. The September intakes start in early September and last till December. Some universities sometimes extend theirs to early-mid January.
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Conclusion
For Canadian admission, getting the necessary documents is the most crucial step. You can gain entry into any university in Canada with the correct documents.
If you have any doubts about the application process or need help, you can contact the Immigration and Education Services (IES) Portal. Our experts can help and advise on the best steps to take to gain admission into any institution in Canada.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that the information provided on this website is for general understanding only and should not be considered as legal advice. Every pages of the website is not updated every day. It is recommended to consult with our lawyers for latest information.