Colleges In Canada: A Perspective
Srividya Shivakumar, Professor, Jain University, Bangalore
Colleges in Canada
Canada, the land of opportunities, has opened its doors to students and migrants. There are plenty of success stories of students who visited Canada for higher studies and carved a mark. The country is famous for its friendliness and pristine wilderness. Top it with world-class universities, Canada is undoubtedly the most popular destination for international higher education programs.
Why Canada?
It comes as no surprise that the number of international student in Canada at all levels of study was 572,415 in 2018. Of this number, Indian students entering Canada rose by 40% from 2017. In 2017, an estimated 75,000 student visas were granted to Indians.
Top 10 Colleges in Canada
1. University of Toronto: Climbing up three places to make it to 28th best colleges in the world, University of Toronto is rated number 1 in Canada for its elite academic and graduate employment reputation. UofT, as it is called, has a long list of pioneering credits to its name. It boasts of the first academic publishing house in Canada. The university is hailed as the best in the medical field and the notable alumni list includes 10 Nobel laureates, 5 Canadian prime ministers and famous literary geniuses like Margret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje. U of T is ranked highest for Medicine, medical technology, human and biological sciences, automation and control, sociology, management and public health. It is the preferred university for subjects- Engineering, Business & Management studies, Anthropology, Mathematics, Social Policy & Administration, Electrical and Electronic engineering, Chemistry among others.
"The Canadian education system is similar to the American system with minimal influence from British Universities".
2. University of British Columbia: Not only is the University of British Columbia the oldest, it is also the most competitive to get into. UBC is home for the world's largest cyclotron (a type of particle accelerator). Top subjects to study at UBC are Business & Economics, Life Sciences, Social Sciences, Clinical, Pre-clinical and health, Physical Sciences, Engineering & Technology and Arts & humanities. UBC is among the top 40 research universities in the world based on the number of research articles published in top-tier journals.
3. McGill University: The only Canadian education institute which is represented in the World Economic Forum's Global University Leader's Forum is McGill University. The university offers over 300 degree subjects and is home for over 30,000 students from all parts of the world. Notable McGill alum is James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. Academically, McGill is highly rated for courses in medicine, engineering and science. The university is also highly ranked in Law and Management. It is highly sought after for higher education including master's degrees, MBAs and graduate degree certificates.
4. McMaster University: Named after an eminent Canadian senator, McMaster University is world renowned for its medical school. The university also offers courses in business, social sciences, humanities and science. But, the focal point of education at McMaster is research particularly in the field of health sciences. One of the recent breakthrough research undertaken at McMaster is from the Stem Cell and Cancer Research institute which was successful in differentiating human skin cells into blood cells. Could this be the answer to the shortage of blood storage in the world? The answer will be delivered from the dedicated researchers at McMaster University.
5. University of Montreal: University of Montreal, a francophone university, (French speaking) is the second largest in the country in terms of student population. This university is home to over 41,000 students and more than a quarter is international students. Not to worry, not all the international students who are accepted here can speak French. With every year, there is an increase in the number of English speaking students. Researchers are most benefitted because research institutes are predominantly bilingual environment. There are over 250 undergraduate programs, 350 graduate programs, and is ranked among the top 100 universities globally in life science and medicine.
6. University of Ottawa: Another bilingual university is University of Ottawa. It is the largest bilingual university in the world.The university offers 450 programs including Education, arts, engineering, postdoctoral studies, health sciences, science, medicine, civil law, social science, common law and Telfer School of Management. University of Ottawa is the member of U15 which is a cluster of research initiatives institutes in Canada.
Other prominent universities are Western University, University of Calgary, and University of Waterloo
Indian education system and Canadian Universities: Same difference?
The Canadian education system is similar to the American system with minimal influence from British Universities. In Canada, the types of institutions include public and private universities, and liberal arts colleges. There are various study levels in Canada- certificates and diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, postgraduate diploma, master's degree (by thesis), Doctorate or PhD, and post-doctoral programs. Indian education is focused on theoretical knowledge. Students are exposed to hands-on practical application only when they take up specialization subjects. In Canada, students are exposed to application based learning from the beginning. One of the elemental differences between studying in Canada and India is the approach to education. In India, education is viewed as a formality where every Indian is expected to get a degree. In Canada and other parts of the world, education is approached as voluntary learning process.
Canada, the land of opportunities, has opened its doors to students and migrants. There are plenty of success stories of students who visited Canada for higher studies and carved a mark. The country is famous for its friendliness and pristine wilderness. Top it with world-class universities, Canada is undoubtedly the most popular destination for international higher education programs.
Why Canada?
It comes as no surprise that the number of international student in Canada at all levels of study was 572,415 in 2018. Of this number, Indian students entering Canada rose by 40% from 2017. In 2017, an estimated 75,000 student visas were granted to Indians.
Top 10 Colleges in Canada
1. University of Toronto: Climbing up three places to make it to 28th best colleges in the world, University of Toronto is rated number 1 in Canada for its elite academic and graduate employment reputation. UofT, as it is called, has a long list of pioneering credits to its name. It boasts of the first academic publishing house in Canada. The university is hailed as the best in the medical field and the notable alumni list includes 10 Nobel laureates, 5 Canadian prime ministers and famous literary geniuses like Margret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje. U of T is ranked highest for Medicine, medical technology, human and biological sciences, automation and control, sociology, management and public health. It is the preferred university for subjects- Engineering, Business & Management studies, Anthropology, Mathematics, Social Policy & Administration, Electrical and Electronic engineering, Chemistry among others.
"The Canadian education system is similar to the American system with minimal influence from British Universities".
2. University of British Columbia: Not only is the University of British Columbia the oldest, it is also the most competitive to get into. UBC is home for the world's largest cyclotron (a type of particle accelerator). Top subjects to study at UBC are Business & Economics, Life Sciences, Social Sciences, Clinical, Pre-clinical and health, Physical Sciences, Engineering & Technology and Arts & humanities. UBC is among the top 40 research universities in the world based on the number of research articles published in top-tier journals.
3. McGill University: The only Canadian education institute which is represented in the World Economic Forum's Global University Leader's Forum is McGill University. The university offers over 300 degree subjects and is home for over 30,000 students from all parts of the world. Notable McGill alum is James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. Academically, McGill is highly rated for courses in medicine, engineering and science. The university is also highly ranked in Law and Management. It is highly sought after for higher education including master's degrees, MBAs and graduate degree certificates.
4. McMaster University: Named after an eminent Canadian senator, McMaster University is world renowned for its medical school. The university also offers courses in business, social sciences, humanities and science. But, the focal point of education at McMaster is research particularly in the field of health sciences. One of the recent breakthrough research undertaken at McMaster is from the Stem Cell and Cancer Research institute which was successful in differentiating human skin cells into blood cells. Could this be the answer to the shortage of blood storage in the world? The answer will be delivered from the dedicated researchers at McMaster University.
5. University of Montreal: University of Montreal, a francophone university, (French speaking) is the second largest in the country in terms of student population. This university is home to over 41,000 students and more than a quarter is international students. Not to worry, not all the international students who are accepted here can speak French. With every year, there is an increase in the number of English speaking students. Researchers are most benefitted because research institutes are predominantly bilingual environment. There are over 250 undergraduate programs, 350 graduate programs, and is ranked among the top 100 universities globally in life science and medicine.
6. University of Ottawa: Another bilingual university is University of Ottawa. It is the largest bilingual university in the world.The university offers 450 programs including Education, arts, engineering, postdoctoral studies, health sciences, science, medicine, civil law, social science, common law and Telfer School of Management. University of Ottawa is the member of U15 which is a cluster of research initiatives institutes in Canada.
Other prominent universities are Western University, University of Calgary, and University of Waterloo
Indian education system and Canadian Universities: Same difference?
The Canadian education system is similar to the American system with minimal influence from British Universities. In Canada, the types of institutions include public and private universities, and liberal arts colleges. There are various study levels in Canada- certificates and diploma, associate degree, bachelor's degree, postgraduate diploma, master's degree (by thesis), Doctorate or PhD, and post-doctoral programs. Indian education is focused on theoretical knowledge. Students are exposed to hands-on practical application only when they take up specialization subjects. In Canada, students are exposed to application based learning from the beginning. One of the elemental differences between studying in Canada and India is the approach to education. In India, education is viewed as a formality where every Indian is expected to get a degree. In Canada and other parts of the world, education is approached as voluntary learning process.
