Canada has been ranked as one among the best places in world to live in. This estimation was based upon the various achievements in terms of education, national income and quality of life. In addition, it also includes Canada’s comfortable population density, low incidence of violent crime and a health care system.

The education system in Canada is excellent and is ranked among the best education systems in the world. Furthermore, the tuition fees in Canada are very low compared to other English speaking countries.

The degrees offered by the Canadian colleges and universities are internationally recognized. A wide range of quality educational institutions offering technical as well as professional disciplines for both degrees and diplomas are available in Canada. In Canada, after completing graduation, students can get an opportunity to work without a work permit for one year.

Canada is a peaceful, safe and stable country. Compared to other counties, the medical insurance of Canada is inexpensive and offers advanced and excellent medical services.

Canada is a multinational country and is a home to several aboriginal people. Till date, Canada has welcomed 15 million immigrants. Another reason for which Canada makes an ideal destination for studies is its nature and four distinct seasons. Plus, there is something for everyone, including indoor and outdoor recreational activities.

The Canadian educational institutes are very welcoming and encourage new students from abroad. If you are planning to study in Canada, you are sure to receive best education and that your days spend in Canada will be the most memorable days in your life.

For those looking forward to study abroad, Canada has become a very popular option in the recent past. With its diversity in land, culture and courses to study, a lot of students nowadays are opting to go to Canada more and more for their higher studies; especially Indian students are opting for this peaceful country more and more when it comes to higher studies abroad.

Canada not only holds diversity in land and culture but it offers a diverse range of courses for its students to choose from. One can chose from various options like – high school diploma, degree courses, summer sessions, exchange students, four years course, two years course, and can even go for part time or full time courses either on the campus or via internet.

Institutes and Colleges in Canada happen to be one of the top reputed colleges for its low tuition fees and globally accepted certificates and degrees. And that is not the only attraction; another magnet force of Canada is its large stretched natural and cultural environment. There are many coaching centers in India helping students with test preparation to study abroad.

The education system in Canada is a provincial system taken care of by the Canadian government, i.e. there is quite a difference between the education system of different provinces, though common high standard is maintained throughout the country.

In total, Canada has 73 universities plus 180 community colleges, if one wishes to pursue a degree course then one can go for admission in university in Canada, the colleges on the other hand provide diploma courses for 2 – 3 years of duration. There is a wide range of colleges and the courses offered by them which are –

University of Alberta – early education in childhood, biotech in plant, forestry and law. University of Calgary – programs in environment and resource, marine science, general arts, business and management, medicine, architecture, computer science, music and fine arts and social work. University of Lethbridge – inter disciplinary courses and multi disciplinary major, women’s studies, studies in urban and regional subjects, science, arts, management, engineering etc. University of Northern British Columbia – natural resource management course, it has limited seats for enrollment in any of its programs and students coming from international destinations have to pay 1.75 times more than the regular fees. Simon Fraser University – communication, applied mathematics, business administration and the study of human body parts i.e. kinesiology. Nova Scotia College – degree courses in fine arts, design and ceramics. This college happens to be the best college in the entire North America for its fine art courses.

Besides the list above, there are many more well-reputed colleges and universities in Canada offering a wide range of options in almost all spheres of courses and study topics.

Hence, it is pretty evident that there is no possible course option that one can’t find in Canada be it business or management field, medicine and science field or architecture and fine arts, one can get all the options readily available here.

Contrasting the US education system, a course in Bachelors degree here is for 3 years, although Honors takes an added year. Masters degree courses are a blend of course work and research.

So, if you have finally made up your mind to go and pursue a course in Canada then you can apply for student’s visa via CIC (citizenship and immigration Canada). It requires filling up of an application, the processing amount (fees), and other necessary documents that are to be submitted.

For more information on studying in Canada you can go to various education sites, blogs, forums etc.

To study in Canada for higher education is very cost effective and its Universities offer world class education. These Universities are affordable as compared to other Universities of the world such as US, New-Zealand and UK where cost of education and living are very high. According to a survey in 2006 by the Association of Commonwealth Universities, “Canada offered the lowest tuition fees for foreign students as compared to UK and Australia”.

The low intensity of crimes and peaceful safe environment of the country also lures lots of international students towards Canadian Universities. Canada has 92 Universities and 175 community colleges and University degrees have three levels- Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral.

A Bachelor degree in Canada compromises for full time three or four years depending upon the nature of program you are doing (regular or specialized)
On the other hand, Masters Degree consists of two years of study for which honors degree is imperative. For Doctoral program in Canadian University you require minimum three to four or sometimes five years of extensive research and study. It includes PhD and doctoral degree in Music (DMus) and law (LLD) can also be obtained from the Universities.  

You could also find many diploma and certification program in Canadian Universities where the time duration is generally 1 to 2 years. Besides the regular academic degree of Management and Engineering, you could also obtain professional degree in various fields such as medicine, pharmacy, Law, nursing and dentistry, education and social work.  Some of the Canadian universities are regarded world wide and the degree and diploma obtained from these Canadian Universities are recognized globally and promise you bright future. After the completion of studies you could also find great job offers in Canada itself. Students who have Canadian Degree or Diploma are eligible to work for up to one year. International students require a work permit to work on-campus.   

For international students willing to study in Canada are required to get a study permit from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. You could also find scholarship programs being run by the Canadian Universities. Students who are not able to afford the expense of education can opt for these programs by securing at least 90% to 95% of marks in the merit. However, one of the basic exams that every international student has to undergo is TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language) It is mandatory for the students whose mother tongue is not English. The score of TOEFL matters a lot in deciding your fate for the admission in the topnotch Universities of Canada.

The top eight Universities of Canada are listed below-

- The University of British Columbia
- University of Alberta
- Trinity Western University
- York University
- University of Victoria
- University of Toronto
- Trent University
- King’s University College

With many investors vying to immigrate to Canada, the competition has become rather stiff. It’s a gold rush and investors need to be aware of all the immigration related information, procedures and terms & conditions to the minutest details. As per the existing rules, (subject to change shortly) for an investor to immigrate to Canada (other than Quebec), he/she has to fulfill the following criteria:
1.    Business management experience
2.    A minimum household net worth of CDN$800,000 (legally obtained)
3.    Qualify medical and security evaluations
4.    Make a CDN$400,000 investment(no interest) with the Govt. of Canada for 5 years ( which can be financed with Govt. affiliated banks & financial institutions)
Investors can there are many immigration consultants and law firms that provide complete migration services, but getting the right consultant or firm is a difficult task.
Here are a few tips that would help you in choosing the right organization.
1.    Hire a law firm/consultant that offers a unique combination of qualifications and services
2.    Hire a law firm that offers investor immigration consultants or an immigration consultant with trained lawyers on their payroll (on an average, lawyers spend 7 years to qualify, while immigration consultants qualify in under a year)
3.    Hire a law firm/consultant with solid years (at least 10 years) of immigration related experience
4.    Hire a law firm/consultant that has a track record of executing successful migration services, investors immigration in particular
5.    Hire a law firm/consultant that would refund certain percentage of your fees( if not the full amount) if you don’t get an Investor Immigrant ( Permanent Resident) Visa
6.    Hire a law firm/consultant that provides unique personalized services; you should be able to meet them or talk to them on the phone
7.    Avoid firms/consultants that offer only online assessment services
8.    Hire a firm/consultant with follow-on services that can assist you even after you get the Canada Immigration Investor Visa

Immigration consultants and law firms galore, but only a handful of them has the features mentioned above.  Goldman Associates, run by Ian Goldman, is one of the very few law firms that have been consistently providing full immigration services for investors to Canada for the last 17 years.

Canada is a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada as head of state, and a parliamentary democracy with a federal system of parliamentary government.

Canada is a bilingual and multicultural country with English and French as official language. Non-official languages are important in Canada, with 5,202,245 people listing one as a first language. Some significant non-official first languages include Chinese, Italian, German, and Punjabi.

Canada is an ethnically diverse nation. According to the 2001 census, it has 34 ethnic groups with at least one hundred thousand members each. The largest ethnic group is “Canadian” (39.4%), followed by English (20.2%), French (15.8%), Scottish (14.0%), Irish (12.9%), German (9.3%), Italian (4.3%), Chinese (3.7%), Ukrainian (3.6%) and First Nations (3.4%).

Canada is one of the world’s wealthiest nations with a high per capita income, a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Group Eight (G8). Canada is a free market with slight government intervention, much less than most of the European countries.

Canadians adhere to a wide variety of religions, as people in Canada have the freedom of religion as one of their rights. According to 2001 census, 77.1% of Canadians identified as being Christians; of this, Catholics make up the largest group (43.6% of Canadians).

In Canada, the provinces and territories are responsible for education; thus Canada has no national department of education. The mandatory school age varies across Canada but generally ranges between the ages of 5-7 to 16-18,

Canadian culture has historically been heavily influenced by British, French and aboriginal culture and traditions, and over time has been greatly influenced by American culture because of the proximity between the two countries. Canadian culture has also been greatly influenced by more recent immigration of people from all over the world.

Canadian official national sports are ice hockey (ice hockey) and lacrosse (summer). Hockey is the national pass-time and also the most watched sport in the country. After hockey, other popular watched sports include Canadian football and curling.

For more information read at :- www.canreach.com
Canadian Immigration

This cost can take many years to pay off if the fees are funded through student loans, leaving many young students in massive debt, and without a job, on graduation day. It is best to begin saving for your child’s education as soon as you can.

According to Acumen Research, 60 per cent of potential University students do not discuss educational finances with their peers or parents until they are around the tenth grade. This is obviously too late to begin saving. Parents should begin by putting whatever they can away when they children are at a young age. Sean Junor, manager for the Educational Policy Institute suggests finding out what your child’s interests are as they grow up. Keeping tabs on their interests can provide a bit of a guide when it comes to later schooling. If your child is interested in food, then a culinary school could be what you should be saving for.

Knowing this type of information early on allows you, as a parent, to realize if they will be more likely to attend a local college for two years or an international university studying specialized sciences for eight years, for instance. The cost from one option to the other is a staggering difference. Getting an idea of your child’s academic goal will be a great start to knowing the amount of money that will be required.

If putting several hundred dollars a month into an educational account is not feasible, then put away what you can afford, when you can afford it. Junor says, “You’ve got to start somewhere. The key is to sit down and determine how much you have at your disposal to start saving right now.”

Taking advantage of programs such as the Registered Education Savings Plan (RESPs) and the Canada Education Savings Grant early on can also have a significant impact in your end result. RESPs allow for (eventual) tax-free withdrawal. The money put into a Canada Educations Savings account by modest-income families is matched by the government and allows them to begin saving for a Canada Learning Bond. If you live in Alberta, additional programs such as the Alberta Centennial Educations Savings Plan is worth looking into.

The Best Schools in Canada

Education is vital to a successful career in any field. For many, choosing the right school makes all the difference in terms of educational gains and future employment. Thankfully, Canada offers an array of quality institutions to suit a variety of students. From culinary schools to full universities, Canada has some of the best offerings in the world.

Canada boasts one of the top ranked institutions of higher learning in the world. McGill University in Montreal was recently listed as the twelfth best university and the top school within Canada itself. The school’s status was granted by the annual Times Higher-QS World University Rankings. It also placed as the top publicly funded institution in North America. McGill’s high ranking was due to a number of positive factors. For one, the school boasts a well-qualified, dedicated faculty and an exceptional staff to student ratio. McGill also demonstrates its achievement level through the placement of alumni with top companies both in Canada and elsewhere around the globe. The university offers programs in some three hundred academic fields, and is a great choice for undergraduate study.

For those with entrepreneurial aspirations, Schulish School of Business at York University is the place to go. The Toronto school was founded in 1966 and has cultivated an exceptional reputation over the past three decades. The school is consistently ranked among the top business schools not only in Canada but around the world. Schluish offers a number of undergraduate and graduate degrees in business, including Canada’s first international MBA certificate. The school also boasts diverse students and faculty and a well-equipped learning environment.

Anyone interested in a career in food production should consider Stratford Chefs School in Ontario, which is considered the best culinary school in Canada. This institute has been around for more than twenty-five years and boasts a 100% graduate employment rate. Approximately seventy students enroll annually at the school, which is one of the few operated by current restaurant professionals. The program focuses on both classical and contemporary cuisine. It also has a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship. Thus, students are well prepared for a future beyond the kitchen. Many alumni even open their own businesses.

If food isn’t quite high-tech enough for you, you may want to look into Vancouver Film School (VFS), Canada’s top digital animation school. It was given this distinction by 3D World magazine, which also placed the school as fifth in the world. VFS offers thirteen programs, which can be completed in as little as one year. Similar curricula elsewhere could take three to four years to finish. Out of all the film schools on YouTube, VFS leads them all with more than 12,000 subscribers and nearly 8 million video views. Many of the school’s alumni work for top film companies and have won Emmys, Oscars, and other notable awards for their work.

Ultimately, Canada has much to offer those seeking an exceptional education. Its quality schools prepare professionals for a wide array of fields. What’s more, Canada’s academic prowess continues to grow each year. Rankings of its higher education institutes have consistently risen over the last several years, showing the nation continues to make progress towards producing more skilled professionals.

Here in Canada, education is administered, supported and managed by federal, provincial, and local governments. It’s system is within provincial jurisdiction and the curriculum is overseen by the province.

Allow me to discuss the levels of education in Canada.  Generally, it is divided into three major stages:  First is the Elementary Level which comprises the Primary and the Public School, then we have the Secondary or  the High School and finally, the Post Secondary, which can either be in the University or in a  College.

Each province has district school boards carrying out the educational programs under the ministry of education.  Education is imperative up to an age of 16. For each year, Canada primarily has 190 school days (of course notwithstanding the cancellation of classes due to weather disruptions or insurgences. The classes officially opens at September which is after Labour Day and ends on June which is usually the last Friday of the month, while it is on a Wednesday in the Catholic Schools of Ontario.

Most Canadian education systems continue up to grade twelve which normally have the ages seventeen to eighteen. In Quebec, the typical high school term ends after Secondary V, the same as to grade eleven which falls under the ages sixteen to seventeen; following this, students who wish to continue their studies to the university level are required to turn up in the CEGEP (A French acronym which stands for Collège d’enseignement général et professionnel which means: “College of General and Vocational Education”). 

Sources: _________________
1.    Education In Canada: Internet page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Canada. Retrieved on November 26, 2007
2.    An Introduction to Canada: Internet page: http://www.coibs.com/english/canintro.html. Retrieved on November 26, 2007

HEC Montréal is arguably Canada’s leading business school with over a hundred years of history and three international accreditations. Discover some key facts about HEC Montréal.

The world expects a lot from Canada and its institutions, and so do we. Here at the University of Ottawa, Canada’s university, we make sure our students leave with the knowledge and tools to compete in a global economy.

We give them the opportunity to study, live and play in English, French or both. We offer them collaborative research projects and student-exchange programs through some 140 bilateral agreements with sister universities in close to 50 countries. We offer a multicultural environment by welcoming students and professors from virtually every continent. And we encourage them to gain new experiences by taking part in the many international, government and cultural events staged in our own backyard, the nation’s capital.

At the University of Ottawa, we want our graduates to be ready not only to face a career, but to face the world.

Quick Facts 2008

At a Glance

• North America’s premier bilingual university
• Students study in their choice of English or French, with the possibility of pursuing French immersion undergraduate programs
• Ranks seventh in research intensity among Canada’s top 50 research universities
• Located in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, less than 2,000 metres from Parliament Hill
• Students and faculty from more than 150 countries
• More than 360 undergraduate programs and more than 110 graduate programs in 10 faculties
• The third largest co-operative education program in Canada