In addition to the degrees mentioned, Canadian universities sometimes offer postgraduate courses. These conclude with a Canadian post-degree diploma or a Canadian post-degree certificate. These study programs last between six months and a year. They offer students the opportunity to deepen the knowledge they have acquired in their bachelor’s degree. The degrees are not recognized as degrees in Germany. However, they can represent an interesting additional qualification on the job market.
College degrees
Canadian colleges offer pre-vocational training courses that last between one and three years and lead to a certificate or diploma. They can best be compared with German vocational training. The recognition, however, these financial statements in Germany is not easy. Therefore, they are only suitable to a limited extent for German applicants. Interested parties should therefore find out in advance whether the qualification will be recognized in their specific case.
From College to University – Transfer Programs
However, the transfer programs of the Canadian colleges are interesting: These are intended to prepare students for university studies. These are two-year study programs that conclude with an associate degree. After completing this Canadian associate degree, students can be placed in the third year of a bachelor’s degree that is appropriate to their subject. There they can acquire their bachelor’s degree within a further two years. Such a two-part bachelor’s degree has advantages: On the one hand, the tuition fees at colleges are often lower than at universities. On the other hand, some colleges also leave its applicants without a university entrance qualification to study. Thus, they also offer applicants without a high school diploma a way to acquire an internationally recognized bachelor’s degree.
Interested parties should inquire in advance whether the change from college to the university of their choice is possible without any problems. There are cooperation agreements between many colleges and universities. Such agreements are intended to facilitate switching between the two institutions. However, the universities act completely autonomously. Therefore, applicants should play it safe and get this possibility confirmed by both universities.
Study alternatives – Summer Sessions and Visiting Student Program
International students who do not want to do a complete study abroad in Canada also have the opportunity to study in Canada for a while.
Summer sessions
One possibility is to take part in a short-term study program such as the so-called summer sessions. Many universities offer these summer sessions. They take place between May and September. These are intensive programs at the bachelor level, in which the entire material of a semester is covered in just five to ten weeks. For international students, the summer sessions are a unique opportunity to do a complete semester abroad during their home semester break.
Visiting student program
Another way to get to know Canada is to take part in a visiting student program. These semester programs allow international students to study abroad for one or two semesters at a Canadian university of their choice. They are not in a particular semester or a particular classified study program. For this reason, they can put together their own schedule from the entire range of courses offered by the university. On the one hand, this system enables them to coordinate their events with the curriculum at their German home university. On the other hand, students can explore other interests and skills.
Studying in Canada: requirements
A general university entrance qualification is usually required to study in Canada, a major country in North America listed on mcat-test-centers. Since the higher education entrance qualification in Canada is acquired after twelve school years, in some cases the German technical diploma is sufficient to start a bachelor’s degree in Canada. At the colleges, the secondary school leaving certificate plus vocational training is sometimes sufficient to be admitted to the course.
For the Masters in Canada, applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree. Since in Canada only a four-year bachelor’s degree entitles to a master’s degree, the German bachelor’s degree is not always recognized. The Canadian universities usually check individually whether the study achievements achieved in the bachelor’s degree are sufficient to start directly into the master’s degree in Canada. The old master’s and diploma degrees are in most cases sufficient to be accepted for a master’s degree in Canada.
Linguistic proficiency
In addition to their respective diplomas, applicants must also demonstrate sufficient language skills to be admitted to study abroad in Canada. Because Canada is bilingual, there are both English- and French-speaking universities. The universities in Canada where the language of instruction is English clearly outnumber them. The French-speaking institutions are mainly located in the south of the province of Quebec. There are also some colleges that teach in both English and French.
A standardized test such as the IELTS or TOEFL is usually sufficient as proof of English skills. The knowledge of French are in individual tests requested. For some Master’s programs, additional academic admission tests such as the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) or the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) are required.
Application process for semesters abroad and summer sessions
In contrast to the application process for a full-time study in Canada, the application process for semesters abroad and summer sessions is rather uncomplicated. As a rule, applicants only have to prove their Abitur or advanced technical college entrance qualification. In addition, they must have sufficient knowledge of English or French to be able to follow the lectures.
