CANADA

UK Education

CANADA

Admission Procedure

       There are two major steps to take if you wish to go to Canada to study at the secondary or post-secondary level. First, you must be accepted in a program of study by a recognized Canadian school board, secondary school or post-secondary institution. Second, you must apply for and be granted a student authorization (visa if required) from Canadian immigration authorities. These two procedures take time, and you should apply a year in advance of when you wish to begin study in Canada.

       Admission Requirements vary from Institution to Institution, therefore for specific requirements students have to contact directly with the institution they are interested in. There are Canadian Education Centers (CEC) in India which can provide valuable information on English examination tests acceptable to Canadian universities.

Education System

       Education in Canada is under the complete jurisdiction of the provinces and territories. Under the Canadian constitution each of the provinces and territories have their own responsibility for education. The Canadian Education System encompasses both publicly funded and private schools, from kindergarten  to University. The academic year usually starts in September and ends in May. It is normally divided into two semesters.  Some institutes operate on  semester or trimester system and admit students in January , May and September.

Post secondary education is offered by four types of educational institutions:

       Universities: Canadian universities are largely public funded, and, as a result, offer consistently high quality education at lower tuition rates for international students than their counterparts in competing countries. Degrees from Canadian Universities are considered to be equivalent to those from American and other Commonwealth Universities.  They offer a broad range of courses and a full range of Degrees from Undergraduate to Doctorates. They also offer Certificates and Professional Degrees. To qualify for a Degree program at an English-speaking universities, students for whom English is not a first language must have passed an English examination test.  The TOEFL is commonly accepted but Canadian Universities often have their own tests for students or may accept other English tests such as the IELTS.

       University Colleges: As a component of the Canadian University system, University Colleges offer students a choice of either academic oriented University Degree Programmes or the more practical-oriented College Diplomas and Certificates.  

       Community colleges and technical institutes: Community Colleges and Technical Institutes have the primary function of responding to the training needs of Business, Industry and the Public Service Sectors.  The Community Colleges offer Certificate and Diploma programmes in career and vocational training.

       Technical/ Career College : These are privately owned and operated Schools with the main objective of preparing students for  a job after a short period of instruction.  The emphasis at career colleges is on practical skills over a broad range of Programmes.  They specialize in such areas as Business, Computers, and Secretarial skills.  Although privately owned, these institutes are provincially approved and regulated, ensuring that Programme standards and quality are maintained.

The address of CEC in Delhi:

Citizenship & Immigration Canada Regional Offices:

The UK Education

          U.K. has an advanced economy as well as one of the leading educational systems in the world. High standard and quality service is a feature of British colleges. It boasts of world renowned historic universities like Oxford and Cambridge.

Further Education

          In U.K., education and training after the school leaving age of 16 is termed Further Education (FE). There are over 600 F.E colleges across UK. F.E. colleges may be known by different names, such as college of further and higher education, college of technology, sixth-form College, institute or tertiary college. F.E colleges don't offer degrees. They provide excellent access opportunities either for going on to a university after a year's preparation or for completing a course which provides the right qualification for finding a job. Degrees awarded by F.E colleges include A-levels, International Baccalaureate or Bachelors, one year access courses, GNVQ (General National Vocational Qualification).

Higher Education

         Higher Education are courses having an entry requirement, normally obtained after 2 years of Post -GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) or Post-S- grade study-A levels and AS-levels, Scottish Higher, Advanced General National Vocational Diploma or General Scottish Vocational Diploma at Level III.

        Higher Education courses are available in Universities and University sector colleges and institutes. Most of the universities specialize in degree courses and a large number also offer Higher National Diploma (HND). Some of the larger University sector colleges and institutes provide degree and HND courses and smaller ones specialize in one or a group of subjects.

Application Procedure

         In most universities and colleges Academic year starts in September. Application procedure must begin at least one year before then. Entry is usually based on examination grades. In addition to qualifications relevant to your chosen subject you may have to show how well you can use the English language.

         For a Further education course in a college, application forms are obtained directly from the institution. For higher education (degree and diploma courses) there is a central system known as UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admission Service). UCAS - This organisation is the clearing house for application for first degrees to most higher education courses in the U.K.  Application forms can be had from the following address.

Universities and Colleges Admission Service

        For Oxford and Cambridge Universities the closing date for receipt of application forms is 15 October Whereas in other universities application should be made before 15th December.

       There are some courses held in colleges which are outside the UCAS system. They are some HND (Higher National Diploma) and Degree courses (mainly music and drama courses), Postgraduate courses and some specialist and professional courses. Application for these courses should be made directly to the institutions concerned.

       The US Educational System offers a wide range of courses and programs. This attracts students from all over the world. As many of the courses are internationally renowned getting admission becomes more competitive and complex. International students face many challenges both academically and personally. There are several factors to be taken into account in the choice - the institution, selection of majors, cost to be met and admission policies are some of the main items. In spite of all this it is an opportunity of a life time and one which can mould a citizen.

Education System ( USA )

      System of education in USA is different from that of India. In America,  higher education starts at the age of 18 after the completion of twelve years of primary and secondary schooling.  

Under Graduate Study or Bachelors:

• A candidate who has successfully completed class XII is eligible for the Bachelors Programme or Under Graduate Study in USA.
• The bachelors degree or under graduate study usually lasts for 4 years. In some cases an accelerated Programme can be completed in three years, while some professional fields require five years.
• The 4 year's undergraduate study is considered as 120 credit hours. One course averages 3 credits. Subjects involving lab facilities will get  4 credits. You receive a Bachelor's degree or undergraduate degree when you finish around 40 courses in different subjects within the span of four years. 
• Many colleges give an Associate degree after the sophomore year or second year of a Bachelor's degree. It is the degree awarded after either a college transfer or a 'terminal', One to three year programme providing training for a specific occupation. 

Graduate Study:

     In USA, higher studies after taking a degree or Bachelor's is termed Graduate study. 

      A candidate who has successfully completed four years of Bachelors Programme or Under Graduate Study is eligible to apply for the Master's Degree in USA. The traditional three year degree (BA, B.Sc, B.com) holders from India must complete an additional year of degree programme for eligibility. Additional courses which should be taken by them is decided by the student advisors appointed for them. There are even registered agencies who will evaluate the subjects studied in India with the courses equivalent in America and issue a certificate. 

     Masters degree is the first Graduate degree in the liberal arts and Sciences and certain professional fields requiring 30 credit hours of full-time study within a year or 2 years. You can  get your Master's degree by taking 8 courses of subjects with 3 credits each plus a thesis of 6 hours credit or 10 courses of subjects with 3 credits each without the thesis. Some Universities have a final exam. Usually masters degree include M.S and M.A degrees.

     It is not particular that you continue with the same majors that you chose for undergraduate study-in graduate study. But if you change the majors, you will have to take additional basic courses for the new subjects. These courses are called Pre-requisite courses. You have to get a pass in these course but you may not get credits for the same. 

     Research (Doctoral Degree) - The highest degree awarded in research-oriented academic disciplines, usually requiring 3 to 6 years of full time study besides the Bachelor's degree as preparation for University level teaching and research. Indian students with a Master Degree can apply for P.H.D. 

The main criteria for admission are the applicant’s interest in the particular subject of research. 

      First Professional Degree - The degree required to be academically qualified to practice in certain professions, such as law, medicine etc usually requires a total of at least six years of study including prior college level work. It must have as a prerequisite at least two years of college credit.

Different Educational Institutions College:

      It is an independent institution that offers a four-year programme of undergraduate study in the liberal arts (BA, BFA) and sciences (B.S). Bachelors degree is the basic requirement for graduate work.

Universities:

      Universities are larger institutions that include several undergraduate colleges, graduate schools, and professional schools. 
Graduate school involves 1 or 2 years of study and offers advanced programs in arts and sciences which gives master's degrees like M.A or M.S, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) etc.

      Professional schools are institutions which specialize in a single field of study such as medicine, pharmacy, business administration, law etc.

Junior College or Community Colleges:

      These colleges award only Associate Degree of Arts (A.A)  and Sciences (A.S) which involves 2 year of study. After receiving Associate Degree, students must join a 4 years college or University to complete the Bachelor's Degree.

Vocational and Technical Institution:

      These institutes specialize in training for the skilled trades and technical fields of employment. Duration of the courses depends on the particular subject. After completion, they will be awarded a certificate of completion and they can straight away join for a job.

Grading

      In American Universities, they give grades instead of ranks or classes for courses. The grades are A, B, C, D, E, F, I.  A is the highest grade. Grades from A to D is considered as pass. Grade I-incomplete. Grade I is granted when students stop the course in between with the teachers permission.  If it is without permission this can become F grade. 

• Marks between 100-90- A Grade (Excellent)
• Marks between 89-79- B Grade (good)
• Marks between 78-68- C Grade (Average)
• Marks between 67-57- D Grade (Below)
• Below 57- F or fail. 

       Each grade has points. 4 points for A grade, 3 for B and 2 for C. The average points taken for all the courses taken together are the GPA (Grade Point Average). It is the general score on a scale of 1.0(lowest) to 4.0 (highest). It is difficult to get admission for graduate study if you don't have at least a G.P.A of 3.0. G.P.A is computed using a unique formula by the university's administration. The grades are fixed by the professor's who teach the subjects based on the performance of the students. The success rate is high

Admission Tests

Standardized Tests For Admission

• Certain tests are used to evaluate applicants for admission to colleges and universities in the United States.

• For a Bachelors Programme in the US required admission Tests are SAT and TOEFL. Minimum test scores for admission is set individually by each college or university.

• For a Master's or Doctoral Programme the required Tests are TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT. Minimum Test scores needed are TOEFL- 600, GRE-2100, and GMAT- 700.

College Board SAT Program

      The Sat Program consists of 2 tests. SAT I : Reasoning Test and SAT II : Subject Tests.

     SAT I is a three hour test, primarily multiple choice that measures verbal and mathematical abilities. The Verbal Sections test vocabulary, verbal reasoning and critical reading skills. Emphasis is placed on reading passages, which are 400-850 words in length.

     Mathematics Sections test student’s ability to solve problems involving arithmetic, algebra and geometry. This section includes questions, which students should produce their own responses rather than choosing from various answer choices. Calculators are allowed for SAT I Math Section.

     SAT II :- Subject Tests are one hour tests, primarily multiple choice, in specific subjects that measure students knowledge of these subjects and their ability to apply the knowledge tests offered include writing, literature, math level I, Math Level I  C, Math Level II C, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, American History and Social Studies, World History, French (reading only) German (reading only), Modern Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Spanish (reading only) and foreign language Tests with listening in German, Spanish, Japanese, French and Chinese.

ACT (American College Testing) Assessment Program

      The ACT Assessment Instrument consists of four Academic tests, taken under timed conditions, and a student Profile Section and Interest Inventory, completed when students register for the ACT. This program is a comprehensive data collection, processing and reporting service designed to assist in educational and carrier planning by students, high schools and post secondary institutions.

TOFEL (Test of English as a foreign language)

      There are 3 sections in the exam. 1) Listening comprehension  2) Structure written Expressions 3) Vocabulary and Reading Comprehensions. The most important section is the Listening comprehension. It involves listening to taped conversations and the ability to understand is tested.

TOEFL centers are there in almost all the main cities in India. The test is conducted almost every month or alternate months.

GRE (Graduate Record Examinations)

       GRE has 2 main sections. One is the General test and the other is the Subject Test. Subject Test is to be written by only those who wish to go for Research or doctoral Programme.

        The general test is a 3 1/2 hour test with 7 sections of objective questions. These sections include 2 sections each of verbal ability, analytical ability and quantitative ability and a 7th section which can be one among the above, not known till the time of the exam.

The subject test is a 2 hour 50 minutes test. Subject tests can be written in 17 subjects.

The application forms for TOEFL and GRE Exams in India can be obtained from

or

E-mail: Contact 1, Contact 2

Phone-91-532-2427050, 2427042
Fax- 91-532-2427041

website : www.ipem.org

GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)

      GMAT is the admission test for a Master's Degree in Business administration. This is a 3 1/2 hours test with 7 sections of verbal and quantitative ability. For application forms and registration you should contact in the following address.

Graduate Management Admission Test,

There are also other admission tests like MCAT for medicine and LSAT for law.

USEFI - United States Educational Foundation in India