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Canada, known for its huge international student community, has become a favoured destination among Indians for postgraduate study. If you are considering the same, we’re here to give you the information you need.

What are your options?

Some of Canada’s most popular postgraduate programs are offered in the areas of Business Management, Hospitality Management, Health Science, Science and Engineering, and Information Technology.

For most Indian graduates, post-graduation implies a Masters degree. There are 2 kinds of Masters Degrees offered in Canada – one based on coursework, and the other based on a thesis in addition to coursework, the latter aimed at the development of research skills.

A four-year Bachelors degree is the minimum requirement to enter into a Masters program. However, most Indian students who have completed their graduation in India, will have a three-year Bachelors degree. This degree, if in addition to a Masters Degree awarded in India, also meets the entry requirement. 

While a Masters Degree is academically more demanding and rigorous, an alternative geared primarily towards preparing the candidate with a specific skill-set for employment, is a Post Graduate Diploma or Certificate.

Masters v/s PG Diploma

The biggest difference is in duration – a diploma requires a lesser number of credits to graduate than a Masters. Thus, while a Masters takes 1.5 to 3 years to complete, a PG diploma is usually completed in 1 to 2 years.

With a PG Diploma, the candidate can move directly into a job. The stay-back duration for an international student is proportional to the number of years of study – a diploma, allows 1 year stay-back, while a Masters degree allows 3.

In order to study further towards a PhD, a Masters degree is required.

In terms of cost, average tuition fee is generally lower for a diploma program – however, it varies across discipline and institution. The average tuition fee for a Masters is 16,500 CAD, while for a diploma it is 10,000 CAD.

Choosing a program of study in a country having so many possible options can be tricky. The Hurray Overseas counselling team is happy to help you figure out what works best for you. Contact us at overseaseducation@hurrayeductech.com or 8971357928.