harry321 said:
i really need your views tiger 007.
i am from India.
i had done with my masters (with 70%) MSc-IT(theory based)
ielts 7 band
one year gap( in gap year - did one year diploma in French)
now i want to apply for Study visa Canada.
Which course and which programme i should choose.. am confused
can i apply for diploma if not then tell me what should i do..
HELP ME GUYS................... ??? :-[ :-X :'(
Hi,
The decision on an application for a Canadian study permit will completely be based on one's individual application package. Usually good academic record ( especially marks of last major degree) , proper course selection (preferably showing progression in same field) consistent profile, sufficient proof of funding and a decent IELTS score is seen as a standard benchmark to get the Canadian study permit. There may be more requirements, depending upon the citizenship of one's country.
Since you are already equivalent to a 4 year's Canadian bachelor's degree , and provided you have atleast 60% aggregate in final 2 years i.e in your MSC, you are eligible to apply for Master's at Canadian public universities. And for visa purposes.. it's natural to show progression.. i.e to pursue PG courses- PG certificates atleast or better Master's... since you are very well qualified to apply to universities. But, mind you..applying to PG certificate courses won't guarantee visa and at same time.. applying to lower level diplomas, especially in reputed colleges in your area of study... won't mean sure rejection... as there have been cases where bachelor's/,master's degree holder from India do get approved visa for lower level diploma courses... and those even applying to PG courses get rejection! So it really depends on individual cases... and academic record plays a big role... but generally... to have higher chances of visa... one can apply for PG courses... get visa..and if they wish, then move to diploma courses. Since, you have a French diploma, you may even choose to do Master's in English medium universities of Quebec such as in Concordia. There while studying, if you can clear French proficiency exam - intermediate level 3- DELF B1 , then not only you will be getting a quality Master's degree but also direct CSQ and nomination by Quebec govt. and hence direct PR.
Regarding courses,, personally I feel.. if not Master's, then it's better to pursue 2 years technical diplomas in colleges, which are more practical oriented (better if it is with co-op option)..and these are actually pursued by Canadians... while most of these PG certificate courses are specifically made for international students, those not qualified for Master's and yet do not want to take risk of getting visa rejected by applying to lower level diplomas... and taking this opportunity, the agents in India heavily promote these PG certificate courses and a way to achieve the Canadian dream. Most from countries like India, have a set image/mentality that diploma is not good or only Bachelor's/master's or even PG programs are better..but in reality, Canadian system is very different where there is high value for those pursuing practical job oriented diplomas.You may apply for PG certificate, get visa and once there change over to some diploma. Saying this, it does not mean that success is guaranteed after Master's and Practical diplomas..or there is no future after PG certificates, as it is general assumption... and at the end depends on your skills, academic performance, networking, communication and soft skills..all these coupled with luck..help one to get a skilled job in a competitive Canadian job market. Moreover, being in the field of IT... if you are a skilled coder/programmer... there should have much greater opportunities..as there is no dearth of jobs for the people with exceptional or very good skills in coding/programming.
Now if you do decide to opt for Master's then remember,
Most Canadian universities need atleast B grade or minimum 60%-65% (depending on the university) in final 2 years of a 4 years Bachelor's degree for students from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria etc. and an IELTS score of 6.5 overall (with no bands less than 6)(some top grade universities may require IELTS score of overall 7)/ equivalent score of TOEFL also accepted in most universities for being eligible to apply to Master degree programs.
You can pursue a course based master degree (M.Eng) OR a thesis based/ applied research degree MaSc. degree in CS/IT or closely related fields. The research based degrees are usually much more competitive, where one generally needs to show some knack for research (like published papers) and selected students usually get partial or full funding.
Most universities DO NOT require GRE. Overall academic record and academic marks in Bachelor's (in your case marks in final 2 years of Msc) is the single biggest criteria for admission to Canadian Engineering Master degrees. Higher the Bachelor degree scores, better it is. And with 70% marks, there is a good chance of getting selected into a mid level Master's program...
Here's the list of ALL recognized Canadian educational institutes eligible for OCWP+PGWP, listed according to province:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/institutions/participants.asp
To get into top grade universities, you are expected to have an excellent academic record.
You can see general rankings of Canadian universities.. not accurate but gives you an overall idea.. as to which universities are reputed:
www.4icu.org/ca/
You need to go through the university department websites, contact the university departments to know more such as course content, graduate degree options, deadlines, tuition fees, admission procedure etc. You will have to do the hard work to find the right type of programs of your desire and shortlist a list of say atleast 5-6 more universities, you may consider applying to.
The application submission date for Fall 2013 (Sept) start in most universities is already long over, and you should consider applying for 2014 Fall intake, for which usually the last date can be anywhere between Nov 1 2013 (for research based programs) to Feb 1 2014 (for course based programs).
If, in-case you decide not to opt for Master's degree and/or not to wait till Sept. 2014,
then PG certificate courses in IT/CS, options are very limited, and most are offered by Ontario colleges (like: in humber college:
http://www.humber.ca/program/information-technology-solutions).
In-case of technical 2 year diplomas, there are many many colleges across Canada offering myriad courses in CS/IT related fields...
and you can consider applying to technical diplomas of top notch colleges such as BCIT ( one of best colleges offering technical diplomas... offers 76 certificates and 2 year diplomas in field of computing/IT.. and IF you decide on pursuing a diploma, preferably with co-op in field of CS/IT... then BCIT is 1 of best option-
http://www.bcit.ca/path/computing/programs/),
NAIT (offers 2 years diploma in Computer Engineering with co-op:
http://www.nait.ca/program_home_76373.htm)
or SAIT (2 year diploma in IT -
http://www.sait.ca/programs-and-courses/full-time-studies/diplomas/information-technology-course-overview.php) etc.
You may even consider related fields such as Business-IT management, and consider pursuing a diploma in Business-IT Mgmt. like one in BCIT (
http://www.bcit.ca/study/programs/6235diplt)
or the renowned diploma in Business-IT mgmt from red River college,Winnipeg,Manitoba (
http://me.rrc.mb.ca/Catalogue/ProgramInfo.aspx?RegionCode=WPG&ProgCode=BUSGF-DP).
Alternatively, another good college, where there is comparatively easier opportunities for PR and offers great diplomas in IT/CS or Business-IT mgmt. is in Saskatchewan based college - SIAST such as:
(
http://gosiast.com/programs-and-courses/programs/Business-Information-Systems.aspx)
(
http://gosiast.com/programs-and-courses/programs/Computer-Engineering-Technology.aspx)
(
http://gosiast.com/programs-and-courses/programs/Computer-Systems-Technology.aspx)
You may also search for college level programs in field of computers/IT in Ontario... at the official Ontario colleges website:
http://www.ontariocolleges.ca/FindProgram
To know more and search for various such programs (PG certificates or diplomas), again go through the recognized educational institute list (
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/institutions/participants.asp).. and check all college websites for appropriate programs. You will find many programs still open for Sept. 2013 intake in colleges (all PG certificates as well as many diplomas, but some of top notch college diplomas may be full by now). Whatever you choose... Master's/PG certificates or even diplomas..it should be in your field of study -i.e CS/IT/Related fields such as Business IT and a 2 years course (especially if it is diploma or PG certificate to give you 3 years PGWP and enough time to find job, pursue immigration)... or if you want to pursue some course in other field, then you may go there and change over to new course of your choice, provided you get entry to that program.
Hope it helps.
Best of Luck.
***All opinions expressed are purely personal, and pieces of information mentioned are to the best of my knowledge... You should consult other sources too.
