mayank_6 said:
@ Tiger
Please let me know the disadvantages of applying to Colleges for 2 year PG Diploma
What I could find is there are hardly any IT related course for PG Diploma in various colleges and i will be pursuing only IT related course.
Also, I came to know that Visa Chances are high for universities and getting a skilled Job after Masters ( course based ) is better than 2 year of PG Diploma . Is it ???
My consultant here is saying that in Canada Community colleges and this PG Diploma are more famous than Universities - Masters and PG Diploma's let u enter in job market more quickly rather than masters which are pursued by those who wants to go for PhD futher down the line.
The only concern is Budget Constraints in my case as I can not spend much.
Please clarify !!!1
Hi,
Ask yourself.. what are the disadvantages of PG courses over Master degrees? Isn't it obvious? Then.. why are admission to Master degrees in recognized universities so tough as compared to 2 years PG diploma courses in colleges?The advantages of Master degrees(especially in a technical field like IT/CS/Electronics) are obviously better than any 2 years PG diploma/certificate in Canadian colleges due to the core reason of acceptance and recognition by employers and an obvious indicator of a quality higher education in Canada/worldwide. North American Master Degrees (especially in technical fields, and from good recognized universities.. not to mention ivy league American or top Canadian universities) are accepted and respected worldwide. I cannot say the same about your regular PG diploma courses form Canadian colleges. Same applies for when you compare a good university MBA and a PG certificate/diploma in Business courses of Canadian colleges. The difference is obvious! Another problem is..not only you will find fewer PG diploma courses in IT/CS in Canadian colleges, but majority of these PG level courses in Canadian colleges are often run with keeping international students in mind, who are either too over qualified to study practical diploma /trade college programmes or are too under qualified to get admission to Master degree courses in Universities or simply cannot afford to go through another 4 years for a Bachelor's degree. So, for a person like you.. since you have a good academic record, depending upon the core fields of your software experience, quality of experience, and if you can clear IELTS with good marks, MAY be if asked clear GRE with a good score, your chances of getting admission to a Master degree in CS... in any of the good universities are high... and in my opinion it will be a waste of your time, money and energy to pursue a not so valuable pg diploma course when you have a good chance of getting admission to a master degree course.
And if cost is your concern, mind you that often these 2years PG diploma courses come expensive for international students..an many a times the case is... that instead of focusing on quality, the student is paying an exorbitant amount just to be eligible for a 3 years PGWP. Rather, if you can get admission to good cheaper universities like say Univ of Regina or Univ of Manitoba etc., your costs will not only be low, but also you get a chance to qualify for scholarships, grants etc., meet top level Canadian students, industry heads (where sometimes these 2 year PG courses are filled only with desis/foreign students only (no offence) and you get no opportunities to make contacts or build your professional network) and further advance your career. It will be a worthwhile investment. And this is also obvious, that if you get admission to a master's degree course (especially technical and professional) in a good university, the chances of your visa are definitely higher as compared to a 2 years PG certificate, keeping in account you have strong financial sufficiency to show and the are of study matches your previous work/degree/experience(required in most cases).
In my opinion, if one is unqualified to do a Canadian Master degree(especially technical or professional)... rather than doing a PG certificate/diploma. (and take a big risk of not finding a skilled employment.. unless your aim is to only get PR by working in any job in Sask. and pray it doesn't shut down) it's better to restart with a lower level college diploma/ practical diploma/ trade diploma/ trade certificate which are actually respected and are in demand by Canadian employers... which will be a stepping stone for finding and rebooting one's career in Canada, where often foreign degrees (unless accompanied by higher reputed University level degrees/ bridging courses/or many years of to notch work ex/direct employment offer) are useless. Of course, there are always exceptions, where people do find good jobs after these PG certificate/diploma courses from Canadian colleges and it depends on the individual and other prevailing circumstances at that time.
So, when your consultant (who will most probably get a hefty commission for joining that PG diploma, which is often made for international students) 'll say to you that chances are equal in job market with a PG diploma and Masters(especially in technical/professional field) (which is by the way totally Bull*censored word*) or Master's are only for those who want to pursue PHD (where your consultant is failing to mention course based Master degrees).. you should ask what is their motive and what they are trying to do before either learning the facts or ignoring it (for their commission' of course) and opening their big mouths to give you and other candidates more such piece of advice which can potentially break and destroy your career and future!
Now saying these, It's also not guaranteed that you will get success with an university degree or fail with a college PG degree, as ultimately it depends on the individual skills and his perseverance and also the luck factor plays a role.
Example of cost:
2 years PG IT & Web design in Lambton college, Sarnia: 6,500$*4= 26,000$ (tuition fees)+13,600$ (for 4 sem living expenses) + miscellaneous fees
(http://www.lambton.on.ca/Programs/FT_Program_page.aspx?id=8433&type=TF)
2 years Masters in univ. of Regina : 6,763.65$*2= 13,527$ (tuition fees) + 13,600$ (living expenses)+ miscellaneous fees
(http://www.uregina.ca/gradstudies/prospstudent/tuitionfee.shtml)
Now, this clearly breaks the myth, that PG diploma/certificate courses are cheaper.... and Universities cannot be affordable!
Hope it makes a good clarification for you!
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.
!!!