One of the major factors why Canada continues to attract foreign students is because of its vibrant cities and a plethora of multi-cultural communities. Canada has students from all over the world coming to study in its quality institutions, thereby making it a truly diverse student nation. Although Canada offers a wide variety of options for graduate studies, many international students are unaware about how to apply for Masters in Canada and what makes them eligible to study at one of its top Universities.

Know the universities:

There are nearly 100 universities in Canada spread over 13 provinces and territories. It gives the international student a lot of options to choose from so many universities. While selecting universities, it is advisable that you keep 8-10 universities in your application checklist. Also, you should start researching for the universities at least 15 months prior to the beginning of the session. If you are interested in applying for Fall, make sure you check out for universities between May and June. That leaves you enough time to go through your exams and arrange for the admission requirements accordingly.

Check deadlines:

Admissions for Masters courses at Canadian universities usually start in September though some programmes also open their applications in May and July. For schools, which accept students in September, deadlines range from the fall to winter.

Eligibility:

A majority of the universities in Canada require the applicant to have 16 years of education or a four- year Bachelor’s degree. However, students who have completed their Master’s degree after a three-year Bachelor’s are also eligible to apply for admission to Masters at a Canadian university.

Work experience:

Work experience is an important requirement for admission to Canadian business schools. Some specialized colleges might also demand work experience certificates from you. Generally, Canadian universities ask for experience of 2-3 years in a specific field, preferably related to the course of study.

Register for test:

The next step in applying for Masters in Canada is to register for the standardized tests required for admission to graduate courses. Some of the tests to be taken are:

GMAT:Most of the business schools in Canada require GMAT as a criterion for admission into a wide range of management programs like Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Accountancy and Master of Finance programs. The GMAT evaluates a candidate on four yardsticks: Analytical Writing Assessment, Integrated Reasoning, Quantitative and Verbal. It is valid for 5 years and can be taken within a 16-day break between two tests.

GRE: GRE is accepted by both business schools and other colleges offering Masters related programmes. GRE has three main sections- Analytical Writing, Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning.

IELTS:IELTS is a major English language proficiency test accepted by universities in Canada for admission to their Masters programmes.

TOEFL:TOEFL is also accepted as a valid English proficiency test in Canadian universities. TOEFL is an English proficiency for students from non-native English speaking country students.

Application package for Masters in Canada:

Academic transcripts: Academic transcripts include all the qualifications that you will list in your application form. Start arranging your transcripts from October itself.

SOP: The Statement of Purpose is required by most universities in Canada for admission to their Masters programmes. The Statement of Purpose details the candidate’s reasons for applying for the programme and also his goals in life.

LOR: The Letter of Recommendation is an assessment of your potential by a third person, maybe a professor or an employer. Most universities require at least two to three recommendation letters.

Study permit: Apply for the Student Permit with Citizenship and Immigration Canada by May or June. It generally takes about a month for the study permits to be processed.