Overview
Structures
General Student Demographics
Programs
Overview
Canada's Constitution Act, 1867, gives the provinces exclusive jurisdiction in
education. The provincial and territorial legislatures have developed their own
educational structures and institutions, creating 13 education systems with
many similarities and some differences. Responsibility for education is usually
exercised, in each jurisdiction, through one or more departments or ministries
of education. In addition, a variety of public and private agencies provide
decision makers with advice, research, and information.
All "recognized" postsecondary institutions in Canada have been given the
authority to grant academic credentials by their provincial or territorial
governments through charters or legislation that ensures institutional and
program quality. "Registered" or "licensed" institutions are monitored by
government primarily for consumer protection rather than for institutional or
program quality.
Each province and territory has one or two ministers in charge of education. At
the pan-Canadian level, the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, (CMEC)
provides a forum for education ministers to discuss matters of common concern,
explore ways to cooperate, share information, and coordinate education
activities internationally.
Federal departments play an indirect role. Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC)
promotes international academic exchanges. International Trade Canada (ITCan)
and HRSDC promote Canada as a study destination for foreign students.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Canadian Border Services
Agency (CBSA) control access to Canadian borders by awarding study permits to
students meeting the necessary criteria. FAC and the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) provide scholarships for a limited number of foreign
students registered at Canadian educational institutions.
CMEC monitors international development in higher education through an
agreement with the Federal government to ensure Canadian representation at
international discussions on postsecondary education. Statistics Canada,
through the Canadian Education Statistics Council, works with CMEC and the
provinces and territories to ensure the collection, coordination, and
publication of pan-Canadian education statistics.
Public postsecondary education institutions in Canada derive most of their
direct funding from provincial/territorial and federal government sources, with
the largest share coming directly from the provinces and territories. The
balance is obtained from tuition fees; research grants; contracts with business
and industry; government research contracts; donations; and investment income.
Structures
The basic structures of provincial and territorial education systems across
Canada are similar. Each has three tiers — elementary, secondary, and
postsecondary — although the grades at which each level begins and ends vary.
All jurisdictions provide universal, free elementary and secondary schooling
for 12 years, with the exception of Quebec where it is for 11 years. Education
is compulsory to the age of 15 or 16 in most jurisdictions. In Manitoba, it is
compulsory until the age of 17 and in New Brunswick, until the age of 18 or
graduation from high school.
Postsecondary education is provided by public and private institutions. They
may be "recognized," "registered," or "licensed" by government, or they may not
be regulated in any way.
Postsecondary institutions issue degrees, diplomas, certificates, and
attestations depending on the nature of those institutions and the length of
the programs. At universities and university colleges, there is an emphasis on
degree programs. A certain number of colleges offer applied degrees. At all
other institutions, the emphasis is on diploma, certificate, and attestation
programs.
General Student Demographics
More than 1.2 million Canadians are enrolled in full-time or part-time
postsecondary programs at universities and colleges. In the fall of 2002, the
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada reported an estimated
684,000 full-time and 271,000 part-time students enrolled in Canadian
universities. According to the Association of Canadian Community Colleges,
almost 2.5 million students were enrolled in postsecondary programs in Canadian
colleges and related institutions in 2001–02 — 900,000 full-time and 1.5
million part-time.
Enrolments among students over the age of 24 years have declined in recent
years and made up about 29% of university enrolments in undergraduate programs
in 2000–01, down from almost 32% three years before. Reductions in enrolments
of part-time students have been particularly marked. Women continue to be the
majority on both university and college campuses at 59% of undergraduates in
2000–01. They account for 51% of students in master's programs and about 46% of
those at the doctoral level.
Programs
University degrees are offered at three consecutive levels — bachelor's,
master's, and doctoral — with the possession of a degree from the lower level
generally a prerequisite for admission to the next.
Many universities also offer diploma and certificate programs. Generally
speaking, university diplomas and certificates require one or two years of
study in a specific field or discipline. However, these programs vary widely
from institution to institution, and from province to province. University
calendars are the best sources of information about the nature and requirements
of university diplomas and certificates.
Students at the baccalaureate or bachelor's level are known as undergraduates.
Successful completion of the secondary school program, or the two-year Cégep
program in the case of Quebec, is the normal prerequisite for admission to
undergraduate study. Bachelor's degrees normally require three or four years of
full-time study, depending on the province or whether the program is general or
specialized. An honours baccalaureate degree usually signals a higher degree of
concentration in the honours subject, as well as a higher level of academic
achievement. At some universities, an honours degree may require an additional
year of study.
A master's degree typically requires two years of study after successful
completion of an honours baccalaureate. Although the normal prerequisite for a
doctoral program is a master's degree, students have been allowed, in special
circumstances, to go directly from an honours baccalaureate program into a
doctoral program. A minimum of three years and up to four or five years of
study and research, as well as a dissertation are the normal requirements for a
doctorate. The degree is generally known as a PhD; however, doctoral degrees
may also be granted in particular fields of study such as music (DMus) or law
(LLD).
In regulated professions such as medicine, law, education, and social work, an
internship is generally required in order to obtain a licence to practice.
University colleges undertake degree programs as their primary activity and
provide three-year and four-year bachelor's degrees. They generally offer
smooth university transfer opportunities.
Colleges and institutes undertake diploma and certificate programs as their
primary activity, and some offer degrees in areas of particular specialization.
Where they are offered, degree programs may be two-year associate degrees or
four-year applied degrees.
Source:
Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials