Do you want to study abroad and have you decided on Canada as a study destination? Have you also made the choice of study program and university? Before you can apply, however, you must first familiarize yourself with the admission requirements for your studies in Canada. Universities and colleges in Canada act and make decisions completely autonomously. This also relates to the admission requirements. Each university determines which requirements an applicant must meet in order to be admitted to a particular course.
On the whole, however, there are not too great differences in the formal requirements between Canadian universities. As in Germany, the minimum requirement for university studies is usually the (technical) Abitur. Exceptions are the (community) colleges or institutes. Often the secondary school leaving certificate and completed vocational training are sufficient to be admitted to the course.
Academic requirements according to type of study
The admission requirements basically depend on the type of study, i.e. on whether it is an undergraduate or graduate degree. In the following you will find information about the general admission requirements for studying in Canada, be it for a Bachelor, Master or PhD degree or for short-term programs such as summer sessions or semesters abroad. Depending on the chosen subject area, other requirements may of course be required.
Admission Requirements for a Bachelor’s Degree in Canada
To be admitted to a bachelor’s degree at a Canadian university, international applicants must have a high school diploma that is equivalent to the Canadian high school diploma. In Germany this is the general higher education entrance qualification, i.e. the Abitur. You can also apply for a bachelor’s degree at Canadian universities with a technical diploma, the subject-specific higher education entrance qualification. As in Germany, the selection is limited to certain specialist areas.
Since students in Canada already receive the high school diploma after twelve years, but in Germany there are usually 13 school years up to the Abitur, there is the possibility of having the 13th year credited towards studying in Canada, a major country in North America listed on 3rjewelry. This not only shortens the study time, but can also reduce costs. Whether crediting is possible will be decided on a case-by-case basis. A description of the course content is helpful here, especially in the performance subjects.
Depending on which university or which department you are applying for, you may need to have a certain grade point average (GPA). Just like in Germany, courses in law or medicine are in great demand in Canada – international applicants hardly have a chance of admission here.
Unlike in the US, universities in Canada do not require an SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test). This is mainly due to the fact that the Canadian government expects adequate accessibility from the universities. Proof of personal commitment in and outside of school is also irrelevant for applying for a bachelor’s degree.
Admission requirements for a postgraduate or master’s degree in Canada
A bachelor’s degree is required for a postgraduate or master’s degree at a Canadian university. Usually require graduate schools a certain grade point average, a letter of motivation (personal statement) and at least two letters of recommendation (letters of recommendation).
As in Germany, Bachelor and Master degrees in Canada are usually consecutive. This means that for a successful application for a certain master’s program, certain prior technical knowledge is necessary. However, depending on the master’s program and subject, it may also be possible to apply for a different subject in the master’s program. Depending on the university and subject, applicants may have to achieve a certain result in an academic admission test such as the GRE (for courses in the fields of natural, social, linguistic and cultural studies, among others) or the GMAT (for economics Master’s programs).
Since the standard period of study for a Bachelor’s degree is four years in Canada and only three years in Germany, there may be problems with academic recognition. The graduate schools decide on a case-by-case basis whether you will be admitted to the master’s degree in Canada with your German bachelor’s degree. But don’t worry: the chances for German applicants are usually very good and the letter of motivation and letters of recommendation are also included in the decision. In addition, there is often the opportunity to make up for the necessary requirements for the master’s degree in Canada either by attending a bachelor’s course or first in a one-year subject-related postgraduate course a so-called graduate certificate to acquire.
The admission requirements for studying in Canada at the Masters level also depend on the type of Masters you are applying for. Because the Canadian universities generally offer two options:
- Master by Coursework: Here, the study achievements are provided by attending courses and seminars and performance reviews during the course. Depending on the master’s program, as is typically the case with the MBA, professional experience in relevant areas is a prerequisite for admission or at least has a positive effect on admission.
- Master by Research: This variant focuses on an independent research project with a final master’s thesis. The admission requirements for the research-intensive master’s degree are generally more restrictive: the bachelor’s degree must often be related to the desired master’s program, and initial research experience may also be desirable.
