Eligibility Requirements for MS Programs in Canada

1. Academic credentials

A majority of Canadian universities require you to have completed 16 years of education (12+4), i.e. a four-year Bachelor’s degree before applying for MS. This is applicable for students from technical backgrounds like Engineering, Pharmacy, and Architecture. For non-technical fields like Arts and Management, a student is required to complete 17 years of education (12+3+2).

Canadian universities have a very high cut-off percentage. Hence, you need to have a minimum of 70% to 75% in your degree course and an equivalent CGPA of a minimum of 7.5 to 8.5. Top universities especially, give a lot of emphasis on your performance in the last two years (i.e. the 3rd & 4th years) of your degree course.

If you are planning to pursue an MS in Business Management, Finance, or Business Analytics, you are required to have relevant work experience of minimum 1 to 3 years.

2. Qualifying examinations

TOEFL or IELTS: certain minimum English Language Proficiency Test scores are mandatory for admission to Canadian universities. A minimum IELTS band score of 6.5 to 7 or a minimum TOEFL score of 85+ is required by a majority of Canadian universities. At Dilip Oaks Academy, we offer  TOEFL coaching and  IELTS coaching along with rigorous practice sessions and mock tests.

3. GRE: Though a majority of universities in Canada do not require GRE scores, some of the top universities do, and so we recommend that you give your GRE if you aim to get into one of these universities. Our GRE Coaching will help you thoroughly prepare for the GRE exam. (hyperlink underlined words to GRE landing page)

We also offer Admission Counseling (hyperlink to Admission Counseling Masters in Canada page) through which we provide guidance on the selection of universities, application essays, and visa counseling. 

MS in Canada: Admission and student visa requirements (part 2)

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In the last blog dated 10/08/2020, we discussed the benefits of pursuing masters in Canada and saw how fast the country is becoming one of the most sought after destinations for higher education. In this blog, we will focus on the admission and visa requirements for MS in Canada and breeze through the top Ten Canadian Universities for STEM courses.

Admission requirements 

Academic credentials

Majority Canadian universities require you to have completed 16 years of education (12+4), i.e. – a four- year Bachelor’s degree before going for MS. This is applicable to all the technical background students like Engineering, Pharmacy, and Architecture etc. For non-technical fields like Arts and Management, a student is required to complete 17 years of education. (12+3+2)

Canadian universities have a very high cutoff percentage. Hence, you need to have a minimum of 65% to 70% in your degree course and an equivalent CGPA of a minimum of 7.0 to 7.5. Top universities especially give a lot of emphasis on the performance of the last two years of your degree course. (3rd & 4th year)

If you are planning to pursue MS in Business Management, Finance, and Business Analytics; you are required to have relevant work experience of minimum 1 to 3 years.

Qualifying examinations

TOEFL/IELTS: English Language Proficiency Test scores are a mandatory requirement of Canadian universities. A minimum of 6.5 to 7 band score in IELTS or 90+ score in TOEFL is required to get into the best Canadian universities. At Dilip Oaks Academy, we offer online TOEFL and online IELTS coaching along with rigorous practice sessions and mock tests.

GRE: Though a majority of universities in Canada do not require GRE scores, some of the top universities do ask for it. We recommend you to give the GRE and keep your scores ready if you aim to get into one of the top universities. Our Online GRE Coaching will enable you to prepare for the GRE in a hassle-free manner.

Crucial student visa requirements:

Once you receive admit from a Canadian university, you need to apply for a study permit that requires you to fulfil four crucial criteria:

1)      Admit should be from a recognized university

2)      Proof of funds to support yourself. At present this is equal to the tuition fee for one year and CA$10,000 as living expenses.

3)      Proof of no criminal record

4)      Fitness certificate from the doctor as recommended by the Canadian High Commission

Lastly, a quick glance at the Top 10 Canadian Universities:

  • University of Toronto
  • University of British Columbia
  • McGill University
  • McMaster University
  • University of Montreal
  • University of Alberta
  • University of Ottawa
  • University of Calgary
  • University of Waterloo
  • Western University

Kick-start your prep for MS in Canada NOW!

Enrol for our admission counselling services and start planning your Canadian endeavour the right way!

When You Should Do Your GRE/GMAT/TOEFL

Students planning to take admission in an American university must have their GRE/GMAT/TOEFL scores in hand at least 9 months in advance. This means that:

  • if you are applying for the fall semester, which starts in September, your score must be ready in January of that same year at the latest.
  • If you are applying for the spring semester, which starts in January, you should have your score in hand by March or April of the previous year.

Ideally, however, you should take your GRE/GMAT tests 1½-2 years before hand. That is,

  • engineering, pharmacy and medical students should take the GRE when they are in their third year
  • students pursuing an MA or MSc should take the GRE while they are doing Part 1 of their course.

This is possible since GRE scores are valid for 5 years. Keep in mind, however, that the TOEFL score is valid only for 2 years and therefore should be given only 9 months in advance as stated above.

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Free Score Reports for the GRE, GMAT, TOEFL and IELTS Tests

Each of the major tests that students generally take to get higher education in the United States – i.e. the GRE, GMAT, TOEFL tests – allows you to send you scores to a certain number of universities or colleges free of charge.

  • GRE – 4 free score reports
    • names of universities to be specified on the day of the test, immediately after your exam
    • current fee per score report thereafter $ 18
  • GMAT – 5 free score reports
    • names of universities to be specified on the day of the test, immediately after your exam
    • current fee per score report thereafter $ 28.00
  • TOEFL – 4 free score reports
    • names of universities to be specified one day before the test
    • current fee per score report thereafter $ 25
  • IELTS – 5 free score reports (to universities accepting an IELTS score) + 1 given to the candidate
    • names of universities to specified in the IELTS application form
    • additional score reports may be requested directly from the testing center – the fee for additional reports will be specified by the test center
Read our subsequent blogs for more details on free score reporting.

 

TOEFL iBT: Additional Score Reports – Find Out How to Get Them!

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Additional score reports can be ordered online through the TOEFL online registration system or by completing the Score Report Request Form in the Bulletin. This form is also available on the TOEFL Web site. You will receive an acknowledgement confirming that your score reports were mailed. The Score Report Request Form will be returned to you if you do not include complete and accurate information and the correct fee. Designated institutions cannot be changed or deleted after you submit the request. No refunds will be made.

ONLINE (CREDIT CARD)

  • Log in to your TOEFL iBT account and click “Register for a Test/Order Score Reports” on your home page. Pay by credit/debit card or e-check
  • The fee is US$17 for each report ordered.

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