Study in Canada

Bachelor's degrees take three to four years — four for an Honours degree, with three-year general degrees at some universities and in Quebec after CEGEP. Master's degrees take one to two years, course-based or with a thesis, and PhDs typically three to five. Foundation programmes add two terms before you join first year, while International Year One replaces first year and leads into Year 2 when the progression requirements are met.

Universities award Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral degrees and carry out research. Public colleges, institutes and polytechnics focus on practical, career-oriented certificates, diplomas and post-graduate certificates of one to three years, and some also award applied degrees. Pathway colleges are a third category: they teach foundation and first-year programmes that progress to a partner university when the requirements are met. Recognition, transfer credit and post-study work eligibility are decided programme by programme, so we check each option with you.

Usually yes, within the conditions of the study permit. Eligible full-time students at a designated learning institution can work up to 24 hours a week off campus during regular terms and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks, once the programme has started and with a social insurance number; on-campus work has no hour limit. Students enrolled only in English or French language courses, general-interest courses or courses required for admission to a full-time programme cannot work off campus. Proof of funds must show you can study without working, so part-time work should be seen as experience, not a way to finance your education.

September (Fall) is the main intake. January (Winter) starts exist at selected institutions and programmes, and May (Summer) at some colleges and pathway programmes — many universities admit first-year students in September only, and pathway colleges typically offer January, May and September starts. Application deadlines for September entry often fall between December and March, so start planning nine to twelve months ahead.

Tuition is set by each institution. Statistics Canada's averages for 2026/27 are CAD 42,062 a year for international undergraduates and CAD 24,693 for international graduate students, and EduCanada quotes roughly CAD 16,000–25,000 a year for college diploma programmes. Budget living costs separately — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada requires proof of CAD 23,448 a year outside Quebec — plus health insurance and travel. We help you build a realistic budget before you apply.

Yes. Most Canadian universities offer entrance scholarships and international student awards, often considered automatically on admission — for example Wilfrid Laurier University's renewable entrance scholarships of CAD 5,000–6,000 a year for international students entering in September 2027 (no application), UBC's International Major Entrance Scholarship of CAD 10,000–25,000 a year (2026/27, automatic on admission) and Toronto Metropolitan University's CAD 10,000 International Student Leadership Award for Fall 2027 (by application). Government of Canada scholarship programmes for international students are limited to specific regions, so institutional awards are the realistic route for most students. Values and criteria are set by each institution and change yearly; we check the current options for your profile, and nobody can guarantee a scholarship.

Yes, both. We hold agency agreements with Canadian universities such as UBC Okanagan and Kwantlen Polytechnic University, with the six Navitas pathway colleges in Canada, with the University of Toronto's International Foundation Program and with University Canada West, and we support direct applications to other universities and colleges. Where a university is reached through a pathway college, our agreement is with the college; admission and progression decisions are always made by the institution.

A designated learning institution (DLI) is a school approved by its province or territory to host international students; you need a DLI letter of acceptance to apply for a study permit. The Post-Graduation Work Permit is a separate, programme-level question: only programmes listed as PGWP-eligible on IRCC's DLI list qualify, degree graduates have no field-of-study condition, college graduates must study in an eligible field, and programmes delivered through public–private partnerships generally do not qualify. MultiPath Expert explains the published rules and helps with institutional documents; we are not licensed Canadian immigration consultants and refer regulated immigration advice to licensed professionals.