Canadian universities

Alex · #1 12-10-2007, 08:37 PM

I'm a junior and (already

) looking at colleges.

I also really like Canada. I wouldn't mind going to college there, but I don't know much about their universities. I know the big ones like UBC, U of Alberta, U of Toronto, and U of Calgary. Are these like the Canadian equivalents of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc.?

I'm not really interested in a music school, so resist the temptation to recommend me one

So, my fellow Canadian TBers, what are some of the top Canadian universities that I should consider, and how do they compare to top American schools?

Also - if you know anything about degrees transferring across the border from the US to Canada and vice versa, please fill me in. I remember my friend telling me that his parents both went to UBC and got degrees in teaching, but then had to take a bunch of classes at a local college to be allowed to teach here. I imagine it is the same with other degrees? I'm sure a law degree is completely incompatible...

Thanks!

~Alex

Fontaine · #2 12-10-2007, 08:44 PM

well here in newfoundland we got a GREAT engineering school....all programs here are 3 years long (or around that), and with a few programs you can actually then transfer to the university of Indiana and get your degree in another 3 years! (or i think its one...er 3....something like that)

but me, im doing Petroleum Engineering Technology now, when i finish my 3 years, i will be able to make an insane amount of money, and its something i like a lot.

www.cna.nl.ca

(ridge road campus is the engineering one)

Jeff Moote · #3 12-10-2007, 08:44 PM

What are you looking to study? That will help guide the advice you get from those of us up North.

Taking your degree across the border will only matter in a regulated profession (teaching, law, engineering, medicine) but it usually doesn't take much to qualify for employment in the other country - heck, we've been losing all our doctors to the US for years.

Alex · #4 12-10-2007, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Moote

What are you looking to study? That will help guide the advice you get from those of us up North.

Taking your degree across the border will only matter in a regulated profession (teaching, law, engineering, medicine) but it usually doesn't take much to qualify for employment in the other country - heck, we've been losing all our doctors to the US for years.

Is that because of your universal healthcare?

I'm interested in (as I like to say) not math and science. That is, business, economics, political science, finance, maybe law? etc. Not exactly sure yet but that's the area I'm into, so something like an engineering school is out.

Fontaine · #5 12-10-2007, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

Is that because of your universal healthcare?

I'm interested in (as I like to say) not math and science. That is, business, economics, political science, finance, maybe law? etc. Not exactly sure yet but that's the area I'm into, so something like an engineering school is out.

dont go to MUN

Alex · #6 12-10-2007, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fontaine

dont go to MUN

haha thought you meant Model UN and I didn't get it but then after some Googling I realized the horrible truth...that you meant Memorial Uiversity of Newfoundland.

Fontaine · #7 12-10-2007, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

haha thought you meant Model UN and I didn't get it but then after some Googling I realized the horrible truth...that you meant Memorial Uiversity of Newfoundland.

yea bad ole Memorial University of Newfoundland, everyone told me not to go....good thing i listened too, all my friends that went there are boomin lol

you cant learn if there 300-500 people in your class...(thats my theory anyway)

peaveyuser · #8 12-10-2007, 09:15 PM

McGill is awesome, great campus and a great city to be in.

Very good Doctors, business and law programs here.

http://www.mcgill.ca/

Also check out Queens.

Jeff Moote · #9 12-10-2007, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

Is that because of your universal healthcare?

It's because your salaries are uncapped

Things are slowly changing for the better here...

Quote:

I'm interested in (as I like to say) not math and science. That is, business, economics, political science, finance, maybe law? etc. Not exactly sure yet but that's the area I'm into, so something like an engineering school is out.

I'd look at Queen's, McGill, U of Toronto for good programs in the areas you mentioned. Queen's has a very highly regarded Commerce school, and all of them house law schools. There are many other options of course, but these are the biggest names around as far as I'm concerned.

Jiggybass · #10 12-10-2007, 09:25 PM

For that Queens and McGill would be terrific!

Also Waterloo is an amazing university.

Eric Cioe · #11 12-10-2007, 09:26 PM

Back in the days when I was interested in law school, I looked into going to someplace in Canada. If you think you ever want to practice law in the US, don't go to law school in Canada. You'd have to go to law school again, in America, to be able to practice here. That said, for an undergraduate degree, Canada isn't a bad option.

jenderfazz · #12 12-10-2007, 10:01 PM

McGill is a pretty cool school. If you don't want to go too far from home, check out some of the major Ontarian universities like U of Toronto, Waterloo, Queens, etc.

Aaron Saunders · #13 12-10-2007, 10:25 PM

RE: Law...

Actually, most Canadian universities offering an LLB program have actually switched over to the Jurisprudence degree much like is commonly found in the US, so you really wouldn't have a problem with a Canadian law degree. For grad school, I'm looking at a program at SFU that, when I finish, will leave me with a PhD in psych and an LLB, allowing me to practice law (upon some courses and passing the bar exam) in Canada or the US.

Currently attending Queen's...it's a great university, only problem for me is that it's not in Toronto. ~15-20,000 students, big undergrad -- psychology, lifesciences, engineering, commerce, and education are the big ones here as far as I know. Consistently rated in the top 3 in Canada alongside University of Toronto and McGill. Also, gorgeous campus. As a junior in HS, you'll also be in a good position to take advantage of all the construction they're doing at the university now, including a new athletics facility. Kingston, the home city, is significantly smaller than either Montreal or Toronto at a population of roughly ~120,000 people.

McGill is also awesome and is especially known for its research, plus, it's in Montreal -- always a plus. Plus, as a musician, you'll love the local scene and will have plenty of musicians to jam with...McGill has a huge music program (and a large jazz one at that) so there's lots of guys that play in the city.

University of Toronto is the largest school in Canada, tens of thousands of undergrad students. It's very easy to get lost amongst the numbers, and lectures frequently have several hundred people, especially in first year. Quality of education is very high here, and they're especially known for sciences from what I understand. Living in Toronto is like living in most big cities...faaaantastic. Good music scene in the city, better jazz than Montreal.

EDIT: I'd offer advice on UBC, all I know is that it's top 5 at least and has the highest admission standards of anyone in the country. This is somewhat in part to the education offered, but another contributing factor is that UBC is hands-down the most gorgeous campus I've ever seen and very close to downtown Vancouver, which, IIRC, is rated as one of the top 3 or 4 places in the world to live.

bmc · #14 12-11-2007, 01:18 AM

From a foreign pespective, Canadian universities are highly regarded. We have a daughter at UBC and one heading off to uni next year. UBS, Queen's, McGill are great schools. There are lots of other choices depending on what you wish to specialize in.

Aaron Saunders · #15 12-11-2007, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmc

From a foreign pespective, Canadian universities are highly regarded. We have a daughter at UBC and one heading off to uni next year. UBS, Queen's, McGill are great schools. There are lots of other choices depending on what you wish to specialize in.

A friend of mine is over here at Queen's from Geneva, actually -- Nikita Mlotek, he has a few friends I guess who ended up at various Canadian and American universities.

bmc · #16 12-11-2007, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron Saunders

A friend of mine is over here at Queen's from Geneva, actually -- Nikita Mlotek, he has a few friends I guess who ended up at various Canadian and American universities.

Ask Nikita if he went to "La Chat", "LGB" or "CDL". Then ask what year he graduated. The English school community is very small in this city.

crispygoat · #17 12-11-2007, 05:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Moote

I'd look at Queen's, McGill, U of Toronto for good programs in the areas you mentioned. Queen's has a very highly regarded Commerce school, and all of them house law schools. There are many other options of course, but these are the biggest names around as far as I'm concerned.

+1

God of Rapture · #18 12-11-2007, 08:50 AM

McGill, Queens, Waterloo, UofA and UofC are all great school.

**MAJOR METAL** · #19 12-11-2007, 12:15 PM

Is tuition government subsidized ?

Jeff Moote · #20 12-11-2007, 12:57 PM

For all saying Waterloo is a great school... I'd say this is not true if you're coming here to get an undergrad degree in the Arts. For math and engineering it is very highly regarded, and throughout the various faculties there are many innovative minds. For the fellow in question though, I think he'd be much happier in a bigger city or at least at a school with some amount of prestige attached to its (non-technical) degrees.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAJOR METAL

Is tuition government subsidized ?

Yes, but tuition rates for international students are much higher as the government pays less toward their fees.