Nepal has lately witnessed a surging number of students applying for postsecondary education at Canadian educational institutions. As the number increases, the concerns and confusions with respect to choosing academic programs soar at the same time. Therefore, this article is to highlight the top programs in Canada for Nepalese students.
Business Management
A substantial number of Nepalese students’ hail from business and management backgrounds, starting from high school to degree levels. And interestingly, when it comes to prospective students who apply to Canadian educational institutions, they are higher in number than those from any other academic background. These learners, either from high school or with a degree, choose to pursue either a diploma, an undergraduate degree, a postgraduate certificate, or a master’s degree in Canada.
The most popular programs for those credentials are General Business, Sales and Marketing, Accounting, Financial Services, and a BBA specializing in a wide array of business management disciplines. Additionally, students after a bachelor’s degree have mainly two alternatives to choose from, such as postgraduate or MBA programs.
The postgraduate certificate incorporates a great number of specialization programs, such as Supply Chain Management, Global Business Management, Marketing Management and Digital Media, Business Management, Digital Marketing and Marketing Analytics, Business Analytics, Human Resources Management, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, and Accounting. Furthermore, the MBA is also the most preferred option to study at Canadian institutions, provided that aspiring learners meet the eligibility prerequisites, as this program stipulates excellent levels of previous academic performance and executive work experience backed up by English language proficiency.
Information Technology and Computer Sciences
The paramount importance of information technology can’t be overstated in today’s interconnected and digitalized world. IT has transformed virtually every aspect of our personal and professional lives, and its significance and usage continue to grow as technology advances. Similarly, interested individuals in this domain have taken a significant leap as its scope is getting wider and demand for IT professionals has seen a milestone turn. Thus, Nepalese students interested in pursuing academic or specialized programs have lately mushroomed.
In addition, Nepalese aspirants, after the completion of high school or an undergraduate or master’s degree, set their sights on pursuing further education in the field of IT. Particularly, high school graduates either from a science or management background with an additional mathematics background aim to choose a two-year skill-oriented program such as Computer Programming, Computer Systems Technician-Networking, Software Engineering Technician, or Bachelor of Computer Science at a public college or university. On the contrary, aspirants from management backgrounds will not likely be admitted to the undergraduate programs in the discipline of IT, especially at the universities, as they set out the requirements that students must have hailed from the science setting. However, colleges welcome students to the diploma or degree in IT either from science or management, provided they meet the prerequisites brought forth by the institutions.
On the other hand, undergraduate degree holders in the domain of IT from Nepal aspire to thrive in their academic or professional careers, either through postgraduate study or a degree. Both options are open to eligible students; however, the majority of them set their sights on pursuing more experiential and industry-focused programs in the postgraduate certificate, such as Cybersecurity and Computer Forensics, Advanced Project Management-IT, Full Stack Software Development, Web Development, Wireless Networking, AI and Machine Learning, Big Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, AI and Data Science, Network Infrastructure, Information Systems Security, and to name a few. The preference for the postgraduate over the degree is given owing to its likelihood of making the graduate job-ready within a short span of time and on budget.
Health Management and Community Services
Health management and community services are important aspects of public health and healthcare systems that aim to promote well-being, prevent disease, and provide support to individuals with different disabilities in communities. Students, after completing either high school with science in biology, Proficiency Certificate Level (PCL) in health programs such as Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Assistant, Lab Technician, Dental Hygiene, or an undergraduate degree with a specialization in Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry Surgery, Public Health, or MBBS, choose to pursue two-year diploma or postgraduate certificate programs.
Moreover, the more appealing programs for students with high school or PCL credentials have a wide array of options, such as Early Childhood Education, Developmental Services Workers, Community Workers, Addiction and Mental Health Workers, Office Administration-Health Services, Biotechnology, and Biomedical Engineering. More significantly, nearly all aspirants do not intend to choose direct undergraduate programs for a few crucial reasons, such as competitiveness, higher costs, and requirements, along with the duration of the programs.
Besides, undergraduate degree holders are also discouraged from taking further degree programs in Canada in most cases, as these programs set the requirements higher. Therefore, most students choose postgraduate certificates over degrees, and the availability of programs for these aspirants at the postgraduate level includes Healthcare Administration and Services Management, Health Informatics, Health Analytics, Advanced Healthcare Leadership, Gerontology-Interprofessional Practice, Palliative Care, Enhanced Practice for Internationally Educated/graduated Nurses, and so on. These programs are designed to prepare their graduates for swift transitions to professional careers, so they are most preferred.
Food Science, Technology, and Hospitality
A handful of students from food and science, microbiology, biology, and hospitality management backgrounds choose to specialize in their own respective fields of study. And Canadian educational institutions have a variety of programs available to these aspirants. Students with concentrations in food and science, microbiology, and biology can pursue programs such as Food Safety and Quality Assurance Management, Food Science Technology, Food Processing-Leadership Management and Product Management, Food and Nutrition Management, and so on. On the other hand, graduates from either high school or undergrad with backgrounds in hospitality and tourism management can pursue several programs, namely Hospitality-Hotel and Resort Management, Culinary Management, and Hospitality-Hotel and Resort Operation Management. Graduates with an undergraduate degree can choose to study Hotel and Resort Management, Hospitality and Tourism Operations Management, Global Hospitality Business Development, Operations, and Leadership, or an MBA.
Engineering: Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Industrial, and Biomedical
There are numerous branches and disciplines within engineering, and engineers play a crucial role in shaping the modern world by innovating and developing solutions to various challenges. Canadian establishments have plenty of programs for engineers. They can either choose diploma, postgraduate, or degree programs in Canada. For high school graduates, they are more likely to go with two- or three-year programs such as Civil Engineering Technician/Technology, Civil Construction Technician/Technology, or Architectural Technician/Technology. On the other hand, undergraduate degree graduates could go with two options: a postgraduate or master’s degree. Nevertheless, nearly all students go to postgraduate programs in which they can specialize in Construction Project Management, APM, Strategic Leadership, Construction Management, Sustainable Urban and Transportation Planning, Quality Engineering Management, Industrial Manufacturing Processes, Embedded Systems, Wireless Networking, Big Data analytics, AI, and Machine Learning. As opposed to this, a few choose to pursue their further education at the degree level in Canada.
Conclusion
Every student is guided by their own interests, competence, and purpose in life. However, for postsecondary education in Canada, most Nepalese prefer opting for short but intensive programs that prepare them for the job market promptly. Therefore, they choose diploma and postgraduate programs over other degrees. However, if you are still puzzled about which programs to choose to perfectly align with your academic and career goals, the International Career Counseling Centre (ICCC) is here to assist you throughout the process in order to make sure you succeed academically and professionally in Canada. Expertise from the ICCC will undoubtedly be an asset to help you navigate your aspirations and reach the pinnacle of success that best characterizes you.
