Considering Further Education?
Many students consider further education after an undergraduate degree. Conducting thorough research is crucial in making an informed decision and finding the right program to help you achieve your academic, career, and personal goals. Here are some strategies to ensure you make a good choice:
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Review Job Postings:
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Look at job listings for roles that interest you to understand the educational requirements.
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Determine if you already meet these requirements or identify what additional education you need.
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Contact Employers Directly:
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Reach out to employers or seek networking opportunities to get more detailed information about the educational qualifications they require.
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Utilize LinkedIn:
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Explore LinkedIn to see the educational backgrounds of professionals in your desired field.
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Review their profiles to understand what degrees and certifications they hold and where they obtained them.
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Connect with Professionals:
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Network with individuals who are currently working in roles that you aspire to. See Networking Tip Sheet.
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Ask about the specific education, experience or credentials necessary for their positions.
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Consult Regulating Bodies for Regulated Professions:
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Visit the websites of regulatory organizations related to your field of interest.
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These bodies often provide lists of accredited programs that meet the educational requirements for certification in the profession.
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Do a Deep Dive on Programs of Interest:
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Review program pages and FAQs.
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Reach out to program coordinators, admissions and school representatives such as liaison.
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Speak to current students in the program or recent graduates.
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You can usually find students or recent graduates through LinkedIn if you go to the institution's LinkedIn Page > Alumni> ‘Program of Interest’ in the search bar.
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Some schools have student ambassadors who they can connect you with.
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Useful Resources to Start your Research:
An online database of Canadian university study programs. Programs include: Undergraduate, Masters, PhD & Certificates.
An online database of Ontario Colleges programs including: Certificate Programs, Diploma Programs, Collaborative/Joint Degree Programs, Graduate Certificate Programs, Apprenticeship Programs.
Find information on more than 1,700 universities, colleges and career colleges in Canada, including admission requirements, costs, programs and contact details.
OntarioLearn, a collaboration of Ontario’s 24 publicly-funded colleges, offers a wide variety of online courses. It provides flexible learning options for skill upgrading, credentials, and professional development.
Further Education Options - Graduate School
Professional Programs:
- Prepare students for specific careers and industries with an emphasis on practical skills, professional development and applied knowledge.
- Examples include: Teachers Education, Law, Social Work, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Physiotherapy, Counselling, Speech Language Pathology.
Research-Based Masters:
- Well suited for students interested in academic/industry research and/or who have the intention to continue on with their PhD. These programs are typically 2 years in length and include coursework and a thesis. Check out Trent’s Research-Based Programs.
Course-Based Masters:
- This is well-suited for students who are looking to work within industry. It consists of courses and can have research elements, a placement or an internship. There is typically an opportunity to build skills and experience in the field. Course-Based Masters are typically 1-2 years in length. Check out Trent’s Course-Based Programs.
Other Further Education Options
Graduate Certificates:
- Prepare students for careers and you are required to have a degree or diploma. Typically they are 1 year in length and have a significant experiential learning component (placement, internship, co-op etc.).
- Examples include: Museum Management & Curatorship, Project Management, Aquaculture, Communication Disorder Assistant, Human Resource Management.
Professional Certifications:
- Provide specific skills and credentials for a certain career.
- May be provided through a traditional education institution or through the governing organization.
- Examples include: Real Estate License, Financial Advisor, Pilot License, Mortgage Broker.
Diplomas:
- Typically offered through colleges and vocational schools and provide you with practical training in a specific field. There is typically a placement component and if you have completed an undergraduate degree there may be an option to get exempted from some of the courses due to transfer credits.
- Examples include: Social Service Worker, Early Childhood Educator, Law Clerk, Paralegal.
Trades and Apprenticeships
- You learn from experienced workers and get hands-on experience in the field. You also learn in a classroom from instructors who know the trade. This may take place on a college campus, union training centres or other training environments.
- For most trades, once you are a registered apprentice, you work for a year or more then switch to studying in class for 8 to 12 weeks, either full or part-time. This cycle will repeat a few times over the course of your apprenticeship training. It takes between 2 to 5 years to complete an apprenticeship.
- Examples include: Electrician, Hairstylist, Cook, Steamfitter, Plumber, Welder, Millwright.
Bootcamps & Micro-Credentials
- Short and targeted training programs that can either be in person or online focusing on a specific skill that is in high demand. They are practical and industry-relevant. Check out the Micro-Credentials Trent offers.
Application Considerations
Become familiar with each school’s application requirements as they can differ from program to program and school to school. Do so early on so that you can ensure you are meeting their criteria.
Things to Consider When Applying:
- Academic requirements of the program such as marks or prerequisite courses.
- Non-academic requirements some examples would be: work or volunteer experience in the field, professional references, a letter of intent or a personal essay, specific vaccinations, a criminal record check, a portfolio of related work etc.
- Is there a placement, co-op, or internship opportunity as a part of the program? If so how many hours is it and what sort of opportunities have been available in the past to students?
- What sort of career support is available during and after the program? What is the employment rate of graduates from the specific program?
- Program reputation with employers, curriculum content, instructor and faculty background, cost and location.
- Deadlines: Most programs have an equal consideration date which is the deadline for applying if you want your application to be considered on an equal basis with all other applicants. After the equal consideration date, applications for open program spaces will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis.