BBA in Canada is a very popular degree sought out by international students. For most students, it is a stepping stone towards an MBA, CPA, or other management-related roles. As a global study destination, Canada offers an intensive program that takes about 4 years in most universities. With this degree, you will learn the foundations of managing a business, including accounting and finance, economics, project management, entrepreneurship, HR, and even international business.
So, in this article, we will be looking at…
Why should you choose Canada to do your Bachelor’s in Business Administration? A BBA degree from any of the Canadian universities gives you an intensive insight into business administration. Especially for Indian students applying right after their 12th standard, this undergrad degree from Canada can open doors to both higher education and highly profitable job opportunities.
Canadian BBA courses are offered as full-time or part-time programs either on campus, online or in hybrid mode. Moreover, the 4-year course structure gives you enough time to focus on the basics of management, accounting and economics before choosing a specialisation. Many universities also offer BBA courses without specialisation, should you choose to keep your options open. If you are the kind that appreciates a more intensive workload, you can also combine your business course with another major, so that you have the subject expertise and the business administration skill to grow in your domain.
Canada gets over half a million international students each year. As a global study destination, you have the opportunity to start building your professional networks right from your bachelor’s days.
Almost all business programmes come with internships or mandatory co-op semesters. A co-op can last from one to three terms. You will receive a stipend for your work, gain professional experience before you graduate and not have to pay tuition for the term/ semester that you are working.
As you will see in detail in the next section of this article, you can jump into the job market right after your bachelor’s degree. According to the employment statistics published by York University, the median salary of its BBA graduates in 2021-22 was CA $60,800. Over 90% of them were employed within 3 months of graduation. You can also apply for a post-graduation work permit and work for up to three years in Canada.
One of the safest and most accepting nations in the world, life in Canada will teach you what it is to be an international student and therefore a global citizen. With new places, peoples and cultures, you have the privilege of learning to navigate global socio-cultural dynamics right from your teens.
As mentioned earlier, after your business degree from Canada, you can choose to build your qualifications by either going the MBA or the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) route. However, if you are looking to gather some work experience before applying for master’s (which is also a mandatory criteria in most top universities), then you can find a number of well-paying options out there for you.
Some of the common positions that recruiters are looking to fill are:
Note: All figures are annual salaries in Canadian dollars. They are indicative numbers, based on national averages. The numbers tend to vary depending on location, marketable skills and previous work experience.
Having completed your course, in order to establish your career, you must apply for a PWGP (post-graduation work permit).
You are given up to 180 days after graduation to apply for your permit. The length of your permit is typically proportional to the length of your course. It can range anywhere from 8 months to three years, even if your course is 4 years long.
After having gained one year of professional experience under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code of 0, A, or B, you can apply for the PR (Permanent Residence) program.
For international students, scholarships and financial aid are a huge respite from the burden of tuition fees and cost of living expenses. When you are looking for scholarships, you always look at 4 sources:
That said, the individual university scholarships are discussed in the next section. Here are some of the common scholarships you can look into before applying to any university.
The eligibility criteria for these scholarships are based on academic excellence, financial need and depending on the country of origin.
It helps to give yourself additional time to research scholarships as their application processes tend to happen separately from that of your college application. You can also reach out to us at tcglobal.com for any assistance.
The best BBA colleges in Canada are:
Source: UTSC
One of the most renowned universities in all of Canada, the University of Toronto functions through three different campuses located in Ontario. The University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) is one of the three, with the other two located in Downtown Toronto and Mississauga respectively. UTSC is built around undergraduate programmes and offers the only Bachelor of Business Administration course across the entire university.
The annual tuition fee is about CA $59,320 for foreign students.
All students who apply to UTSC are automatically considered for the UoT Entrance Awards. The university also rewards final year/ graduating students for academic excellence and financial need. You can apply for all of UTSC’s scholarships by submitting just one application. The deadline for this application is usually May 31. You can access all of the university’s awards here.
Duration: 4 years
At UTSC, you can earn a BBA with any of the following specialities:
Once your basic admission requirements are met, you can apply for your course through the Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC). If you are choosing the Management with or without the co-op option, you must also submit the supplementary application form (SAF) that allows you to share your statement of purpose and your story. Some programmes such as Co-op Management & International Business also require an interview. You can then track the status of your application online. You can apply for a Canada student visa on acceptance.
Source: Ivey Business School
Located in London, Ontario, Western University is one of Canada’s top-ranking research-based universities. Ivey Business School is one of the constituents of the university, credited for establishing the first MBA and Ph.D. in business in Canada.
The fees for years 1 and 2 vary with your choice of majors. Your HBA 1 and 2 will cost about CA $51,000 per annum.
Ensure that you complete the ‘Financial Aid’ section of your online HBA application. Based on academic excellence and leadership skills, you will be considered for the admission awards. You can also look into the following awards during your HBA 1 and 2:
Duration: 4 years
Course: Honours in Business Administration
You have to submit your application, along with your letters of recommendation and intent either through the Ontario Universities Application Centre or through the Ivey Advanced Entry Opportunity (AEO). Ivey AEO status is available to students who choose to study at Western or one of its affiliated university colleges (in a faculty of their choice) for their first two years of university. Submit the required supplementary forms and then wait for the university’s decision.
Source: York University
Affiliated with York University, the Schulich School of Business is ranked 139 in the world for management courses. This B-school is renowned for creating the first-ever university course on the Future of Marketing.
Why study BBA here?
The tuition fee is about CA $35,280 per annum. You can apply for York’s International Student Scholarship & Award with your application reference and your Canadian study permit paperwork. They are awarded to applicants with an exceptional academic profile, and who demonstrate leadership through community service or excellence in the arts or sport. The application deadline is typically 1 February.
Duration: 4 years
BBA with 11 different specialisations to choose from.
Prospective students must apply through OUAC. The application deadline is typically in January. Once the application is completed, the school will reach out to you via email. You can use the reference number to upload further supporting documents and transcripts. On an average, it takes about 4-6 weeks to process the application.
Source: SFU
One of the most popular research universities in Vancouver after the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University has a student population of over 30,000 from as many as 145 countries across the world.
The tuition fee is approximately CA $33,375 per year. This will vary with the number of credits you choose to take per term. SFU has entrance scholarships ranging from CA $10,000 up to the entire tuition amount. You will be automatically considered for this based on your application. You can also look into the Lloyd-Carr Harris Foundation Entrance Scholarship in Business Administration which is valued at CA $20,000.
Duration: 4 years
To apply for any of these courses you must create an SFU account through EducationPlannerBC by paying an application fee of CA $81. You can submit your application, transcripts, supporting documents and supplemental application through this account. You can then track your application status through the same.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Why are two institutes of great standing mentioned here together? It is because they work in tandem to give you an opportunity to graduate with a double degree. Are you interested in combining your business administration degree with mathematics or computer science? With one additional year, you graduate with two bachelor’s degrees instead of one, creating a niche for yourself.
Since you will be enrolled in two universities at once, you are looking at an annual fee of CA $51,000 + about CA 30,000 respectively. However, you also have the option of looking at scholarships in both universities.
Duration: 5 years
You can apply for the double degree either through the University of Waterloo or through Wilfred Laurier. In fact it is recommended that you go through both to increase your chances of getting admitted.
Source: Thompson Rivers
Set up in 1970, Thompson Rivers University is a public university located in British Columbia. With over 20,000 full-time students, this university is known for its on-campus business administration and management courses.
The tuition fee is approximately CA $27,000 per year.
Duration: 4 years
BBA (with an option of Double Degree)
You can apply online by paying an application fee of CA $100. Your academic profile, transcripts and other supporting documents will all be uploaded online. You can review your application and submit it for the university to process. Once admitted, you can begin the application process for a Canada student visa.
Source: Yorkville University
One of the newer institutions of higher education in Canada, Yorkville University was set up in 2003 in New Brunswick. They are known for their online and hybrid programmes. The university operates out of Vancouver and Toronto.
About CA $7,272 per term of 4 courses. So the annual tuition fee comes up to about CA $21,800 – $22,000. Currently, scholarships are open only to Canadian citizens/ PRs.
For Specialization in Project Management (On Campus- Vancouver),
Duration: 2.5 – 3 years
BBA (Online and on-campus)
The application process is online and most of the programs have multiple start dates throughout the year. You can reach out to the Admissions Advisor for specific inquiries.
The above-listed universities offer a specific business administration course where you graduate with a BBA tagged after your name. However, not many universities offer this specific degree. To clarify, they do offer business and affiliated courses but under the title of Bachelor of Commerce (BComm). This is significantly different from the B.Com that is offered by Indian universities. The same management specialisations and business administration majors can also be offered under a BComm (also spelled BCom) course. You can continue on the same planned career track after a BComm as with a BBA. That said, here are some of the BComm courses to look into:
While becoming an international student is very thrilling, the prep and paperwork of it all to get into BBA in Canada can get overwhelming. The easiest way to reduce your stress is to sign up with TC Global.
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