Going Canadian?

[rachaelskaya]

Hi all,

I'm an American applying to English Ph.D. programs, and up til now have only been considering American schools. Some schools in the UK and Canada interest me, but the difference in the standard Ph.D. program in the UK (i.e. degree in 3 years instead of 5-7, minimal classwork, higher cost of living) has been enough to put me off. I'm really interested in some of the faculty at the University of British Columbia though, and am wondering about the differences between pursuing a Ph.D. in the US vs. Canada. Specifically:

What is funding like for Canadian Ph.D. programs? I am only considering schools that offer 4+ years of tuition scholarships, insurance, and a living stipend. Summer funding is obviously ideal as well.

Do Ph.D. programs in Canada give preference to Canadians for admissions/funding?

What is the job market like in the US for Canadian Ph.D.s? Would I be at a disadvantage?

What, if any, are the differences between studies at a Canadian vs. American university, in regards to access to professors, the dissertation advisor system, time to degree, size of classes, student community, required courses, etc.? Obviously some of this is on the university website, but I'm interested in people's experiences.

I'm considering working part-time to help pay the bills, and I've seen that American Ph.D. students in Canada are able to obtain work visas. Does anyone have any experience with that? How challenging is it for an American to get a Canadian work visa, and how likely is it that I would find some sort of a part-time job (and balance it with my studies)?

Any other advice from those who are applying to/have applied to/are studying at Canadian Ph.D. programs?

Thanks and good luck to everyone on their applications!

[Grunty DaGnome]

Probably the biggest drawback to studying in Canada and then trying to return to the United States is that you'll be used to undergraduate students who are motivated, responsible and prepared.

[againstourfaces]

Probably the biggest drawback to studying in Canada and then trying to return to the United States is that you'll be used to undergraduate students who are motivated, responsible and prepared.

haha. I hear this is true. As a Canadian, who studied in Canada, and who knows a bit about PhDs here, I'd say the thing you want to look out for is reputation. I think the only schools worth looking into are probably UBC and Toronto. If you are satisfied with teaching at small schools in Canada with relatively motivated and hard workings students (that sounds pretty great) then getting a PhD there is a good idea. The drawback, not a lot of teaching opportunities while you're doing your degree. The good thing, you finish a lot faster. I am not sure about UBC, but Toronto has a direct entry. Mostly, though, you need a masters before you can go into doctoral work. Sometimes Toronto will offer you a direct entry position even without a masters. I think they admit only a certain number of international applicants.

I've been told Canadian students take undergrad a bit more seriously. I don't know about that, though. There are motivated and unmotivated people everywhere. But we don't have the same frat, football or party culture.

[wreckofthehope]

I applied to three Canadian universities last year - Toronto, UBC and Simon Fraser. I'm not from the US so I suppose I have a somewhat different perspective on things - I'm from the UK and a Canadian PhD from the top 10-12 would be looked at just fine (I suppose it helps that our systems are somewhat similar).

UBC was top of my personal list and I was very keen to go there (I was waitlisted and then ultimately denied ).

In terms of funding: the information the departments provide seems to suggest that funding isn't totally guaranteed but, from the research I've done, I've come to the conclusion that basically you will get funding every year... there will be small fluctuations in TA salaries, sometimes you might get a fellowship or some special department award (basically funding is less uniform and more adhoc) and you will have to apply for outside fellowships every year to remain eligible for department or university funding, but they are not going to suddenly stop funding you. I'm pretty sure Toronto, UBC and SFU give ballpark funding packages for your entire time there when they admit you.

As far as working goes, this is where Canada is AWESOME: as an international student you can work off campus or on without a work visa, I think you may have to get something signed by your university but it is not a difficult thing to do. So, should something totally disastrous and unlikely happen such as government funding for all literary subjects being suspended, you can go out and get a job and support yourself.

As far as application tips go: something I wish I'd done for UBC was get in touch with professors... it is actively encouraged there and I think it can help your app. There is a long running debate on this forum about whether this helps or hinders an app to US universities and that discussion influenced me in not contacting people for most of my schools (probably a good thing for my US apps). However, I think Canadian scholars and schools tend to feel quite differently about this issue and certainly I regret not contacting people at UBC.

If you wanted to ask anything else that I might be able to help with feel free to PM me. I'm a C20th/Contemporary person with a space/place/ecocritical approach.

Hi all,

I'm an American applying to English Ph.D. programs, and up til now have only been considering American schools. Some schools in the UK and Canada interest me, but the difference in the standard Ph.D. program in the UK (i.e. degree in 3 years instead of 5-7, minimal classwork, higher cost of living) has been enough to put me off. I'm really interested in some of the faculty at the University of British Columbia though, and am wondering about the differences between pursuing a Ph.D. in the US vs. Canada. Specifically:

What is funding like for Canadian Ph.D. programs? I am only considering schools that offer 4+ years of tuition scholarships, insurance, and a living stipend. Summer funding is obviously ideal as well.

Do Ph.D. programs in Canada give preference to Canadians for admissions/funding?

What is the job market like in the US for Canadian Ph.D.s? Would I be at a disadvantage?

What, if any, are the differences between studies at a Canadian vs. American university, in regards to access to professors, the dissertation advisor system, time to degree, size of classes, student community, required courses, etc.? Obviously some of this is on the university website, but I'm interested in people's experiences.

I'm considering working part-time to help pay the bills, and I've seen that American Ph.D. students in Canada are able to obtain work visas. Does anyone have any experience with that? How challenging is it for an American to get a Canadian work visa, and how likely is it that I would find some sort of a part-time job (and balance it with my studies)?

Any other advice from those who are applying to/have applied to/are studying at Canadian Ph.D. programs?

Thanks and good luck to everyone on their applications!

[LivePoetry123]

I'm an American who did my MA in Canada, and I was not eligible to apply for SSHRCC, the big Canadian outside fellowship, because I am American. This could become a problem for you if it is true, like wreckofthehope says, that you are expected to apply to outside fellowships in order to be eligible for department funding. I mean, they might waive this requirement because you obviously can't apply for something you aren't eligible for, but I would look into all this if I were you. When I did my MA I had the same funding opportunities as Canadian students, but it could be different for PhDs.

That being said, I really enjoyed studying in Canada. I was in the BC area, though not at UBC. There's much to be recommended about going Canadian.

Another thing is that if you don't have your MA yet, Canada is a great place to do it because unlike American schools they actually offer good funding for terminal MAs.

[wreckofthehope]

I'm an American who did my MA in Canada, and I was not eligible to apply for SSHRCC, the big Canadian outside fellowship, because I am American. This could become a problem for you if it is true, like wreckofthehope says, that you are expected to apply to outside fellowships in order to be eligible for department funding. I mean, they might waive this requirement because you obviously can't apply for something you aren't eligible for, but I would look into all this if I were you. When I did my MA I had the same funding opportunities as Canadian students, but it could be different for PhDs.

You're right - international students aren't eligible for SSHRC; but apparently there are other scholarships in Canada you can apply for - so, for example, if you are going to an Ontario university you can (or have to) apply to OGS. Also - if there are any scholarships in your home country that would apply to your circumstances they would expect you to apply to them. But, you just have to apply...if you don't get them, you still get funding from your department.

Obviously this means that international students are a little bit more of a pain than local students to fund because they are less likely to win outside funding and I'm sure that does come into consideration when they are admitting people, but at the same time international students bring a whole load of other benefits that departments are keen to partake of, so I think it's difficult to quantify how much being an international student might disadvantage you or not at a Canadian university (I have heard that in some programs Toronto has only a certain number of spots for internationals, often one spot... I don't know how true that is).

[Grunty DaGnome]

If you attend UBC, is it possible to live close enough to the border that you can actually work in Vancouver, WA, but live in Vancouver, BC?

[Andsowego]

If you attend UBC, is it possible to live close enough to the border that you can actually work in Vancouver, WA, but live in Vancouver, BC?

I hope this doesn't come across as rude, but... you really need to check your geography! Though the two cities share the same name, they're nowhere near each other. The distance between Vancouver, BC, and Vancouver, WA is around 350-400 miles. And, there's an international border crossing in between (the Peace Arch crossing is one of the busiest crossings between Canada and the USA). People do cross for work, but only if they live within very close proximity to the border (and neither one of the Vancouvers is very close!). Sorry!