These days, with the rise in the middle-class population across the globe, an increasing number of students are aiming for immigration opportunities and quality education. And when it comes to higher education studies, the Land Of Maple Leaf aka Canada is one of the most sought-after countries among a massive number of prospective international students.

According to IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) data, Canada has now become the 3rd most popular study destination worldwide of international students. Additionally, the number of foreign students in the country, in the last decade has reached a whopping number of 642,000 with a growth rate of 13% in 2019 compared to 2018. 

On top of this, 26 Canadian leading universities ranked in the prestigiousQS World University Rankings® 2021, which was released in June 2020. Apart from top-ranked universities, there are lots of other factors that help Canada become one of the most favorite countries among international students. These essentially include a linguistically and ethnically diverse environment, the simplified visa application process for foreign students, affordable living costs and tuition fees, and above all, the highest quality of life. When it comes to offering a good quality of life, Canada has again ranked number 1 in 2020, holding the place for five consecutive years.

Add to these the safety and security quotient that naturally becomes a major point of concern for a huge number of students planning to study abroad. In the Global Peach Index for 2020, Canada ranked 6th in the entire world. In short, whether you are a local or a foreign immigrant, there won’t be any discrimination in the context of law and protection.

These are just the key reasons that make Canada a perfect study destination for international students. If reading till now makes you interested enough to choose Canada as your go-to country for pursuing a high-value career there, here, we’ve curated a list of ten most sought-after careers in 2020. To help you make an informed decision, with each field, we’ve also mentioned other important things such as present annual tuition fees at the top three universities, and the average salary in 2019 with respect to them.

1. Physician

• First year  tuition fee at McGill University (MD, CM): CAD 36,954
• First year tuition fee at University of Saskatchewan (MD): CAD 15,530
• First year tuition fee at University of Alberta (BSc. Honours in Science and Medicine): CAD 20,076
• Average annual salary: $200,000

If you’ve got the right passion for helping others and even saving lives potentially, becoming a physician should be your best option. Though this is a lengthy process, completing it would help you achieve a high-paying, attractive, respectable, and secure career. First of all, you need to obtain a university degree, preferably a BS before you can attend a medical school. Most likely you’ll need to clear the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) to enter such a school.You’ll be spending four years in the medical school which is distributed into three environments – classroom, lab, and clinical. After completing the medical school, you’ll have to obtain a qualification in medicine namely the LMCC or Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada conducted by the Medical Council of Canada. This process needs you to fulfill two criteria. First, clearing the MCCQE (Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination) Part I and Part II and second, completing a minimum of 12 months of recognizable postgraduate training or equivalent. Finally, to become a licensed physician in a Canadian jurisdiction, you’ve to obtain a certification from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the Collège des médecins du Québec or the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

It’s important to note that your medical school has to be listed in the WDMS (World Directory of Medical Schools) and must accompany a Canada Sponsor Note to be identified as an acceptable medical school in Canada. Your earning potential as a Canadian physician will depend on various factors such as the number of patients you see, your specialization, the location where you are practicing, whether or not you’ve opted for alternative payment methods, and your choice of the work environment. Though it takes at least a decade including education and residency to become a Canadian physician, you’ll have one of the most successful and flexible careers for sure.

2. Dentist

• Annual tuition fee at University of Alberta (Master of Science in Medical Sciences – Dentistry): CAD 9,465
• Annual tuition fee at University of Saskatchewan (Doctor of Dental Medicine): CAD 53,500
• Annual tuition fee at George Brown College (Dental Hygiene Program): CAD 14,330
• Average annual salary: $133,958

Dentistry is one of those few careers that need a perfect balance of aesthetic sense and scientific expertise to succeed. If you’ve got these abilities along with an eye for detail and a robust communication skill to be able to interact with a diverse range of people, becoming a dentist could be the right career option for you. To enter a Canadian dental school, you’ve to complete some specific pre-dental education courses. Though you don’t need to have knowledge of advanced physics and biology, a strong science background is preferred by most of these schools. You should note that these requirements differ from one dental school to another and hence, it’s absolutely important to learn the admission requirements specific to your preferred school prior to completing these pre-dental courses. 

All Canadian dental schools require you to have DAT (Dental Aptitude Test) scores to have you admitted. Organized by the CDA (Canadian Dental Association), this test is designed to evaluate the comprehension of scientific information, general academic ability, manual dexterity, etc. You should note that the submission of your DAT scores is only a part of the different factors associated with the admission process. Therefore, to complete your application to enter a dental school, you must contact the shortlisted school(s) directly. Once you’ve graduated from an accredited dental program, you’ve to obtain certification by the NDEB (National Dental Examining Board of Canada) to become a licensed Canadian dentist. This certification process involves two parts – NDEB written examination and the Objective Structured Clinical Examination or OSCE. It’s also possible to become a certified general dentist in Canada even if you’ve graduated from a non-accredited dentistry program. In this case, you’ll have two options to become certified – the NDED Equivalency Process’s successful completion or an accredited Degree/Qualifying Completion Program’s successful completion. The first pathway involves three assessments by completing which you’ll be able to take part in the NDEB Certification Process. The Faculties of Dentistry in Canada offers the second pathway i.e. accredited Degree/Qualifying Completion Programs by completing any of which successfully you’ll be able to try for the NDEB Certification Process.

3. Pharmacologist

• Annual tuition fee at University of Alberta (Bachelor of Science with Honors in Pharmacology): CAD 29,500
• Annual tuition fee at University of Saskatchewan (B.Sc. in Physiology and Pharmacology): CAD 18,040
• Annual tuition fee at University of Waterloo (Bachelor of Science in Honours Medicinal Chemistry): CAD 35,800
• Average annual salary: $128,867

If working in a research laboratory is something you’ve always dreamt of, a career as a pharmacologist could be the option you should try out. Pharmacology is the field that involves investigating the mechanisms associated with the effects of chemicals and drugs on various living systems. In short, with your knowledge as a pharmacologist, you’ll be helping in designing and evaluating drugs for the prevention, as well as, treatment of various diseases. You could also specialize in different areas of pharmacology such as clinical pharmacology (the effects of medicines or drugs on humans), neuropharmacology (the effects of chemicals or drugs on the brain, as well as, the nervous system), and veterinary pharmacology (the effects of medicines or drugs on animals). As a qualified pharmacologist, you’d be able to find employment in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as, in large hospitals and universities. Additionally, depending on your inclinations and strengths, and after obtaining further professional training, you may be able to work as a teacher, researcher, administrator, etc. 

Essentially, the first step to becoming a pharmacologist is to obtain a bachelor’s degree in pharmacology or any other related biomedical science such as physiology, toxicology, microbiology, biochemistry, etc. If you want to work as a research associate, you should try to obtain an M.Sc. (Master of Science) degree and a Ph.D. degree is usually needed to if you want to become an independent investigator in the industry or universities. It’s important to note that as an M.Sc. degree holder, your available choice of positions will usually become more limited than that of a Ph.D. degree holder. M.Sc. degree holders generally undertake research projects under a senior scientist’s direction or work as research associates/assistants in laboratories. The Ph.D. degree needs to be earned in biological science, pharmacology, or a specialty such as genetics or pathology. If you want to attend an undergraduate program in pharmacology, the exact classes may vary from one university to another, but they typically include physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, physiology, and cell biology. 

Another route to become a pharmacologist involves obtaining the MD (Doctor of Medicine) degree. These degree holders generally study further, either performing research and earning the PhD degree or pursuing a fellowship in clinical pharmacology or medicine to work as a clinical pharmacologist. Though you can earn a Ph.D. first and then attend a medical school, there are some universities that offer joint MD/Ph.D. programs, which seem to be a more efficient path. You need to enroll after obtaining your bachelor’s degree and after completion of such a program, you’ll earn both a Ph.D. and a medical degree. You should also note that if you want to be associated with programs that administer drugs or gene therapy to human subjects or those involve invasive procedures such as drawing blood or removing tissue, you’ve to be a licensed physician to become eligible. And in that case, the joint degree programs would help you earn the required credentials in less time.

4. Data Scientist

• Annual tuition fee at University of British Columbia (Master of Data Science): CAD 44,133
• Annual tuition fee at University of Toronto (Master of Science in Applied Computing – Concentration in Data Science): CAD 56,000
• Annual tuition fee at McGill University (Master of Management Analytics): CAD 45,000
• Average annual salary: $105,798

Since it has been dubbed as the 21st century’s sexiest job by the Harvard Business Review, the craze to become a data scientist has been steadily increasing. In today’s data-driven world, “big data” is being considered as the biggest asset for any organization – from government institutions and non-profit organizations to small-scale start-ups and large corporations. Nowadays, a massive amount of data is being generated almost regularly from a huge number of sources. Unfortunately, as long as this data isn’t sorted and interpreted in a meaningful way, there’s no value of capturing it. Since this huge amount of information cannot be processed and used without specialized skills, organizations across the globe are steadily hiring data scientists to do this job on their behalf. While data scientists come from a diverse range of backgrounds, the field essentially merges mathematics, statistics, programming knowledge, and business logic. Therefore, the majority of data scientists usually come with the technical expertise of some kind. It’s also important to understand that data science is quite a complex field and it involves a significant number of different skills that you need to master to become a proficient data scientist. And most future data scientists start preparing much before they get enrolled in a university program or an online degree program.

First, you need to complete undergraduate studies with a major such as data science, mathematics, statistics, computer engineering, computer science, etc. You must pursue this program from one of the accredited learning institutions that are recognized in Canada. In case you’ve completed this from outside of Canada, you’ll have to get a proof of a Canadian equivalency with the help of a recognized credential assessment service. 

In the field of data science, those with advanced degrees such as a master’s degree (MS in data science) or Ph.D. tend to enjoy better career opportunities. Therefore, if your goal is to work in an advanced leadership position, you should try to earn either of these degrees. Canada boasts of some top-ranking universities and colleges where you can acquire a diverse range of skills required to become a top-notch data scientist. These offer courses designed to build up the technical foundation, as well as, real-life experience with data.

5. Lawyer

• Annual tuition fee at University of Alberta (Master of Laws): CAD 9,465
• Annual tuition fee at University of Ottawa (Master of Laws): CAD 13,936
• Annual tuition fee at Wilfrid Laurier University (Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws): CAD 25,320
• Average annual salary: $105,669

Perhaps the biggest benefit of becoming a lawyer is you’ll be able to take your pick from a diverse range of career options both in the public and private sectors. You can choose to serve as a criminal defense attorney or a criminal prosecutor or a public defender based on your preferences. Additionally, there are many different areas of law such as corporate law, real estate, etc in which you may specialize. Apart from these, choosing this career would let you handle a lot of intellectual challenges almost regularly so there won’t be any scope of experiencing boredom. Before you can enter a Canadian law school, you’ll need to complete 90 credit hours towards a bachelor’s degree or obtain a bachelor’s degree. Different law schools have different admission policies in the context of undergraduate education. For instance, some may need you to take certain courses while the majority of them have credit requirements. So, you should take a look at the LSAC (Law School Admission Council) website to learn about the criteria specific to your law school.

It’s also important to note that there are certain national associations that recognize specific colleges and universities, and your undergraduate institution should be accredited by one of them. Once you’ve obtained a bachelor’s degree, you need to clear the Law School Admission Testor LSAT to enter an LSAC-member law school. The law schools offer a law degree on either or both of the two law systems in Canada –French civil law and English common law. Here, you need to choose one based on the region where you want to practice law. Finally, you’ve to complete the Bar Admission Course of the particular province where you want to become a lawyer.