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Study Artificial Intelligence in Canada
Why Study Artificial Intelligence in Canada? Canada is attracting over $1.3 billion of investment in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML) annually. This has led to the rapid growth of opportunities for international students to move to Canada for better career advancement and professional growth.
Through this post, we look to provide you with clear and genuine answers to all the listed questions:
- Where can I Study Artificial Intelligence in Canada?
- Is Canada Good for Artificial Intelligence?
- How much does it Cost to Study AI in Canada?
- What is the Best Course for Artificial Intelligence?
- Career Pathway of AI Students – Is becoming a Data Scientist / AI Specialist good?
Where can I Study Artificial Intelligence in Canada?
The University of Toronto, the University of Montreal, the University of Alberta, and the University of Waterloo are some of the top public-funded institutions to study artificial intelligence in Canada.
| We recommend you choose only public-funded institutions to study AI in Canada, as they offer genuine support to international students. The degree offered by public-funded colleges is more valued in the Canadian labour market than those offered by Private Colleges.
Studying in a Public Institution will also allow you to have a work permit for a part-time job, and apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) after you’ve graduated. |
Apart from Universities offering long-duration courses to study artificial intelligence in Canada, some Colleges generally offer short-term professional programs that have a duration mostly between 1 and 2 years. It is best suited for those professionals who wish to obtain permanent residency in Canada through the study permit route.
Other Best Universities/Colleges to study AI in Canada:
- Queen’s University
- University of Winnipeg
- Simon Fraser University
- Saskatchewan Polytechnic
- Ryerson University
- University of British Columbia
- McGill University
- York University
- Centennial College of Applied Arts and technology
- St. Francis Xavier University
- Georgian College
There are some good research groups in Canada working in deep learning, ML, and computer vision, which is helpful for those postgraduate candidates who wish to pursue research abroad in the field of Artificial Intelligence.
We have curated a list of a few such groups based on genuine student feedback and popular online forums:
- The Deep Learning group under Professor Hinton at the University of Toronto is known to be rigorous as well as rewarding.
- Deep Learning group at Universite de Montreal (called MILA).
- Reinforcement Learning group (and Alberta Innovates Machine Learning Centre Centre) in Alberta.
- Laboratory for Computational Intelligence at UBC, David Lowe’s group, and the Optimization group under Mark Schmidt at the University of British Columbia are good.
- Simon Fraser University- Greg Mori, Ping Tan’s group
- Reinforcement Learning group at McGill
- Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto
What is the Best Course for Artificial Intelligence?
There is a mix of Graduate certificates, bachelor’s & master’s study programs and exciting research opportunities in the field of Artificial intelligence to pursue in Canada. Further, proficiency in technical skills is not sufficient in today’s labour market and for this reason, Canadian Universities also offer Management courses in the field of AI.
| AI / Data Science | AI / Machine Learning | Robotics / Automation |
| Computer Science & Engineering | Information Technology | IoT with Cybersecurity & Blockchain |
| Diploma in Artificial Intelligence | Master of Science in Computer Science | Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics |
| Graduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence | Bachelor of Applied Science in Computer Engineering | Master of Engineering in Electrical & Computer Engineering |
| Master of Management in Artificial intelligence | Post Baccalaureate Diploma AI courses | Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Mathematics & Statistics |
For instance,
- Master in data science and artificial intelligence is a 16-month program at the University of Waterloo and is offered on a full-time and part-time basis.
- The University of Alberta offers research opportunities in Robotics, Software Engineering, Software Systems, Database Systems, Artificial Intelligence, and others.
- Simon Fraser University offers a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Computing Science, a Master of Science in Computing Science and a BSc in Computing Science. The major research areas are Databases, Data Mining and Computational Biology, Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms and Complexity Theory and more.
- The social media giant Facebook’s first Artificial Intelligence Research Lab in Canada is headed by a McGill researcher
This goes on to say that Canada is a significant AI hub in the world for students, skilled professionals, AI startups & entrepreneurs to study, work, or invest and settle in Canada.
Is Canada Good for Artificial Intelligence?
Of course, Canada is one of the leading destinations for student researchers as well as professionals to work and grow in the field of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning combined.
| Did you know?
Canada is deeply invested in enhancing the commercial capabilities of Artificial Intelligence. A quick summary is given below:
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The international student community will be able to engage in applied research opportunities with the Durham College Hub for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence for Business Solutions, better known as the AI Hub. The students are exposed to practical learning as they are required to complete two diverse projects. This will prepare them to tackle highly complex problems with more advanced solutions.
Here are some of the leading AI clusters in Canada:
- EDMONTON, Alberta: It is home to the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (AMII). It is home to the University of Alberta which is top-ranked in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning combined among the best Universities worldwide.
- MONTRÉAL, Quebec: The highest concentration of researchers and students of deep learning in the world, with almost 9000 students in AI and related programs. It is home to the Institute for Data Valorization (IVADO) and the Montréal Institute for Learning Algorithms (MILA), one of the world’s largest public deep learning labs.
A world-leading applied AI research company, Element AI is located in Montréal. It has recently raised $135 million from high-profile tech investors, the biggest A series funding for an AI-focused company ever!
- TORONTO REGION, Ontario: It has the highest concentration of AI start-ups in the world. The city is also home to the Vector Institute, NextAI, and the Creative Destruction Lab. Big corporations like Google, Thomson Reuters, TD Bank Group, Shopify and others have committed a combined total of over $80 million over ten years to support Toronto’s Vector Institute.
Additionally, those students who meet all academic requirements will be eligible to pursue an optional work term in a formal work environment or entrepreneurial endeavour. This will contribute towards their overall Canadian work experience in Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) work hours.
Further, students with at least one year of full-time work experience in Canada can apply for permanent residency under a direct program like Canadian Experience Class (CEC) or get a provincial nomination which will guarantee an invitation to Canada PR.
Are you still not convinced? Contact our overseas education counsellor to guide you further.
Eligibility to Study AI in Canada
It is mandatory for any international student to clear language proficiency tests before they can apply for a study permit in Canada. Students are required to clear the English Proficiency test, either through the IELTS or TOEFL scores.
| The required scores for artificial intelligence in Canada should be between IELTS 6.5 – 8, and the score TOEFL starts from 88.00 points. |
Further, there are different standards of eligibility criteria set by individual universities in Canada. Applicants can check the official websites of the universities or even ask our expert counsellors for assistance.
We’re listing out some common eligibility requirements that every applicant has to fulfil for admission to an artificial intelligence course in Canada:
- For any diploma courses in Canada: candidates shall have 10+2 qualifications from any recognized institution with a minimum of 50% marks.
- For any bachelor’s degree courses in Canada: candidates must have cleared 10+2 examinations from any recognized institution with a minimum of 50% marks.
- For post-graduation programs in Canada: candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree in their respective fields from any recognized university.
- For doctorate programs in Canada: candidates must hold both a bachelor’s degree and a postgraduate degree in the respective field for which candidates are applying.
| Did you know?
International students having 4 or more backlogs can also apply for post-graduation courses in Canada. Check your eligibility by contacting our consultants today! |
How much does it Cost to Study AI in Canada?
Based on crude data collection over these years of our operations, we have tabulated this cost expenditure to study artificial intelligence in Canada.
| Expense | Average Cost in CAD |
| Education (Tuition Fee) | 15,000/year for UG programs
26,000/year for PG programs |
| Study Materials | 1,000/year |
| Accommodation & Food | 2,000/year |
| Recreation & Entertainment | Varies.
Movie tickets may cost 13 CAD. Other misc expenses may range between 500-1000 CAD. |
International students can avail of scholarships or financial loans to pursue their dream study abroad. Contact our consultants to know more.
Is Becoming a Data Scientist / AI Specialist Good?
Canada is not just limited to providing world-class education but the country also provides ample job opportunities in the field of practice. Some of the career pathways & scope in Canada for students graduating in Artificial Intelligence are,
Scope of AI/Data Science in Canada – Use cases in industries:
- Predictive production line, Smart process & tracking, Intelligent supply chain strategies, and Financial planning.
- Automated accurate diagnostics, Predictive care, Proactive treatment strategy, and Suggestive Medical Therapy.
- Intelligent customer needs analysis & food delivery, Improve yield & fight food scarcity, and Manage crop diseases/pests.
- Weather Pattern Recommendation, Enhance autopilot, Intelligent Air Traffic Monitoring.
- Demand analysis, Smart market segmentation, Risk & Loan modelling.
- Smart exploration & production activities in Oil & Gas industry, Intelligent measurement during drilling.
- Driverless Vehicles, Smart Traffic Monitoring, Uplift production line performance.
You can graduate to earn job titles such as:
| Data analyst | AI analyst/technologist | Machine learning analyst/technologist |
| Business transformation consultant | Business analyst | Data steward |
| Data Engineer | Machine Learning Practitioner/Engineer | AI system developer |
| Algorithm Specialist | Machine Learning Engineer | Research Scientists |
| Software Programmer | Robotics or AI Research Engineer | Control Engineer |
As an AI graduate or professional, you could be readily observed to work in industries such as:
- Smart City & Digital Manufacturing (like Bosch, ABB, Honeywell)
- Healthcare, Bio-medical, Biotechnology, Pharmacy (like Siemens, Pfizer, Sanofi)
- Automobiles (like Tesla, Volkswagen, and Uber)
- Aerospace & Defense (like NASA, Boeing, SpaceX)
- Financial services providers (like Amazon, Mckinsey & Company, Walmart)
- Agriculture & Food Technology
- Power & Energy
- Start-up and early-stage entrepreneurial companies
Further, giant corporations like Microsoft, Google, Uber, General Motors » Ford, Thomson Reuters, Amazon, IBM, and Intel have made huge investments in Canada and fulfil vacancies through students graduating from Canadian universities.
You could get well-paid jobs right after completing your education and graduating from a Canadian institution in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Canada is also well-known to retain most of its international student graduates by offering them permanent residence visas. So, what are you waiting for? Plan your study in Canada with us.
Visit the Government of Canada Official Website for more details