Jun 25, 2024
One of the most sought-after study destinations, Canada has long been a favourite of international students. The Country is home to more than 155 Universities and 8,000 Colleges, among them, Durham College is a leading Public College in Ontario Canada.
With 2 campuses in Oshawa and Whitby, it has been providing world class education to domestic as well as international students since 1967. With an unshaken commitment to student success, high-quality programs led by pioneering faculty, Durham offers a holistic college experience.
The College is also known for its Research facilities and has been consistently recognized as one of Canada’s Top 50 Colleges according to Research InfoSource, making it one of the ideal places to study in Canada for International Students.
Table of Content
Durham College has a lot to be proud of, let’s look at the rankings of the university:
The office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Durham is hub for research and innovation. They offer research and development solutions through various funding opportunities, faculty expertise, state of the art research facilities and student learning experiences.
The department is in partnership with various communities, industries and agencies to conduct projects that model or find solutions, develop and test prototypes, adopt new technologies and knowledge and develop and evaluate new and improved products and processes.
These research projects are carried out by faculty experts and students at ORSIE. Students are an integral part of the college’s efforts to transfer knowledge to business and industry partners via various applied research projects, work placements and as skilled knowledgeable graduates. The university has 5 major research facilities as specified below. Let’s look into their specifics.
Durham College’s Hub for Applied Research in AI for Business offers industry partners a chance to access state of the art facilities along with technical expertise and platforms for student talent to uncover business insights while offering intelligent and autonomous solutions that help in improving a company’s productivity and growth.
The Hub enables students to build applications and integrate them within web and mobile applications. The AI Hub can get students started in AI development and grow your existing work with innovative implementations.
Durham College’s Centre for Cybersecurity innovation offers current and future cybersecurity aspirants in public and private sector organisations a chance to access applied research services and leading education in the field of cybersecurity to prepare students for the dynamic landscape of the field.
The Durham College’s Social Impact Hub is where students and faculty come together and form partnerships with the community. The hub seeks creative solutions to complex social problems through the latest research and service-learning initiatives. The aim of the centre is to focus on social innovation by funding collaborations that can transform communities through applied research projects.
The MRC Studio or Mixed reality Capture Studio offers access to technical expertise, a state-of-the-art motion capture stage with virtual reality tracking equipment so that students can develop various experience-based applications that combine motion capture, virtual reality, augmented reality and virtual production. Working with the studio students can create solutions that can increase an organization's productivity and growth.
The Autonomous Vehicle Applied Research is an initiative focused on supporting various innovative companies within the autonomous vehicle industry. Durham College has a partnership with Ontario Centre of Excellence’s Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network along with Ontario Tech University Spark Centre.
The Durham region deals with Human Machine Interface and user experience, showing how humans will be able to use AI to augment the capabilities of autonomous vehicles. The centre has a demonstration zone in Stanford Ontario to test, validate and highlight connected and autonomous vehicles making Ontario a global hub for this kind of infrastructure.
The Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation was founded in 2018 and is the university's second applied research centre. It recognizes the growing business sector in the local economy and offers access to expertise, latest technology and micro analytical services, allowing craft brewers to experiment with new recipes and flavour profiles.
The centre offers a lot of facilities like it has a pilot brew line and brew lab. The 50-litre pilot brew line is similar to a production brew line. While developing the lab the college tapped into its academic programming and infrastructure to offer facilities necessary for research.
Durham College offers a wide range of Certificates, Diplomas, Advance Diplomas, Graduate Certificates, and Bachelor’s Degrees in a plethora of study fields like:
After looking at these diverse study fields, let’s have a glance at the academic intakes here.
Durham College offers 3 intakes for its students.
Apart from the regular eligibility criteria to study at the College, some of its programs also need additional criteria like specific Academic Requirements of Standardized Tests and submission of a Portfolio. The eligibility requirements for each program may vary and can be found on the College Official Website.
Some of the common admission requirements include:
International students also need to show proof of English Language Proficiency. The College accepts any one of the tests like IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE or Duolingo.
The scores required for each test are:
Having checked the eligibility criteria, let’s proceed to understand the cost of education for International Students at Durham.
Canadian Colleges have relatively affordable study options for international students and Durham College is one among them. The tentative range of cost to study is given below.
Even though the cost of education is relatively affordable, the college offers scholarships for International Students as well. further have many scholarship choices available. Let’s discuss more of it ahead.
So, moving on to the scholarships offered by Durham College.
Durham College offers a wide range of Scholarships, Bursaries, and other awards. Scholarships in Canada help to improve their profile. Some of the Popular Scholarships that International Students can apply for include:
To be eligible for the award of CAD 1,000 students need to have 80% in English in 12th Grade or the following scores in English proficiency tests like Academic IELTS, TOEFL iBT and Duolingo.
| Name of the Test | Score Required |
| Academic IELTS | 7.5 |
| TOEFL IBT | 102 |
| Duolingo | 120 |
For the award up to CAD 1,500, students need 85% in English or the following scores in these tests.
| Name of the Test | Score Required |
| Academic IELTS | 8.0 |
| TOEFL IBT | 110 |
Note: There are many more English Language Proficiency tests accepted for this award, those specified are only the popular choices, the rest can be found on the College Official Website.
Description: The Degree Entrance Scholarship is for students with a combined minimum, non-weighed average of 75% or higher who will be considered to receive a First-year Entrance Award based on their score.
Given below are the scores along with the corresponding award
Now that we have taken a closer look at Durham College and the Academic Excellence offered, let’s look beyond studies at the support services.
Apart from academics, Durham College offers a lot of services for its students that enrich their overall experience. Let’s look at the services offered by them.
Students who like to play sports can make use of the variety of Athletic and Recreational Sports Services available at the College.
The college offers access to Health Services through its Campus Health and Wellness Centre.
Students living on campus can reach out to Residence Support offered by the College in case they are feeling challenged in any way. The service helps students to focus on their Overall Health and Well-being by providing wellness-focused activities. With this support, students can connect, learn, and grow holistically.
Having checked about the Student Life & Campus Support at Durham College, let us now track a little about the Career Support Services here.
Being Greater Toronto’s Greenest Employer in 2024, Durham College supports students in becoming career-ready by helping them develop skills for the ever-changing job market.
The College focuses on experiential learning led by faculty through Field Placements, Research, Co-ops, and other opportunities for students. Graduates of the College are highly valued in the job market as they know how to adapt to the everchanging world.
The Career Support Team here helps students to network and build relationships in the industry. The team also helps the student to prepare for Interviews or explore further education options based on their preferences.
The College has a Career Development Office that enables employers to hire Durham Graduates. Students can get jobs based on their preferences by utilizing Free Job Posting Services, On-Campus Recruiting Opportunities and Resources.
In conclusion, Durham College is a standout choice for International Students looking to study overseas in Canada. With its unwavering commitment to student success, the College offers a comprehensive educational experience that combines Academic Excellence with Practical Learning Opportunities.
With its Affordable Tuition Fees, Supportive Environment, and Strong Reputation, Durham College is an exceptional choice for those looking to embark on a transformative educational journey in Canada.
If you would like to know more about Durham College and how to get started with its application process, then reach out to our team at KC Overseas Education. Our Canada Experts will help you with the college application process and your Student Visa as well, but that’s not all. KC’s Canada Experts also know about the latest developments in the Canada for international students so they will guide you in the right direction.
So, reach out to the nearest KC Overseas Branch Office and start your Canadian Academic Voyage right away!
Durham College accepts students who meet their minimum entry requirements. Hence, admissions are not difficult. however, they are accessed on a first-come first-served basis.
Yes, the College offers both on-campus as well as off-campus accommodation assistance to its students. For students who accept the admission offer and apply for residence by the deadlines, will be guaranteed a space in campus residence. For those who want to be closer to the College but not on campus, have multiple off-campus housing options as well.
The College usually takes somewhere between 4 - 6 weeks to process the application.
No, students are given a DCSA Health & Dental Plan from the College which is included in College Tuition Fees which means they do not have to buy an additional insurance plan.
The Financial Aid & Awards Office offers a variety of financial aid programs including:
International students can explore these options and make one-on-one appointments with a dedicated Financial Aid Coach to clarify their doubts.
Career Coaches are available to support students with their Cover Letters and Resumes. They also offer suggestions for improvements and ways to connect with employers.