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Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario: Courses, Costs, Careers & More

Jun 25, 2024

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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

  1. Rankings & Accolades
  2. Research Facilities
  3. Top Study Fields at Durham College 
  4. Academic Intakes Available at Durham College 
  5. Eligibility Criteria for International Student
  6. Cost to Study at the Durham College
  7. Scholarships for International Students 
  8. Student Life & Campus Support at Durham College
  9. Career Support Services by Durham College
  10. FAQs

Rankings & Accolades

Durham College has a lot to be proud of, let’s look at the rankings of the university:

  • Greenest Employer in Canada in 2024
  • Top Research College in 2021
  • Top GTA Employer in 2018
     

Research Facilities

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. 

1. AI Hub

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.
 

2. Centre for Cybersecurity Innovation

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.
 

3. Social Impact Hub

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.
 

4. MRC Studio

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.
 

5. Autonomous Vehicle Applied Research

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.
 

6. Centre for Craft Brewing Innovation

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.

 

Top Study Fields at Durham College 

Durham College offers a wide range of Certificates, Diplomas, Advance Diplomas, Graduate Certificates, and Bachelor’s Degrees in a plethora of study fields like:

  • Business Management & Office Administration
  • Engineering Technology & Automotive 
  • Computers, Web & Internet 
  • Science, Energy and Environment 
  • Construction, Trades & Mechanical 
  • Law, Court & Emergency
  • Media & Communication
  • Creative, Design & Gaming
  • Community & Wellness
  • Health & Wellness
  • Sport, Fitness & Recreation

After looking at these diverse study fields, let’s have a glance at the academic intakes here.
 

Academic Intakes Available at Durham College 

Durham College offers 3 intakes for its students. 

  • September: This intake has the highest number of programs the College offers to students. 
     
  • January: This intake is a great opportunity for students planning to study STEM Courses as most of them are available at this intake. 
     
  • May: This intake is for students who need some extra time to prepare for their application and limited courses are available. 
     

Eligibility Criteria for International 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:

Academic Requirement

  • A minimum of 50% and above in the Last Academic Qualification. This can be in 12th Grade or Bachelors. 
     

English Language Proficiency Requirement

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:

  • For IELTS, Students need to have 6.0 bands overall, with no band score less than 5.5 for Certificate, Diploma, and Advanced Diploma Courses.  
  • For TOEFL iBT, Students need an overall score of 88 with a minimum score of 22 in each section.
  • For PTE, students need a total score in the range of 58-64.
  • For Duolingo, students need a score of 110 and higher for Certificate Courses, Diploma and Advanced Diploma Courses. For Graduate Certificates, students need a score of 120.

Having checked the eligibility criteria, let’s proceed to understand the cost of education for International Students at Durham. 
 

Cost to Study at the Durham College

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. 

  • Tuition Fees – It ranges from CAD 11,256 to CAD 21,068 per year.
  • Living Expenses - The cost of living in Canada is CAD 20,635 per year.

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. 
 

Scholarships for International Students 

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:

1. English Proficiency Entrance Scholarship 

  • Scholarship Type: Academic 
     
  • Level of Study: Undergraduate & Postgraduate
     
  • Scholarship Value: CAD 1,000 to CAD 1,500
     
  • Application Deadline: Before 2nd Semester Payment/Registration
     
  • Description: This Scholarship is awarded based on the student’s English Language Proficiency scores and provides a reduction for the second-semester fees. It will be awarded before the deadline for 2nd semester payment or registration.

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 TestScore Required
Academic IELTS7.5
TOEFL IBT102
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 TestScore Required
Academic IELTS8.0
TOEFL IBT110

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.
 

2. Degree Entrance Scholarships

  • Scholarship Type: Academic
     
  • Level of Study: Undergraduate & Postgraduate
     
  • Scholarship Value: Up to CAD 3000 Based on Academic Performance  
                     
  • Application Deadline: Students are Automatically Considered for this Scholarship

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

  • 75% Average: CAD 500
  • 80% Average: CAD 1,500
  • 85% Average: CAD 2,000
  • 90% Average: CAD 3,000
     

3. Academic Excellence Scholarships

  • Scholarship Type: Academic
     
  • Level of Study: Undergraduate & Postgraduate
     
  • Scholarship Value: CAD 1,000
     
  • Application Deadline: Students are Automatically Considered for this Scholarship
     
  • Description: This Scholarship is awarded to students with Academic Excellence in their respective programs. The number of recipients for this award varies.

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.
 

Student Life & Campus Support at Durham College

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. 

1. Sports & Leisure Services

Students who like to play sports can make use of the variety of Athletic and Recreational Sports Services available at the College. 

  • It has an Ice Centre which is an On-campus Hockey Rink that can be used for Sports and Recreation. 
     
  • The Campus also has a Multi-sport Turf with 2 mini fields to accommodate training for varsity programs along with campus recreation programming as per student demand. 
     
  • Durham College’s love for sports is expressed through its various Varsity sports teams for Men and Women in Esports, Golf, Soccer, Baseball, Volleyball, Basketball and Rugby.
     
  • Apart from this there is a 10,000 sq. ft Fitness Training Facility at the campus with an Indoor Elevated Running Track, an Aerobics Room, a Spin Room, and a Varsity Training Centre. 
     
  • In addition to the above the College offers the Whitby Campus Fitness Centre which is a 2000 sq. ft Cardio facility with strength and free weight equipment along with cardio machines.  Durham College’s love for sports is expressed through its various Varsity sports teams for Men and Women in Esports, Golf, Soccer, Baseball, Volleyball, Basketball and Rugby.


2. Health & Wellness Centre

The college offers access to Health Services through its Campus Health and Wellness Centre. 

  • They have a team of Physicians, Nurses, Mental Health Professionals, Wellness Coaches and Administrative Staff working to assist students to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 
     
  • They provide a range of services and programs that are customized based on the needs of the student. 
     
  • The Wellness Promotion Centre offers services like Wellness Coaching and more.
     
  • Durham College also recognises the importance of Mental Health and offers students help to overcome various stresses and challenges of student life. 
     
  • The college has various helplines available for students in case they need assistance. 
     

3. Residence Support & Outreach

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. 
 

Career Support Services by Durham College

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!
 

FAQs

1. Is it easy to get Admission in Durham College?

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. 
 

2. Does the College offer any Accommodation Assistance to International Students?

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.
 

3. What is the Application Processing Time Duration for Durham College?

The College usually takes somewhere between 4 - 6 weeks to process the application.
 

4. Do I need to purchase a Health Insurance Plan?

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. 
 

5. What type of Financial Assistance is available to Students?

The Financial Aid & Awards Office offers a variety of financial aid programs including:

  • OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program)
  • Out-of-province Government Financial Aid
  • General Bursary & Awards
  • In-Course Scholarships
  • DCWorks
  • Summer Employment Program

International students can explore these options and make one-on-one appointments with a dedicated Financial Aid Coach to clarify their doubts. 
 

Q6. How can the Career Development Office help me find a job?

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.

Need guidance? Let us help you.

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