Mcmaster which is one of the top 100 universities in the world had a similar program for what I was looking for M.Sc. Biology thesis-based. The admission process was easy because of the administration staff of my department. They were helpful in guiding me on how to contact the supervisors. I emailed supervisors if they were ready to accept any new graduate students and luckily I received a response from a supervisor asking to send my transcripts and resume. I sent all the documents and upon the interview, he was ready to accept me as a student in his lab. Later on, I paid the application fee and applied online to the university. My scores were high in the bachelor of science (A+).
Course Curriculum :
I like the faculty and their trial to give in-depth knowledge to the students. I am a teaching assistant for my department. I teach undergraduate 4th and 3rd-year students. I know how the process is in teaching the students and I like the materials and procedures they follow to make students understand the concept.
Exams :
I took IELTS as a requirement and received 7 overall bands with not less than 6.5 in any of the modules. I joined as a master's student in September 2017. It's a 24 months course and will be done by August 2019. I'm maintaining 3.9 GPA overall courses and working on my thesis.
Placement :
The average pay depends on the type of job. As a teaching assistant, I used to earn $43/hr and as a food assistant, it was 14/hr which is base pay. The job opportunities provided is completely dependable on your past experiences and confidence.
Internship :
There are a lot of campus jobs available in McMaster mosaic career opportunities. We just need to search for the best fit and apply. I got one as a food assistant on campus and was 10 hours a week. There were plenty of jobs that were available.
Fees :
The tuition fee for an international student was $18,000 per year. For masters at McMaster, it's usually 3 semesters in a year and is four 6 semesters in total. My fee was $36,000 for two years. I got a teaching assistantship of $17,000 for two years and a graduate scholarship of $3,500 and an international excellence award of $5000 for two years. A total of $25,500 was obtained from the university. There was a deduction of taxes for TA money. I have taken a loan from a private bank in India of $20,000 for my living expenses and also to cover my other fees.
Hostel :
I have taken an off-campus student room for $400 a month. I contacted so many landlords from back home before coming here. I shortlisted 2-3 houses. I landed in Canada and my supervisor was nice that he allowed me to stay in his house for a week. So, I had a chance to see the houses and select for one best one. The meal was around $150 per month and $50 for the phone bill. So overall $600 is an ideal expense for a student.
