Professional Schools

Start planning for further education!

 

 

Ensure your time at Mount Royal prepares you for professional programs or graduate studies

   

 

While we're not going to tell you how to make decisions on further education and how to get into your desired program (because we don't know),  we can prompt you to ask yourself the right questions and direct you to the right resources.

 

Here are 4 essential questions to ask about further education we think you should ask before applying to your next program.

 

The 4 essential questions to ask about further education

If you've gone through the process outlined here and identified the need for further education in pursuit of your ideal career, you should now ask yourself the following 4 essential questions to plan appropriately for your next educational stage.

Education is an expensive and time-consuming investment. Like all major investments in your life, you want to be sure that you'll get a worth-while return. You wouldn't invest $30,000 of your own money in a stock if you're not confident that it's the right investment that'll pay major dividends in the end. So why would you with education?

Have you made the time to honestly go through the process outlined  here ? Does your ideal career require educational credentials more than your BSc from MRU? Does the pursuit of more schooling align with your personal values? Then maybe more education is the right path for you.

Here are some good reasons to pursue further education after your BSc:

  1. Career: You need to make money and a have a meaningful career, education can help you get there. Ideally you already have a desired career in mind, choosing the program best suited to get you there.
  2. Personal development: While career outcomes should be the main consideration, you might not know your desired career. Further education can help you to explore more options and discover more opportunities.

Here are some bad reasons to pursue further education after your BSc:

  1. Prestige: What's the point of going to school simply for the fancy title if the field's not right for you anyways?
  2. Fear of the job search: Are you staying in school simply because you're afraid of searching for work?
  3. Joining a friend: Do what's right for YOU. It's your future after all.
  4. Outside pressure: Some outside pressure is good, it can help motivate us to do what's in our best interests. Other times it's not. Can you identify when pressure to pursue further education is not within your own best interests?

Invest as much time and effort into the decision process as you can, it's a decision that will likely dictate the next few years of your life, and possibly your entire career.

Once you've decided that further education is right for you, you now need to ask yourself, "Which school and program is best for me?" This depends on a plethora of factors.

Here are some things to ask yourself when deciding on a program:

  • Career opportunities: "Is this the best program to help me build my ideal career?"
  • Program quality: "Will this program give me the level of quality I want from my education?"
  • Admission requirements: "Can I realistically get into this program?" A program may be on the top of your 'wish list', but if you don't meet the competitive admission requirements, you may have to look elsewhere.
  • Supervisors/professors: If you're doing a thesis-based Master's program, "How well could I work with this potential supervisor for the next ~2 years?"
  • Location: "Am I willing to move?"
  • Cost: "Is the financial cost of the program worth the investment?"
  • Student life: "Will this program provide me with the student lifestyle that's best for me?"

If you ever find yourself saying things like "I've heard", "I think", "I feel like", or "Someone told me", when trying to explain the admission requirements of your desired program, then you're assuming and guessing. All programs have different admission requirements that can change each year. If you don't know them off by heart, through and through, to the finest level of detail, then you're likely using incorrect information. Are you willing to leave your future up to assumptions and bad information?

Here are some important questions to ask yourself when researching the admission requirements to your desired program:
  1. Education:
    • What is the minimum amount of education required for entry to the program?
    • Is a degree required for entry to the program?
    • If so, what degree?
    • Does the degree need to be completed?
  2. GPA:
    • How big of a factor is GPA in the decision?
    • What is the minimum GPA?
    • What is the projected competitive GPA?
    • How do they calculate GPA?
  3. Prerequisite courses:
    • What types of courses are required for entry to the program?
    • If the program requires a prerequisite, can it be any level of course (i.e. high school, first-year university, etc.)?
  4. Deadlines:
    • When is the application deadline?
    • Is there an early admission deadline?
    • What documents need to be submitted by the deadline?
  5. Admission exams:
    • Are there admission exams?
    • What content is on the test?
    • What is the minimum passing grade?
    • What is the competitive grade?
    • How big of a factor are admission exam grades in the decision?
  6. Experience:
    • Is experience required in addition to education?
    • Can experience replace education?
    • What kind of experience is required: work, volunteer?
Remember, it doesn't matter how well you plan on doing throughout your desired program if you don't even get in in the first place.

 

How to get into professional programs and graduate school
Don't leave much up to chance. Follow these steps to help you get into the program you want.

Medical schools in Canada tend to be extremely competitive. It's essential that you take the 4 essential questions to ask about further education very seriously. Whether you're just toying with the thought or are 100% certain that you want to go to Med school, we think you should still start at the first question and work your way down.
  1. Why do I want to pursue further education? Have you also gone through the career questions here ? You should have a VERY compelling answer to these questions because the road to becoming a Doctor is long and hard. To remain focused and motivated, you'll need to know exactly why you're embarking on this journey.
  2. What program/school is best for me? Make a long list of all the programs in Canada and any other countries you'd be fine with moving to. When trying to decide on a program, be sure to make your decisions based on the program's potential:
    • Career opportunities
    • Quality
    • Admission requirements
    • Location
    • Cost
    • Student life
  3. Do I really know the admission requirements for my desired program? DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING! We can't stress this enough. If you don't truly KNOW the admission requirements, then you may as well be guessing. Imagine working towards Med school for 4-8 years, only to find out upon applying, that you're immediately disqualified because you didn't properly understand what they meant by 'full course load'. To ensure you're as informed as possible, we recommend you do the following:
    1. Focus on your top program. Go to the source of authoritative information, the school's website, admissions office, etc.
    2. Study the admissions requirements.
    3. Make a note anytime you're unclear about the wording. For example: If the admissions document says 'GPA is calculated based on a full course load', and doesn't further explain what a 'full course load is', make a note.
    4. Call the admissions people. Ask them to clarify any questions you may have.
    5. Explain the admission requirements to friends or family. Ask them to stop you every time you say 'I think', 'I believe', 'I've heard'. Then fill in those gaps so that you can say with confidence 'I know'.
    6. Repeat the process for your second-choice program.
  4. What's the best strategy to maximize the chances of me getting in to my desired program? Once you know the admission requirements:
    1. Write them down in the form of a checklist
    2. Break down each item into smaller items. You could break things down based on time (year, semester, month) or achievements (like Key Performance Indicators or SMART goals)
    3. Refer to the lists each week and check the items off as you complete them
    4. Get support from career services
Tip: Most Medical schools don't care what Bachelor's degree you have. Instead of selecting the undergraduate program you think might help you perform best in Medical school, pursue a program that will allow you to achieve the best GPA possible to maximize your chances of getting into Medical school in the first place.
Regulatory Bodies and/or Associations:
Medical schools in Canada:
  • University of Calgary
  • University of Alberta
  • University of British Columbia
  • University of Manitoba
  • Memorial University of Newfoundland
  • Dalhousie University
  • McMaster University
  • University of Toronto
  • University of Ottawa
  • Western University
  • Queen's University
  • Northern Ontario School of Medicine
  • McGill University
  • Université Laval Faculté de Médecine
  • Université de Montréal Faculté de Médecine
  • University of Saskatchewan

Dental schools in Canada tend to be extremely competitive. It's essential that you take the 4 essential questions to ask about further education very seriously. Whether you're just toying with the thought or are 100% certain that you want to go to Dental school, we think you should still start at the first question and work your way down.
  1. Why do I want to pursue further education? Have you also gone through the career questions here ? You should have a VERY compelling answer to these questions because the road to becoming a Dentist is long and hard. To remain focused and motivated, you'll need to know exactly why you're embarking on this journey.
  2. What program/school is best for me? Make a long list of all the programs in Canada and any other countries you'd be fine with moving to. When trying to decide on a program, be sure to make your decisions based on the program's potential:
    • Career opportunities
    • Quality
    • Admission requirements
    • Location
    • Cost
    • Student life
  3. Do I really know the admission requirements for my desired program? DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING! We can't stress this enough. If you don't truly KNOW the admission requirements, then you may as well be guessing. Imagine working towards Dental school for 4-8 years, only to find out upon applying, that you're immediately disqualified because you didn't properly understand what they meant by 'full course load'. To ensure you're as informed as possible, we recommend you do the following:
    1. Focus on your top program. Go to the source of authoritative information, the school's website, admissions office, etc.
    2. Study the admissions requirements.
    3. Make a note anytime you're unclear about the wording. For example: If the admissions document says 'GPA is calculated based on a full course load', and doesn't further explain what a 'full course load is', make a note.
    4. Call the admissions people. Ask them to clarify any questions you may have.
    5. Explain the admission requirements to friends or family. Ask them to stop you every time you say 'I think', 'I believe', 'I've heard'. Then fill in those gaps so that you can say with confidence 'I know'.
    6. Repeat the process for your second-choice program.
  4. What's the best strategy to maximize the chances of me getting in to my desired program? Once you know the admission requirements:
    1. Write them down in the form of a checklist
    2. Break down each item into smaller items. You could break things down based on time (year, semester, month) or achievements (like Key Performance Indicators or SMART goals)
    3. Refer to the lists each week and check the items off as you complete them
    4. Get support from career services
Tip: You may not need to complete your undergraduate degree to be admitted to Dental school. Instead, you likely need very specific prerequisite courses. Be sure to know exactly which courses are required for admission to your desired program.
Regulatory Bodies and/or Associations:
Dental schools in Canada:

There are only 2 schools of Optometry in Canada, and as such, they're likely to be highly competitive. It's essential that you take the 4 essential questions to ask about further education very seriously. Whether you're just toying with the thought or are 100% certain that you want to go to a school of Optometry, we think you should still start at the first question and work your way down.
  1. Why do I want to pursue further education? Have you also gone through the career questions here ? You should have a VERY compelling answer to these questions because the road to becoming an Optometrist is long and hard. To remain focused and motivated, you'll need to know exactly why you're embarking on this journey.
  2. What program/school is best for me? Make a long list of all the programs in Canada and any other countries you'd be fine with moving to. When trying to decide on a program, be sure to make your decisions based on the program's potential:
    • Career opportunities
    • Quality
    • Admission requirements
    • Location
    • Cost
    • Student life
  3. Do I really know the admission requirements for my desired program? DO NOT ASSUME ANYTHING! We can't stress this enough. If you don't truly KNOW the admission requirements, then you may as well be guessing. Imagine working for years towards admission into a school of Optometry, only to find out upon applying, that you're immediately disqualified because you didn't properly understand what they meant by 'full course load'. To ensure you're as informed as possible, we recommend you do the following:
    1. Focus on your top program. Go to the source of authoritative information, the school's website, admissions office, etc.
    2. Study the admissions requirements.
    3. Make a note anytime you're unclear about the wording. For example: If the admissions document says 'GPA is calculated based on a full course load', and doesn't further explain what a 'full course load is', make a note.
    4. Call the admissions people. Ask them to clarify any questions you may have.
    5. Explain the admission requirements to friends or family. Ask them to stop you every time you say 'I think', 'I believe', 'I've heard'. Then fill in those gaps so that you can say with confidence 'I know'.
    6. Repeat the process for your second-choice program.
  4. What's the best strategy to maximize the chances of me getting in to my desired program? Once you know the admission requirements:
    1. Write them down in the form of a checklist
    2. Break down each item into smaller items. You could break things down based on time (year, semester, month) or achievements (like Key Performance Indicators or SMART goals)
    3. Refer to the lists each week and check the items off as you complete them
    4. Get support from career services
Tip: You may not need to complete your undergraduate degree to be admitted to an Opt. Instead, you likely need very specific prerequisite courses. Be sure to know exactly which courses are required for admission to your desired program.
Regulatory Bodies and/or Associations:
Schools of Optometry in Canada:

 

 

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