You will be studying at a private or public college, also called a Cégep (general and vocational education college). The Cégep is a specific feature of the educational system in the province of Quebec and is an institution where the first level of higher education is provided (after high school and before university studies, for example).
Accessible: After secondary school (11 years of study from the first year of elementary school);
Specifics: This is the first level of higher education. It is also the gateway to university studies;
Institutions that offer college education: private or public colleges called Cégeps.
Duration: 2 years;
Targeted diploma: DEC (diplôme d’études collégiales): College diploma issued by the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur (MES);
Objective: Access to undergraduate studies (university “first cycle”).
Duration: 3 years;
Targeted diploma: DEC (diplôme d’études collégiales): College diploma issued by the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur (MES).
Objective: Enter the job market or access undergraduate studies (university “first cycle”).
Duration: Variable – from 6 to 18 months;
Targeted diploma: AEC (attestation d’études collégiales): Attestation of collegial studies issued by the College/Cégep;
Specifics: This training is different from one institution to another, as each program is made up of a set of courses specific to each institution and with technical characteristics aimed at immediate preparation for employment. These programs are specifically created to meet labour market needs;
Objective: Enter the job market.
The following is an estimate of the average annual tuition, not including related fees (learning guide, equipment, tools, etc.):
Students of French nationality: free of charge, in accordance with the agreement signed in 2001 between Quebec and France (except for private AECs);
Non-French students: between $12,000 and $18,000 (CAD).
There are, of course, the five main fields of study targeted by the Quebec government’s Opération main-d’œuvre:
Education;
Engineering;
Information Technology (IT);
Health and Social Services;
Childcare and Early Childhood Education.
You can also find what you are looking for among the 20 or so other fields of study offered by one of the 14 colleges in Quebec:
Administration, Commerce and Computers
Agriculture and Fisheries
Food Services and Tourism
Arts
Buildings and Public Works
Woodworking and Furniture Making
Chemistry and Biology
Communications and Documentation
Leatherwork, Textiles and Clothing
Electrotechnology
Motorized Equipment Maintenance
Land Use Planning and Environment
Mechanical Manufacturing
Forestry and Pulp and Paper
Maintenance Mechanics
Metallurgical Technology
Mining and Site Operations
Beauty Care
Transportation
Institutions that offer college programs in the Québec City area and its surroundings:
French-speaking public colleges (Cégeps)
English-speaking public college (Cégep)
French-speaking private colleges