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.
