Top IT programs in Canadian universities
Best Computer Science Universities
Prestigious Canadian universities offer computer science programs at the B.A. and Master's level. Diploma programs are also offered. Top IT programs are offered by the University of Victoria, University of Waterloo, University of British Columbia, and others.
The University of British Columbia has one of the top computer science departments, ranking 25th in the world's rankings. Undergraduate students can choose from a wide selection of core courses and electives such as software construction, models of computation, introduction to computer systems, and others. The University of Waterloo also offers regular and co-op degrees in Computer Science as well as the option to customize your degree. Students have plenty of opportunities after graduation, ant the list of co-op positions is quite long, including software development engineering, software design and engineering, data management, cloud and mobile development, and so on. Graduates can choose from different career paths such as lead developer, program analyst, product manager, risk modeling analyst, etc. The University of Victoria offers Bachelor, Master's and co-op programs to help students learn how to analyze, interpret, and visualize models and data. The Computer Science department also offers option and interdisciplinary programs such as Health Information Science, Geomatics, and others. The list of curriculum courses includes foundations of computer science, fundamentals of programming, elementary computing, database systems, and many others. The department also offers graduate degrees, including Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. Students can choose from different focus and research areas, for example, gaming and graphics, systems and software engineering, wireless and wired networks, embedded systems, and many others. There are other institutions of higher educations to look into, including the University of Montreal, University of Toronto, Simson Fraser University, and others.
There are different ways to finance your studies in Canada, including scholarships, grants, working through university, private student loans, government loans, and more. A number of scholarships and bursaries are available to IT students in Canada, among which the Albert Kwong Memorial Prize, A.W. Chisholm Bursary, Aliant Ambassador Scholarship, and Ada Byron Award. Some prizes and scholarships are available to students enrolled in programs across different fields, including information technology, quality surveying, computer science, construction management, and engineering. In addition to prizes and scholarships, students are offered government-sponsored loans and grants, along with repayment assistance. Financial assistance is available to students with permanent disabilities, persons with children and dependents, students who demonstrate financial need (from middle-income and low-income families), and students in part- and full-time programs.
There are other options for students who fail to meet the requirements for government assistance or need additional sources of financing. One option is to apply for a student loan from a local financial institution or one of Canada's big banks. TD Canada Trust and RBC Royal Bank, for example, offer student lines of credit. TD's line of credit is available to graduate and undergraduate students and professionals, including veterinary, medical, dental, and others. Proof of enrollment is required to qualify. The main benefits for borrowers include quick and easy access, interest-only payments until graduation, and competitive interest rates. In addition to loans and scholarships, a student credit card is one option to meet daily and school-related expenses such as meals, school supplies, textbooks, transportation, and so on. Many banks in Canada offer student credit cards, including Scotiabank, CIBC, TD Canada Trust, and others. Scotiabank, for example, features a credit card with money back rewards while CIBC offers different cards with no annual fee, bonus points, cash back, added insurance, and other add-ons and incentives. There is no minimum income requirement to qualify.
Best Canadian Sites/Applications Built with Open Data
Open Maps
There are plenty of unique and useful applications and websites that are built with open data, including data inventories and portals, geospatial services and applications, and a lot more.
Open Maps allow users to analyze, explore, and visualize geospatial data. What is more, users learn how to work with different interfaces and formats, including programming interfaces, geo formats, and structured data (XML, JSON, CSV), etc. There are different geo formats to extract and use metadata information as well. APIs are also being developed to increase public awareness and knowledge and allow users to access data in different ways, including ATI requests, suggested consultations, round table discussions, and data sets, email, and so on.
Open Government across Canada
In addition to open maps, Open Government across Canada offers a wealth of data and toolkits, including information on initiatives and events, events calendar, and maps. Users are free to access open data portals and websites to learn more about municipal boundaries, federal electoral districts, and geopolitical boundaries. Visitors learn about the Exclusive Economic Zone and international boundary, provincial boundaries, aboriginal lands, as well as administrative boundaries. There is a host of geo databases to explore, including databases on the national road network and national hydro network, geographical names, geospatial data, and digital elevation data. Visitors are also offered useful information on mineral assessments and deposits, storage of hazardous materials, population estimates, neighborhood demographics, and a lot more.
The Open Government Portal offers a wealth of information as well, including household spending and population distribution, demographics of individuals, dependents, and taxpayers, guilty cases and youth courts, and accidents involving dangerous goods. There is plenty of information on different topics and themes such as technology and science, environment and nature, politics and government, and industry and economics. Search filters help users to find relevant information by organization, collection type, subject, portal type, and keyword. Different types of collections are available, including publications, geospatial data, open maps, and non-spatial data. Visitors learn plenty about land management, local and isolated communities, boundaries, and more.
Other Open Data Apps and Sites
There are other handy applications to look into, including EatSure, EatSafe, Disclosed, DataTo, My Stops, Libraries Ottawa, and others. Disclosed.ca, for example, is managed by Nurey Networks Inc. to monitor contracts signed by government agencies. Users are free to browse through different contracts, their value and duration, work done, names of vendors, departments and agencies, etc. The Ottawa DogPark Finder was a useful application for dog owners, offering park ratings based on cleanliness, friendliness, and popularity. Unfortunately, the application is closed down. My TTC is a great open data application that helps commuters to plan their route, whether by bus, streetcar, or subway. Ottawa Parks and Recreation is a great app developed by SK8 Wireless Technologies to access information on parks, child care facilities, baseball diamonds, and other recreational facilities. Other applications by SK8 Wireless Technologies offer information on city-run car parking facilities, persons of interest, museums, traffic cameras, bookmobiles and libraries, and so on. There are also open data apps that offer information on alternative fuel locations, taxi services, and charities and retailers that specialize in recycling. Other useful apps to explore include Traffic Ottawa, Toronto Road Restrictions, TaxiCity, and Route411.
Contact Us
Please fill out the form below.