Durham College, Oshawa

Durham College of Applied Arts and Technology is situated in the Durham Region of Ontario, Canada. A  second campus is situated in Whitby. A learning site in Pickering, and community employment services in Uxbridge, Port Hope, Port Perry, Beaverton, Oshawa and Bowmanville also belong to this Institution. The college was founded in 1967 and prides itself over having more than 86,000 alumni whose success in their respective careers is a testimonial to the college’s quality education. 

To be exact, the college opened on September 18, 1967, and then it had sixteen portable classrooms. The staff and student strength were 14 and 205 respectively.

The college offered courses in the following streams: applied arts, business and technology. The college soon appended courses in health sciences and adult training and expanded its student’s strength. As of the date, the college has upgraded to incorporate modern methodology in teaching and hence has constructed a new robotics lab, the precursor to the Integrated Manufacturing Centre, etc.

The Whitby campus traces its existence back to the early 1990s. The college partnered with York and Trent universities. This undertaking first brought university courses to the Durham College Oshawa campus. To the aspirants around the globe, this college is a reputed international institution which admits 400 international students each year from around 32 different countries.

 

Durham College has two main campuses - one in Oshawa, while the other in Whitby, Ontario and a learning site in Pickering.

Uxbridge campus was originally an Ontario Employment Services centre, but the Uxbridge site now has classrooms to offer programs for those planning to upgrade academic skills to enter into college programs.

Durham College, Oshawa Map Location

Address: 2000 Simcoe St N, Oshawa, ON L1G 0C5, Canada

The student housing options provide accommodation to the attendees. The college offers fully-furnished suites  at inclusive rates. The Simcoe Village and South Village residences offer safe and comfortable accommodations to more than 1300 students.

Sports and recreational activities are supported in the campus. Facilities for shopping, transportation, parking, health, campus safety, and food are also provided on-campus to provide students with a decent standard of living. There is a variety of off-campus housing options available to students. Places4students.com is a site which lists down a range of options like apartments, single rooms. townhouses, and so on. 

The college has multiple learning spaces designated, designed and developed for educational purposes which make transfer of quality education possible. The campus library houses four floors of learning space and a rotunda, housing a periodicals collection. It is a 73,000 square foot (6,800 m^2)  space especially devoted to the campus library. The other learning spaces include the computer learning commons, student services building, student centre, and bookable study spaces campus wide. 

The college has about 65 research centers; some of them have been listed below:

Centre for Advanced Instrumentation

Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution Research (BEER) Centre

Centre for Banking, Institutions and Development

Centre for Crop Improvement Technology

Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy

Centre for Global Infectious Disease

Centre for Materials Physics

Centre for Medical Education

Financial assistance is made available by the Varsity for deserving students.The School of Continuing Education offers a $500 scholarship to the students every annum. There are certain eligibility criteria fixed by the university for this scholarship which the applicants should fulfill. The Financial Aid and Awards Office runs a range of financial aid and awards programs to reward academic achievement and provide financial assistance.

The office is responsible for the administration of scholarships, bursaries, and the work study program. The office is also responsible for the administration of OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program), government student aid from other Canadian provinces as well as federal/provincial scholarships and federal/provincial bursary programs.

The campus offers career coaches who are glad to support students as they create their cover letters and résumés. They thoroughly guide, offer suggestions for improvements, and provide information on ways to connect with employers.

One-to-one appointments on job search strategies, cover letter and résumé writing, portfolio development, and interviewing techniques are made available to the students. The students and graduates also enjoy exclusive access to the DC Hired site with its online job board, career resources and employer and career events calendar. This resource is a boon to those seeking resources and opportunities.

There are options for Work Study intra-campus which refer to on-campus jobs that are sponsored through Financial Aid and Awards office. In addition to the jobs that are provided through application on DC Hire site, the Student Association, Aramark, Residence and Athletics, Student Academic Learning Services (peer tutoring) and other college departments hire students for part-time and summer work directly.

This helps students self-manage their finances during the period of study. provincial government’s latest KPI survey of Ontario colleges, released September 25, 2019, the graduate employment rate is 86.6% and employer satisfaction rate is 93.9%. This is a strong indication of career assurance post-study from this institute.

Some famous alumni from Durham College, Oshawa include:

Jeffrey S. Boyce (General Business - Marketing, 1980), President and CEO of Sure Energy Inc. and recipient of the Premier's Award in 2006

Tyler Boyco (Digital Video Production, 2014), Filmmaker and artist popular for making a Robin Williams portrait that went viral in 2014

Paul Vessey (Marketing, 1975), COO of Visa USA and recipient of the Premier's Award in 2000;

Fred Upshaw (Registered Nursing, 1975) Upshaw has served as president of OPSEU, which represents 110,000 Ontario public sector workers.

Sheldon McIntosh, Drag Queen "Tynomi Banks", who starred on the first season of Canada's Drag Race

What is Durham College famous for?

Durham College is renowned for its excellent instruction and the pertinent programs it offers. The best professors are respected in their profession, care deeply about your success, and offer a wealth of knowledge and experience to the classroom. The college keeps a careful eye on employment trends and as a result, develops new programs. Last but not least, the college has a well-defined academic plan in place that is intended to provide the greatest possible teaching and learning.

Is Durham College good for international students?

As one of Canada's top 50 research universities that accepts students from more than 60 nations, Durham College is the ideal setting for students to broaden their understanding of the globe. With an average cost of study of approx. CAD 24,000 Durham College is a cheaper alternative to studying in Canada than it is elsewhere. The college offers outstanding placement and internship opportunities to its students and generous financial aid in the form of scholarships and bursaries to overseas students. It provides great on-campus and off-campus housing choices for its international students.

Is Durham College eligible for PGWP?

Yes, the college is eligible for PGWP. Students might choose to submit an application for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) if they intend to continue working in Canada. After graduating from Durham College, they may work full-time in Canada for up to three years (depending on the length of your program) with the help of a PGWP. To qualify, they must have finished all criteria for a program that lasted at least eight months.

Is Durham College under SDS?

SDS (Student Direct System), helps international students to obtain their study permits more quickly. Durham College comes under SDS along with many other SDS colleges in Ontario. You still need to fulfill all conditions for a study permit even though the SDS offers a simplified application process and quicker processing timeframes. Applications for SDS study permits will be processed in 45 days or less. You will be able to request a complete return of your Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) straight from the bank that issued it.

How many Indian students are in Durham College?

Durham College is regarded as one of Ontario, Canada's top community colleges. The professors and instructors are excellent; they genuinely care about the pupils and do not merely instruct for its own sake. Durham College has a significant foreign student population, which gives the students the benefit of exposure to many cultures. At Durham University, there are about 180 Indian students. Durham is comparatively superior to other Ontario community colleges in terms of student-faculty ratio and graduation rate.