Nursing, ECE programs at McMaster and Mohawk in Hamilton rate among Canada’s best

Hamilton | Education | Health |

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Published February 2, 2023 at 4:06 pm

Nursing and early childhood education programs at two Hamilton post-secondary schools have each been rated among the top 5 in Canada by a source that aims to be a marketplace for education.

The school of nursing at McMaster University, which is enjoined with Mohawk College, was rated No. 3 in the nation by CourseCompare.ca. The early childhood education (ECE) program at Mohawk was also rated No. 4 in its category. The rankings are derived from a weighted system that gives 40 per cent of the ranking to job placement rates, and 25% to career support and the overall learning experience. Education providers — i.e., coding bootcamps and training schools — were ranked in the same category as universities and colleges.

“More needs to be done to measure the return on investment of new and emerging forms of education and training across Canada,” said CourseCompare CEO Robert Furtado stated on Thursday (Feb. 2). “Rankings that privilege academic funding or research performance in their methodologies don’t necessarily answer the most urgent questions students are asking today — namely, ‘How well will this program prepare me for a career with good pay and long-term prospects for employment?’ ”

Mac’s nursing school was rated third behind only the University of Toronto, and the U of Alberta. CourseCompare made note of a 95.5% employment rate for grads within six months of completion (as well as 97.1 after two years). It noted the four-year degree program is offered in collaboration with Mohawk and Conestoga College, and nursing students get on-the-job experience, “with local teaching hospitals and community health settings providing clinical training opportunities.”

The ECE program at Mohawk drew in at fourth-best in Canada, with Humber College, Conestoga, and Toronto Metropolitan University rated 1-2-3. The ECE program at Mohawk offers a diploma that can be completed across two academic years — or fast-tracked across 16 months and four continuous semesters, including the summers.

CourseCompare, as noted, bases 40 per cent of its ranking on job placement rates. It pulls from thousands of verified ratings and reviews on CourseCompare’s website to generate a score for the 25-per-cent weighted category of student scores for faculty, curriculum, career support and the overall learning experience.

Employer reputation scores account for 20% of the grade. Graduate salaries and graduate rates both account for 7.5% of the score.

CourseCompare says more than a million people from more than 100 countries use it a source when looking to acquire in-demand skills or launch new careers.

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