HND “Top-Up” Degree in Canada Universities

HND top-up degree in Canadian universities allows Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates to ‘top-up’ their education and obtain a bachelor’s degree from a Canadian university or college.

In Canada, HND certificate holders with a related Higher National Diploma (HND) can expect to complete the necessary courses within two to three academic years and be granted a bachelor’s degree upon achieving satisfactory grades.

For example, if you have an HND in Civil Engineering from outside Canada, most Canadian universities will admit you to the 2nd- or 3rd-year bachelor’s programs in engineering. The decision as to whether you’ll start in the second or third year depends on the number of transfer credits that are accepted from your previous HND degree.

As you may have noticed, the number of years it takes to “top up” a degree in Canada is significantly longer than in the United Kingdom (UK).

In the UK, an HND graduate can “top up” their degree and gain a bachelor’s degree from a University in one (1) academic year. This makes Canada less popular as a destination for international students seeking to convert their HND to a BSc, but with Canada’s expanded post-graduation work and permanent residency pathways in 2026, the extra time is often worth it for students with long-term Canadian career goals.

Can an HND Holder Apply for a Master’s Degree in Canada?

An HND holder can certainly apply for a master’s degree in Canada. However, it is unlikely that the student will be offered admission directly to a master’s program in Canada if the student has only an HND certificate.

Canada is a popular destination for international students looking to pursue a master’s program. Due to high demand, most Canadian universities reserve spots in their master’s programs for students with at least a second-class upper (2:1) or better, a bachelor’s degree, and not an HND.

On the other hand, if the student has an HND and a Post-HND degree, it increases the chances of being offered admission to a master’s program in Canada.

Universities in Canada that Accept HND for Masters

Canadian universities generally do not accept HNDs or Third-Class undergraduates directly into their Master’s programs. A student with an HND certificate will first have to consider furthering their studies in Canada through any of the following options:

• Post-Graduate Diploma (PGD), or
• Post-degree certificate/diploma, or
• Advanced certificate.

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Schools that Accept HND for Master’s in Canada

At the moment, we are not aware of any school in Canada that accepts an HND certificate directly for a master’s program.

If you have an HND and you intend to pursue a master’s program in Canada, below is the approach we recommend:

1. Apply for a Post-Graduate Diploma (PGD) course at a Canadian college. The course should be related to your previous HND course of study, which should also be related to the master’s program you intend to study later in Canada.

2. Commence the PGD course in Canada and make sure you have good grades (usually a minimum of a B average).

3. Once you are close to completing your PGD studies in Canada, apply for a related master’s program in Canada.
At this point, there is a high chance you’ll be accepted into a master’s program in Canada, as most Canadian universities and colleges give preference to HND certificate holders who have a PGD degree from within Canada.

PGWP Rules for PGD Students: Since November 1, 2024, IRCC has applied two extra requirements to Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) applicants from non-degree programs (which include PGDs, post-graduate certificates, and college diplomas):

1. Field of study requirement — your PGD program must fall under an IRCC-approved Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code. As of 2026, 1,107 programs remain eligible, and IRCC has confirmed the list will not change during 2026.
2. Language test requirement — you must submit a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 score in all four skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) from an approved English or French test taken in person.

Before enrolling in any PGD, verify that your specific program’s CIP code is on the current PGWP-eligible list at canada.ca. This is now the single biggest factor in whether your PGD will support a path to permanent residency in Canada.

Using Carleton University as an example, below are the minimum admission requirements for their master’s program:

• Four-year honours bachelor‘s degree or equivalent.
• Students who have only a National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) are not eligible for admission into Carleton’s master’s program. Students who present a Post-Higher National Diploma (Post-HND) may be eligible for admission to a master’s program.
• Minimum requirement overall: 60–69% (B-) or 2nd Class (upper division), with program-specific minimums often higher.

Carleton University’s Qualifying-Year Programs

Students who do not have a 4-year honours degree may be eligible for admission into a qualifying-year program at Carleton University.

Qualifying-year programs are specific to a few number of specific master’s programs. Even after completing a qualifying-year program, the student will need to submit an application to the master’s program, and admission into the master’s program is not guaranteed.

If you are a student interested in completing a qualifying-year program at Carleton University, you’ll need to contact the academic department offering the master’s program you plan to apply to to find out whether a qualifying-year program is available. If available, you’ll receive further application instructions.

Canada Schools Accepting HND Degree for International Students

There is a long list of Canadian schools accepting HND degrees for international students for any of the following two routes:

• Conversion of HND to BSc in Canada, or
• For a Post-Higher National Diploma (Post-HND), e.g., Postgraduate Diploma (PGD)

As an international student looking to use your HND certificate to study in Canada, there are two fundamental considerations you should look into when deciding on a school:

1. Apply to a school that has a high acceptance rate for international students: This is important so that you do not waste your time and money applying to schools that would not offer you admission.

Keep in mind that Canadian schools require upfront payment of a non-refundable application fee, which ranges from approximately CAD $100 to CAD $250 (depending on the school, with some Ontario institutions applying through OUAC at a CAD $156 base for up to 3 program choices, and a few schools charging up to CAD $300). This payment will not be refunded if you are not offered a spot in the program you applied to.

2. Apply to a school participating in the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP): As an international student looking to study in Canada, we bet that you also want the opportunity to remain in Canada after your studies. If this is the case, you want to make sure you apply only to Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) that participate in the PGWPP.

This is very important so that you have the opportunity to remain in Canada after your studies with an open work permit and subsequently apply to become a Canadian permanent resident (PR) through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) pathway under Express Entry. (Note: under category-based Express Entry selection introduced in 2023, candidates with work experience in priority occupations, including healthcare, STEM, trades, transport, and agriculture, may receive targeted draws with lower CRS cut-offs.)

💰 2026 Financial Requirement Note: Since September 1, 2025, IRCC requires international students to show CAD $22,895 in proof of funds for a single applicant (in addition to first-year tuition and travel costs), or CAD $24,617 if studying in Quebec. Plan your finances early. A GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate) from a Canadian bank is the most reliable way to meet this requirement.

“THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO STUDY IN CANADA WITH HND“ eBook has exclusive information with our top recommendations of schools that meet the two above requirements. See details below.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about HND Top-Up Degree in Canadian Universities

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