Secondary studies lead to the first level of post-secondary education. General and vocational colleges (C.E.G.E.P.) and some private colleges offer students the choice between:
Two-year pre-university programs that prepare students for university studies in the following fields: natural sciences, social studies, arts, music, plastic arts, humanities, sciences, speech sciences, history and civilization.
Three-year technical programs that lead directly to the job market or university. They include the following fields: biological technologies, physical technologies, community technologies, administrative technologies and arts.
There are also many specialized learning establishments such as institutes and conservatories, which offer a variety of training programs such as: circus, music, agrocultural technologies, tourism and hospitality, fashion design, horticulture, and others
Students who successfully complete their collegial studies earn a college-level diploma (DEC). Other diplomas can also be earned, such as an Attestation of Collegial Studies, a Certificate of collegial studies (CCS) and a Diploma of Advanced College Studies (DACS).
In Montréal, pre-university and technical college education is available at 15 public colleges, 31 private learning institutions (subsidized or not) and four government schools. Several institutions in Greater Montréal prepare candidates for the International Baccalaureate (I.B.) exams. This degree’s value and prestige is recognized by most major universities worldwide.
The public colleges of Greater Montréal are the following:
Ahuntsic
André-Laurendeau
Bois-de-Boulogne
Dawson
Édouard Montpetit
Gérald-Godin
John Abbott
Lionel Groulx
Maisonneuve
Marie-Victorin
Montmorency
Rosemont
Saint-Laurent
Vanier
Vieux Montréal
As well as the St-Lambert campus of the Champlain Regional College and the Assomption and Terrebonne campuses of the Cégep Régional de Lanaudière.
To strengthen the ties between colleges and companies, six College Centres for the Transfer of Technology (CCTT) affiliated to colleges are present in Greater Montréal. These technological research centres provide applied research services, technological help and monitoring, information distribution and training services adapted to company needs. The fields of expertise that exist in the metropolitan region are chemistry and petrochemistry, water technologies, food packaging and engineering technologies, graphic communications, logistics and aerospace.
The six CCTT of Greater Montréal that are affiliated to colleges are:
Centre des technologies de l’eau [Water technologies centre], St-Laurent College;
Centre technologique en aérospatiale [Technological aerospace centre], Édouard-Montpetit College;
Institut de chimie et de pétrochimie [Chemical and petrochemical institute], Maisonneuve College;
Institut des communications graphiques du Québec [Québec Institute of Graphic Communications], Ahuntsic College;
Institut des technologies de l’emballage et du génie alimentaire [Food packaging and engineering technologies institute], Maisonneuve College;
Institut international de logistique de Montréal [International logistics institute of Montréal], André-Laurendeau College.