<p>Alberta is the main province in the Oil & Gas industry. Two grad programs that would interest you are at the University of Alberta (Edmonton) and the University of Calgary. The city of Edmonton is closest to northern Alberta, where you will find the oil sands projects that are a key part of the industry. In Calgary, you will find the headquarters of many Canadian energy companies. </p>
<p>The grad program at the University of Regina would also interest you, as you mentioned. Regina is in the province of Saskatchewan (next to Alberta), where the oil and gas sector is very important as well. Regina is not far from southern Alberta (Calgary), at least by Canadian standards.</p>
<p>Dalhousie University, in Halifax, also has a good grad program. Halifax is a long distance from the epicenter of the energy industry in Alberta, but there is a sizable offshore energy presence in Atlantic Canada.</p>
<p>You will have to research each of these programs in more detail to see if they meet your needs. The University of Alberta is typically the highest ranked school of the four in various ranking systems, but Canadian schools do not vary as radically in quality as U.S. schools. Nor does school ranking or “prestige” matter as much to employers. All of these schools are large publics, with Dalhousie and U of Regina on the smaller end. The quality of your grad school experience probably would not vary that much between these schools, and would depend much more on the particular program details. I’d recommend looking at the specific programs at each school, the courses, and whether your particular work experience and interests are a fit.</p>
<p>Many people would say that it’s sensible to be located in Alberta for your best chance at finding a job. That could be true. You would have good prospects at the U of Regina as well. You’d have to be careful with Dalhousie and do more research into where the grads are being hired, and how often. Dalhousie is a very good school, but the concern is to be so far away from the main oil and gas industry in Alberta. It might be more sensible for an international student to locate himself in the middle of the industry in Alberta, but it depends on the specifics of the grad program and your interests.</p>
<p>As for job prospects in general, the energy industry in Alberta is the lifeblood of their economy, so I can’t imagine that there are many better industries in which to seek work in that province. But as with any career, your prospects for a job depend so much on your own qualifications. Your undergrad background, work experience, GPA, grad school recommendations, and especially the connections that you make in the industry are all going to be vital in finding a job. You will be trained well at any of the 4 schools that I mentioned, but whether you will be successful in the job market will be almost entirely up to you.</p>