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Funding and awards

As a MSc student, you will be eligible for various forms of funding; a minimum of $16,000 per year is available to qualified students who are accepted into the programs. Financial support can be obtained from the following sources:

  • Funding agencies

    Canadian students are strongly encouraged to apply to provincial and federal granting agencies for graduate scholarships, and foreign students will be encouraged to apply to granting agencies in their own country.

  • Graduate assistantships

    Subject to the availability of funds, you will be eligible for Graduate Assistantships that consist of a Teaching Assistantship and a Research Assistantship. Priority for Graduate Assistantships will be given if you are in the first 20 months (five semesters) of the program. The granting of a Graduate Assistantship after this time will be treated on a case-by-case basis, and will be subject to the availability of funds and the merit of the candidate.

    You will be automatically considered for a Graduate Assistantship upon submission of your application to the program.

    The funds from the Graduate Assistantships will be distributed in the following manner. The Teaching Assistantship will have a maximum of 10 hours per week, with the duties consisting of conducting tutorial sections and performing marking duties for undergraduate courses. A maximum of 120 hours per semester will be available, carrying a stipend of $8,400 per year ($4,200 per semester for two semesters) at the 2006 level. The Teaching Assistantships will predominantly be available in the fall and winter semesters, with some being available in the spring and summer semesters.

    The Research Assistantship, which is provided from the research grants of your supervisor, will fund you at an expected level of $7,600 per year. Your duties will principally be to conduct scholarly activities related to your thesis or research project, but may also include assisting your supervisor on related research projects.
  • Graduate awards
    We will offer a limited number of graduate awards to students who have strong research potential. The financial support of those chosen to receive the award may be supplemented by research and teaching assistantships. A competition based on academic excellence will determine the recipients and the value of the Graduate Research Awards in any given year.