Financial support
There is the potential for several sources of financial support, as described below.
Support payments are subject to satisfactory academic performance and the availability of funding.
Note: support payments from supervisors are typically for research-based programs and the amount of support varies. All financial commitments are made on an individual basis and the terms of funding support will be set out in the offer and/or admission letter that students receive.
Students in the Industrial Master's program are not funded by the Department through graduate fellowships or RAs. Students in this program should arrange their own financial resources for both living and educational expenses.
The UVic fellowships and UVic awards are awarded mainly on the basis of academic excellence to applicants who apply for a September entry point. In addition, a supervisor usually adds research grant support.
University of Victoria Fellowships:
The University of Victoria awards a small number of fellowships each year. They are open to domestic and international (Visa) students with nominations originating from your supervisor. You must be full-time and achieving a 1st class GPA or equivalent on the last 2 years of study.
All PhD and MSc students registerd full-time in research-based program are considered for a University of Victoria fellowship* based on qualfying minimum GPA of 7.0. The PhD students for $15,000 and $13,500 for one year for MSc students. Fellowships for PhD students are renewable for a second year subject to you achieving first-class (A-) on courses and a recommendation from the department.
*Subject to the Department receiving appropriate funding from the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
University of Victoria Graduate Awards:
- Minimum $5,000/year, maximum $10,000/year.
- Typically non-renewable.
- The Department TA's are eligible.
- Minimum GPA requirement of 6.5.
More information and details can be found on the Faculty of Graduate Studies awards page about these awards and other scholarship opportunities.
Domestic MSc students may receive $13,500 or higher in research grant support; international MSc students $14,500 or higher. Domestic PhD students may receive $14,500 or higher in research grant support; international PhD students $15,500 or higher (the difference in amounts is geared to offset the differential in the fee structure).
Qualified students may apply for TA work approximately 12 weeks prior to the start of every term. Students must be registered full-time in an approved UVic graduate program to accept a TA position. There is no guaranteed number of hours.
The rates for TA work and priority levels are set by the union (CUPE) contract with the university. The current hourly rate is $27.65 per hour. Qualified students in the first two years of a Master's program or in the first four years of a PhD program have priority in obtaining TA employment over students who are in a later year of their program.
You must apply separately for a TA position within the deadlines posted on our employment opportunities webpage.
If you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada and your GPA is higher than 85%, you should consider applying for an NSERC post-graduate fellowship. The NSERC scholarship is very competitive and mostly based on academic performance.
Please visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies Awards page to learn more about applying for NSERC.
To be eligible for the Co-op program you will have completed at least two regular academic terms and follow the requirements outlined by the Co-op office. The co-op program is optional and is subject to the approval of your supervisor. For co-op designation, the Master's student will complete two work terms; PhD, three work terms.
The Co-op program involves one or more work terms in addition to completing traditional academic terms.
Please visit our Co-op page for more details.
Details about scholarships and bursaries can be found on the Student Awards and Financial Aid website.