Graduate student funding
You can fund your graduate studies through UVic fellowships, teaching or research assistantships, or a combination of all three.
Consider adding co-operative education to your degree. Co-op lets you alternate coursework with paid work experience and our co-op program is the largest graduate co-op program in Canada.
As a graduate student, you're eligible for a number of scholarships and awards.
UVic scholarships & awards
The Faculty of Graduate Studies provides awards to graduate students of high academic standing. The distribution, value and duration of these awards and fellowships are determined by each academic unit.
- UVic Fellowships of up to $17,500 per year (master's) and $20,000 per year (PhD)
- UVic Graduate Awards of up to $10,000 per year (master’s and PhD)
Eligibility
- Canadian and international students are eligible
- Students must be unconditionally admitted to a master's or doctoral degree at UVic
- The minimum requirement for consideration is 7.0/9.0 or first class standing for a UVic Fellowship or 6.0/9.0 (second class standing) for a Graduate Award, on the last two years of course work. Meeting the minimum eligibility does not guarantee that you will receive an award
- Full-time registration (3.0 units per term) for UVic Fellowships, Graduate Entrance Awards, President Research Scholarships, and donor awards
- General graduate awards allow for part-time registration in a minimum of 1.5 units each term
- Full time registration for students who are registered with the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) is 1.5 units
Not all scholarships require an application; for more information visit graduate scholarships and awards to search for specific funding. For scholarships and awards on the online graduate scholarship application that require a financial need assessment, please complete the online budget.
Retaining funding
Ongoing UVic graduate funding requires students to maintain a minimum level of academic standing and some ongoing maintenance.
UVic graduate bursaries
Bursaries are non-repayable awards offered based on financial need and reasonable academic standing. Graduate bursaries are administered by Student Awards and Financial Aid.
Eligibility
- You must be receiving the maximum full-time government student loans available to you.
- You must meet the definition of full-time status as determined by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
- You are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.
There are two opportunities for graduate students to apply:
| Session | Application opens | Application closes | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer (May-Aug) | May 1 | June 1 | By end of July |
| Winter (Sept-Apr) | August 15 | October 15 | By end of Dec |
Only one application per session is necessary to be considered for all bursaries administered by Student Awards and Financial Aid. To be considered, you must complete the application, which can be accessed through your Online tools account. Successful applicants will be notified by email.
International graduate students bursaries are open to international graduate students who experience financial crisis during their school year. Students are asked to send an email to finaid@uvic.ca explaining their extenuating circumstances. If you are eligible to apply, an application will be sent via email.
If you have missed the general bursary application deadline listed above and are receiving government loans and/or grants for the current term, please email awards@uvic.ca or call 250-472-5600 to inquire about a late application.
Bursaries with a separate application process have varying deadlines. You can find full graduate bursary eligibility and application information from Student Awards and Financial Aid.