Tuition

Please note that this page is provided for convenience and all fees are subject to change. The calendar lists the most recent regulations concerning tuition fees for graduate programs.
Tuition
Tuition is charged every term as a combination of standard tuition fees and mandatory other fees. You must either register or request a leave of absence for every term until you finish your degree.
You may pay your tuition and fees by internet banking, telephone banking, cheque, money order, or interact/debit (the University does not accept credit cards for payment of tuition fees). Visit Accounting Services for details. You may also register for the Graduate Student Tuition Income Offset Plan in order to pay monthly instead of once per term.
Calculation of standard tuition fee total: As our LLM and PhD programs are research-based, and not course-based, this means the precise total of tuition fees you can expect to pay will depend on how long it takes you to write (and successfully complete) your LLM thesis or PhD dissertation. You can estimate the total by multiplying the full fee installment for up to five terms, after which reregistration fees would be applicable until you reach your program deadline (5 years for LLM, 7 years for PhD). Mandatory fees are added to standard tuition fees each term also, and are provided below.
Standard tuition fees (effective May 1, 2023)
Full Fee Installment:
- Domestic Full Fee - $2,134.54 per term (per 4 months).
- International Full Fee - $2,692.30 per term (per 4 months).
LLM program: It is possible to complete the program within 3 terms. However, most students take between 4-6 terms to complete. After you have paid five full fee installments, you will be eligible to pay reregistration fees every term until you reach the maximum completion limit of five years.
PhD program: Doctoral students are expected to complete their dissertation within 4 to 5 years. After you have paid seven full fee installments and one half-fee installment, you will be eligible to pay reregistration fees every term until you reach the maximum completion limit of seven years.
After you have paid the relevant fee installments indicated above for LLM and PhD programs, you would pay reregistration fees every term instead of a full fee installment:
- Domestic reregistration - $847.78 per term (per 4 months).
- International reregistration - $1,071.98 per term (per 4 months).
Students who are granted a program extension and remain registered after exceeding the time limit for their degree (normally five years for a master’s degree and seven years for a doctoral degree - see Time Limits) will be assessed a program extension fee at the regular tuition rate per term, per calendar regulations.
Other mandatory fees (effective September 1, 2022)
Per term:
- Graduate Students' Society (GSS) (per term, on campus only) - $97.91
- Athletics/Recreation (per term, on-campus and local only) - $94.31
- U-Pass Bus Pass (per term) - $81.00
Per year:
- GSS Extended Health Care Plan (single coverage, per year, full-time student only) - $409.00
- GSS Dental Care Plan (single coverage, per year, full-time student only) - $284.55
GSS coverage runs from September 1st to August 31st.
First term only:
- Mandatory Temporary Medical Insurance (MTMI) for International Students (first term only, single coverage) - $265.00
MTMI coverage runs from August 18th through December 31st.
Other costs and considerations
Please note that all fees are subject to change. The calendar lists the most recent regulations concerning tuition fees for graduate programs.
The International Centre for Students (ICS) provides further information about obtaining and maintaining health insurance coverage in British Columbia.
The Graduate Students' Society (GSS) has additional details about how to take advantage of the Extended Health Care Plan and Dental Care Plan, including how to opt-in if you're part-time, how to opt-out if you have other coverage, and how to obtain additional coverage for family members.
Visit the Student Awards and Financial Aid "Annual Costs" webpage under the Budgeting title for indications of some of the costs of living in Victoria.