Financial support

All students who are admitted to a graduate program in the Department of Physics and Astronomy have access to a funding package that draws from various sources of funding and that complies with our financial support rules.

Questions?

Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions page.

There are several sources of financial aid available for prospective graduate students in the Physics and Astronomy Department. Major sources of funding, other than external awards, include University of Victoria Awards, Research Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships, and Donor Awards. Note that no special application is required for any of these awards; you will automatically be considered when your application to enter a graduate program is evaluated by our department. Students should also note that they are responsible for paying tuition fees out of the funding package that they receive. Domestic and International students pay different fees.

Graduate tuition is due at the beginning of each of the following three semesters: Fall, Spring and Summer. Normally, tuition is paid early in September, January and May; however, it is also possible to set up equalized monthly debits from a declared bank account. A Graduate Student Tuition Income Offset Plan Form is required to set this up. See Accounting for the current form. You should be fully aware of the deadlines for tuition payments so that you can plan your finances accordingly (please note that payments arrive at different times of the month depending on the funding source — see Distribution of Payments below).

Nearly all International students qualify for Graduate Awards (see below) and receive extra funding that approximately compensates for the higher tuition fees for International students. Amounts quoted are in Canadian dollars.

University of Victoria Awards

These awards include University of Victoria Graduate Entrance Awards and University of Victoria Fellowships. The value of these awards ranges from $5,000 - $13,000 for an MSc Program and $5,000 - $13,000 for a PhD program. The minimum academic standing to be considered for such an award is an A- average in the last two years of an undergraduate program. Funding for these awards is available for the first year for a handful of admitted students who qualify. Please note, the first round of fellowships is assessed based on applications received by December 1, so early application is encouraged.

NSERC Awards

(These are relevant for Canadian applicants only). If you have earned one of these awards, you must notify the office of the Dean of Graduate Studies when you arrive on campus to begin your graduate program. As the holder of an external award such as an NSERC, you may be eligible for an additional special top in the form of a President’s Research Scholarship of $5000 from the University of Victoria.

If you have an NSERC fellowship (or are awarded one during your program), you are responsible for notifying NSERC of acceptance or decline of your award according to the instructions in the decision documents issued by NSERC.  Make sure you submit your notification well in advance; neither the department nor the university will prompt you do so, as we do not receive information about your award until after you have accepted it.

Research Assistantships (RAs)

Payments for these appointments are made from your prospective supervisor's research grant and they involve research duties to be assigned by your supervisor. Research Assistant payments are considered a form of scholarship and no taxes are deducted. 

Teaching Assistantships (TAs)

These appointments involve teaching and/or marking duties in the department. Students are required to submit a TA application if they wish to hold a TA position. Remuneration for one TA currently is $3025 per term (rate effective September 2023) for approximately seven hours of work per week. Normally one TA position in each of the fall and/or spring terms may be held in conjunction with the other sources of funding. Currently, one TA position is guaranteed per year. Allocations for TAs are usually made during the first week of classes each term.

Graduate Awards

Students must comply with all of the Graduate Funding Support rules each term in order to be eligible for Graduate Awards that term. International students within the guaranteed minimum funding limits receive an additional $1,500 award per year. 

Donor Awards

Special awards and fellowships are awarded each year to outstanding new or continuing students. The value of these awards vary from year to year; they are usually of the order of $5,000, but can be as high as $15,000. Decisions on these awards are made during the Fall term.

Award decisions requiring input from the department are made by the Physics & Astronomy Graduate Awards Committee. The Committee assesses all relevant criteria in a comprehensive manner (including, but not limited to, grades, publications, stage of degree, etc), as specified by the donors. All eligable students are considered for donor awards. Supervisors of eligible students are contacted if a nomination is needed. If self nomination is considered, eligible students are contacted directly.

Departmental Awards

Nora & Mark deGoutiere Memorial Scholarship: Two scholarships are awarded to outstanding graduate students in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and two scholarships are awarded to outstanding graduate students in the Department of Chemistry. Selection of the recipients will be made by the Graduate Awards committee upon the recommendation of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Department of Chemistry.

Eric Forster Graduate Scholarship in Physics: A scholarship is awarded to a graduate student doing thesis research on subatomic physics. Selection of the recipient will be made by the Graduate Awards committee upon the recommendation of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

R.M. Pearce Memorial Fellowship: A fellowship is awarded annually to a highly qualified student who is entering or is enrolled in a master's or PhD program in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Victoria. Selection will be made by the Graduate Awards committee upon the recommendation of the graduate committee, Department of Physics and Astronomy.

R.M. Petrie Memorial Fellowship: The R.M. Petrie Memorial Fellowship is awarded annually to one or two highly qualified students who wish to work toward the MSc or PhD degree in astronomy at the University of Victoria. The value of the fellowship, which may be held concurrently with a University of Victoria Fellowship, an NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship or other major award, is determined annually subject to the availability of funds. If progress is satisfactory, the fellowship may be renewed for a second year, and for a third year in the case of a PhD program. Selection of the recipients will be made by the Graduate Awards committee upon the recommendation of the Petrie Memorial Fellowship committee to the Department of Physics and Astronomy graduate committee.

Boehm-Hesser Graduate Research Excellence in Astronomy Award: One or more awards will be given to graduate students in the Department of Astronomy for excellence in research. The award includes both an academic award and funds for travel to present their innovative research at a conference of international importance for the dissemination of the research and to foster the student’s career development. Preference will be given to students who have a high quality and significant research results for presentation, ideally a recent publication, and who have not already received a major award. Approval of the recipient(s) will be made by the Faculty of Graduate Studies Graduate Awards Committee upon the recommendation of the Department of Astronomy. 

Faculty of Science Awards

David and Geoffrey Fox Graduate Fellowship: An award is given to a graduate student in either the Department of Greek and Roman Studies or the Faculty of Science. Selection will be made by the Graduate Awards committee upon the recommendation of the Department of Greek and Roman Studies in even-numbered years, and of the Dean of Science in odd-numbered years.

James A. & Laurette Agnew Memorial Award: One or more awards are given to outstanding graduate students to attend conferences, present at professional meetings or who are undertaking field research in the Faculty of Science and the Division of Medical Sciences.  Selection of the recipients will be made by th Graduate Awards Committee upon the recommendation of the Dean, Faculty of Science in consultation with the Head, Division of Medical Scienes and the Chairs, Departments of Biochemistry & Microbiology and Biology.

James A. & Laurette Agnew Memorial Scholarship: One or more scholarships are awarded to outstanding graduate students doing medical research in the Division of Medical Sciences or the Faculty of Science.  Selection of the recipient(s) will be made by the Graduate Awards Committee upon the recommendation of the Dean, Faculty of Science and the Head, Division of Medical Sciences.

Yvonne Allen Cancer Research Scholarship: A scholarship is awarded to an outstanding graduate student as follows: firstly, a student doing research on colo-rectal cancer; secondly, a student studying the causes of cancer; and thirdly, a student doing research into cancer treatment. Selection of the recipient will be made by the Graduate Awards committee on the recommendation of the Dean, Faculty of Science after consultation with the director of biomedical research.

L.E. Frances Druce Award in Science: One or more awards are given to women graduate students in the Faculty of Science. Preference is for students with demonstrated financial need. Approval of the recipient will be made by the Faculty of Graduate Studies Graduate Awards Committee upon the recommendation of the Faculty of Science. 

Dr. Arne Lane Graduate Fellowships in Marine Sciences: Two or more fellowships are awarded to outstanding graduate students in Marine Sciences. Approval of the recipients will be made by the Faculty of Graduate Studies Graduate Awards Committee upon the recommendation of the Faculty of Science. The nominee's research program should have a recognizable component that deals with marine sciences in some form.

David McGillivray Scholarship in Science: One or more scholarships are awarded to academically outstanding graduate students in the Faculty of Science. Preference is given to students who are not receiving major external funding (Tri-Agency or equivalent) or UVic Fellowship in the same year. Approval of the recipients will be made by the Faculty of Graduate Studies Graduate Awards Committee upon the recommendation of the Faculty of Science.

Bob Wright Graduate Scholarship: One or more scholarships are awarded to outstanding full time and part time graduate students in the Faculty of Science who have demonstrated an interest in oceans through course work, co-op experience, graduate research or work experience. Approval of the recipients will be made by the Faculty of Graduate Studies Graduate Awards Committee upon the recommendation of the Faculty of Science.

University Wide Competitions

Albert Hung Chao Hong Scholarship: One or more scholarships based on academic excellence are awarded to undergraduate and graduate students attending the University of Victoria who are citizens of Hong Kong or Mainland China.

Cassels Shaw Graduate Fellowship: One or more fellowships each year will be awarded to an outstanding graduate student, entering or continuing in the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The recipient will be selected on the basis of high academic achievement and demonstrated financial need. Students must be nominated by their academic department, and complete a budget assessment form. Selection of the recipient will be made by the Graduate Awards Committee of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Edward Bassett Family Scholarships: Two scholarships are awarded to graduate students whose programs focus on any of the following areas: resource conservation, resource management, environmental impact, pollution control, or environmental sustainability. One of the two awards may be given to a student who holds a major fellowship. Selection of the recipients will be made by the Graduate Awards committee.

General Graduate Scholarships

Charles S. Humphrey Graduate Award: Awards may be granted to highly qualified candidates in the faculties of Science and Engineering.

Commander Peter Chance MASC Graduate Fellowship: An annual fellowship will be awarded to a student pursuing graduate studies at the master's or PhD level in an area pertinent to Canada's maritime interests. Priority will be given to studies on ocean-related topics within such fields as history, economics, sociology, policy, engineering and science. The fellowship is tenable for a maximum of two years, but may not necessarily be offered in any given year. Nominations will be requested from the relevant departments. Selection will be made by the Graduate Awards Committee.

Martlet Chapter IODE Graduate Scholarship for Women: A scholarship will be awarded to a woman student with high standing who is entering the second year of a master's program.

Howard E. Petch Research Scholarship: Scholarships will be available to graduate students who have been successful in receiving University of Victoria Fellowships or major Canadian national awards valued between $15,000 and $35,000. The Howard E. Petch Scholarships are tenable for one year only for a post-graduate program. Selection will be made by the Graduate Awards committee.

 

Depending on your funding source, you will receive your payment at different times of the month. Direct deposit is available for all funding types, and is required for TA payments as per the CUPE 4163 negotiated collective agreement.

At the beginning of each month (usually the 1st of each month), you can expect to receive your Scholarship, Fellowship or Award payment. If you elect to receive a paper cheque, you can expect your cheque to be delivered to the department within 7 business days of the 1st of the month.

In the middle of each month, you can expect to receive your RA payment (usually the 18th) and TA payment (usually the 15th).

At the end of each month (usually the 30th/31st of each month), you can expect to receive your TA payment.

At the beginning of the first or second month each term, you can expect to receive your departmental Grad Award top-up. Basic distribution of GA payments is shown in the table below; deviations from this distribution will apply in some cases (e.g. for students with entry points other than September).

It is the responsibility of the individual student to manage their finances taking into account the above information.

Schedule for Graduate Award payment
  Fall
Term		 Spring
Term		 Summer
Term		 TOTAL
Domestic MSc $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $3,000
International MSc $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 $4,500
Domestic PhD $1,500 $1,000 $1,000 $3,500
International PhD $2,500 $1,500 $1,000 $5,000

All amounts are Canadian Dollars (CAD).

The guaranteed minimum funding for MSc students is $24,967 and for PhD students is $26,867.

The table below shows some examples of guaranteed funding for a few representative cases for the 2023-24 academic year (Sep. 2023-Aug. 2024). These represent minimum levels guaranteed by the department.

 

 image

 

Graduate funding support complies with the following rules:

  1. The guaranteed minimum funding level assumes 1 TA, and does not include possible Donor Awards. 
  2. The guaranteed support levels will be in effect for 2 years for a student in an MSc program, up to 5 years beyond the BSc level for a student in a PhD transfer program, 3 years for a student in a PhD program, and 4 years for a PhD student who arrives at UVic with an MSc from another university. There is no Graduate Award beyond these time limits. Arrangements for RA contributions after the time limits are between the student and supervisor. 
  3. The guaranteed minimum funding level is in effect subject to the student maintaining a cumulative GPA of 6.0. 
  4. The guaranteed minimum funding level is in effect subject to the condition that the student's academic and professional performance is judged to be satisfactory by the Supervisory Committee. 
  5. Students must meet eligibility requirements set out by the Faculty of Graduate Studies for academic merit awards (i.e.GA and GEA), which include maintaining a minimum GPA of 6.0 to be eligible for UVic Graduate Awards. 
  6. Normally a student assumes 1 TA in either the Fall or Spring term. Students are encouraged to apply for a second (optional) TA position, which will increase their total income accordingly. 
  7. International students receive an additional $1,500 Graduate Award per year, to offset the higher cost of international tuition, subject to meeting the eligibility for the Grad Award. 
  8. Graduate Entrance Awards may be offered to incoming students on a competitive basis.  
  9. A graduate student will not be admitted unless a supervisor is in a position to support the student at the minimum level. Students should, however, be aware of the inherently unstable nature of grant funding.

 

Depending on your funding source, you will receive your payment at different times of the month. Direct deposit is available for all funding types, and is required for TA payments as per the CUPE 4163 negotiated collective agreement.

At the beginning of each month (usually the 1st of each month), you can expect to receive your Scholarship, Fellowship or Award payment. If you elect to receive a paper cheque, you can expect your cheque to be delivered to the department within 7 business days of the 1st of the month.

In the middle of each month, you can expect to receive your RA payment (usually the 18th) and TA payment (usually the 15th).

At the end of each month (usually the 30th/31st of each month), you can expect to receive your TA payment.

At the beginning of the first or second month each term, you can expect to receive your departmental Grad Award top-up. Basic distribution of GA payments is shown in the table below; deviations from this distribution will apply in some cases (e.g. for students with entry points other than September).

It is the responsibility of the individual student to manage their finances taking into account the above information.

distributionpayments_2024-2025

All amounts are Canadian Dollars (CAD).

The guaranteed minimum funding for MSc students is $26,086 and for PhD students is $28,086.

The table below shows some examples of guaranteed funding for a few representative cases for the 2024-2025 academic year (Sep. 2024 - Aug. 2025). These represent minimum levels guaranteed by the department.

image 

Graduate funding support must comply with the following rules:

  1. The guaranteed minimum funding level assumes 1 TA, and does not include possible Donor Awards.
  2. The guaranteed support levels will be in effect as below. There is no guaranteed funding beyond these time limits. Arrangements for RA contributions after the time limits given below are between the student and supervisor.
    1. 2 years for a student in a MSc program.
    2. 3 years for a student in a PhD program who has a MSc from UVic.
    3. 4 years for a student in a PhD program who arrives at UVic with a MSc from another university.
    4. 5 years for a student in a MSc to PhD transfer program.  
  3. The guaranteed minimum funding level is in effect subject to the student maintaining a cumulative GPA of no less than 6.0.
  4. The guaranteed minimum funding level is in effect subject to the condition that the student's academic and professional performance is judged to be satisfactory by the Supervisory Committee.
  5. Students must meet eligibility requirements set out by the Faculty of Graduate Studies for academic merit awards (ie: GEA and Fellowship), which include maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 6.0 to be eligible for UVic Fellowships.
  6. Normally a student assumes 1 TA in either the Fall or Spring term. Application for these TA's must be done by the deadline (usually July 1st). Students are encouraged to apply for a second (optional) TA position, which will increase their total income accordingly.
  7. International students receive an additional $1,671 contribution to their Fellowship each year, to offset the higher cost of international tuition, subject to meeting the eligibility for Graduate funding support.
  8. Graduate Entrance Awards may be offered to incoming students on a competitive basis.
  9. A graduate student will not be admitted unless a supervisor is in a position to support the student at the minimum level. Students should, however, be aware of the inherently unstable nature of grant funding.