Financial Assistance
Fellowships, Scholarships and Bursaries
Fellowships, scholarships, and bursaries are supported by national, provincial, university, and foundation funds, and are available to full-time graduate students. Values range up to $9,300 for master's degree candidates and to $17,500 for doctoral candidates. The main awards available are:
- NSERC PGS-A & PGS-B Scholarships (MSc and PhD)
- Province of Alberta Graduate Scholarships (MA and MSc)
- Andrew Stewart Memorial Graduate Prize (MSc and PhD)
- SSHRC scholarships (PhD)
- Province of Alberta Graduate Fellowships (PhD)
- Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarships (PhD)
- Dissertation Fellowships (PhD)
Recipients of major national fellowships (e.g., NSERC, SSHRC) automatically receive a Walter H. Johns award exceeding $3,000 per year during the tenure of the fellowship, plus a one-time Faculty of Science Recruitment Scholarship amounting to $2,000. Recipients of major scholarships will also be offered additional funding in the form of a one-half teaching assistantship in each year that they hold such an award. Please note, however, that while this additional funding has been normal practice in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, it cannot be guaranteed from year to year.
Specialized Awards are awarded once each year, recognizing scholarly achievement in specific research areas or subject to other eligibility criteria. Normally, students are nominated for Specialized Awards by their supervisors, via the Graduate Chair, who forwards the appropriate forms to the university's adjudication committee.
» More information about fellowships, scholarships, and bursaries.
GPS (formerly FGSR) Awards and Funding
Teaching Assistantships
The purposes of assistantships are threefold: (1) to assist the Department in meeting its teaching and research responsibilities; (2) to provide students with the necessary financial support for a period sufficient to complete their degrees; and (3) to provide valuable experience to the graduate student who may later be required to teach and/or conduct research.
Teaching assistantships are normally held for the eight-month period, September 1 to April 30, but other arrangements are possible. The current estimate for the eight-month salary for a first-year master's student amounts to $15,533 while that for a first-year PhD student is $16,066. The salary scale provides for a modest increment in each subsequent year that an assistantship is held.
Please note that an offer of admission into a degree program does not automatically carry with it an offer of financial assistance.
Third-Term (Research) Assistantships
A limited number of 4-month Third-Term (Research) Assistantships (May-August), valued at approximately $4,500 for first-year master's students and $5,000 for first-year PhD students, are available to support thesis research by graduate students who have completed one academic year at the University of Alberta.
Graduate Studies and Research Scholarships
Each year the Department awards a limited (and varying) number of Graduate Studies and Research Scholarships which are intended to offset fee payments. These awards are made on a one-time, non-renewable basis, with priority going to newly-admitted students in their first year. It is not necessary to apply for a tuition scholarship: these awards are automatically considered by the Graduate Recruitment and Selection Committee during the normal application review process.
Departmental Policies Concerning the Duration of Funding for Graduate Students
- Master's students accepted with an offer of financial support may expect a maximum of two years of funding, including both internal and external sources.
- Students who enter the PhD program directly after a bachelor's degree (regardless of where that degree was earned), and who are accepted with an offer of financial support, may expect a maximum of four years of funding, including both internal and external sources.
- Students who enter the PhD program after a master's degree earned in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences or in either of the two previously distinct Departments of Geology and Geography, and who are accepted with an offer of financial support, may expect a maximum of three further years of funding, including both internal and external sources.
- Students who enter the PhD program after a master's degree from another Department or institution, and who are accepted with an offer of financial support, may expect a maximum of four years of funding, including both internal and external sources.
Additional Assistance
Additional funds may be available periodically from various agencies in connection with faculty research projects. Students should contact individual faculty members.
Students coming from countries outside the North American continent should investigate funding sources at home, since several cultural exchange programs provide financial support to students. Contacts with the Canadian Embassy and your own Ministry or Department of Education should reveal any potential sources of financial support.
Travel Funds
The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research has a fund to assist students with their travel costs to conferences, archives, field stations, or other places and events related to their thesis research. This funding is available only once to each graduate student in his or her degree program.