Funding
There are various ways graduate students can fund their studies at the University of Alberta. Funding can be from awards and scholarships, teaching and research assistantships, principal instructorships and off-campus employment. There are also loans, bursaries and tuition remission.
Awards and Scholarships
The University of Alberta is one of six beneficiaries of the $400 million Killam Trusts, one of Canada's largest and most prestigious endowments for scholarly activities. Our students are eligible for consideration for the Killam Trust Dissertation Fellowships and Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Scholarships.
Our graduate students recommended for national Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Fellowships by the department enjoy a high rate of success.
Also available are:
- Recruitment Scholarships
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
- Trudeau Foundation Scholarships
- China Scholarship Program (students from People's Republic of China)
- Department Specific Awards
Project funding is available from the:
- Kule Institute for Advanced Study
- Alberta Smithsonian Internship Program
Students with research interests in the Canadian and Circumpolar North will find special funding opportunities for their field work from UAlberta North on campus. UAlberta North awards grants-in-aid to support the research programs of students, and contributes greatly to our excellent record of obtaining Northern Scientific Training (NSTP) Grants and the University of Alberta Northern Awards.
To support student travel for research and conferences, awards are offered through the Department of Anthropology, the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, and the Graduate Student Association.
Support for graduate student research is also supported through a generous endowment from our founding departmental members, Ruth Gruhn and the late Alan Bryan.
Other awards are administered by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, the Government of Canada, Graduate Student Association, and Financial Support through the University of Alberta's Office of the Registrar. Applicants are encouraged to explore external scholarship sites such as Scholarships Canada and Student Awards for additional award competitions they may be eligible for.
The Department of Anthropology hosts a Grant Writing workshop every fall to help students prepare strong grant/award applications.
Employment
Many of our students are able to obtain teaching assistantships and research assistantships during their tenure, from three to 12 hours per week in a given term. These opportunities help the student financially, and are part of professional and academic development.
Two primary criteria for allocating graduate assistantships are the needs of the Department and the merit of the individual student. Ranking of students by merit is generally done in conjunction with decisions on admission, and this ranking takes into consideration the applicant's statement of intent, letters of recommendation, record of awards and publications and GPA (not necessarily in that order).
If available, students who are close to completing their program, are able to be a principal instructor for one of our introductory undergraduate courses, depending on Department need and the merit of the student.
Students, including international students, are able to hold employment outside of the University independent from their studies.