Awards & Assistantships


Students in the Department of Music are awarded approximately $150,000 per year in scholarships and awards, though scholarship amounts may vary from year to year.

The majority of our scholarships are awarded automatically to current and incoming students based on the Department's consideration. Several significant awards, however, are based on application only. Students are advised of deadlines and criteria by email from the Graduate Advisor.
Academic Scholarships

Major scholarships and awards are available to both incoming and continuing students. Application information will be sent out to continuing students throughout the year. Below is a partial list of key opportunities:

1. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

2. Killam Trust Scholarships, and Andrew Stewart Competition

Awards, Bursaries and Fellowships
The University administers bursaries, scholarships, and fellowships, which are awarded primarily on the basis of academic standing. Please see the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research Awards & Funding page to view current competitions, including award terms and conditions, application procedures, and deadlines. The FGSR Scholarships and Awards page provides details on the wide array of awards, scholarships and prizes to assist in funding your graduate studies, including those designated for graduate students in the Department of Music.
Inter-Departmental Awards

All applications must be submitted to the Graduate Advisor by the department deadline. Applications that are late or incomplete will not be considered.
No exceptions or extensions will be permitted.

Please be advised that the Graduate Advisors will not follow up on incomplete applications.

For further information, please consult the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research website: FGSR Scholarships and Awards 

The following items must be provided in one email:

  1. The Interdepartmental Application fully complete and signed.
  2. An up-to-date current University of Alberta transcript from BearTracks.
Beryl Barns Memorial Graduate Awards
Graduate students are automatically considered for Beryl Barns Memorial Graduate Awards in Music. Amounts are awarded to a maximum of $10,000. All performance, composition, choral and band conducting are automatically considered for these awards. Awards will be made to outstanding students on the basis of accomplishment in the students' primary field of activity (performance, composition, or conducting)
Duration of Awards
Awards will be made to full-time students for a single year; students may hold the award for one additional year at the master's level, and two additional years at the doctoral level. A recipient of a Beryl Barns Memorial Award will be expected to maintain a grade point average of 3.3 in Music courses in each year that the award is held. Awards will be terminated if the student's enrollment status ceases to be full-time or if the student's overall performance in his or her program is deemed unsatisfactory.
Recipient Obligations
A recipient of a Beryl Barns award (performance) will, when possible, perform a work dedicated to the memory of Beryl Barns composed by a Beryl Barns Memorial Award recipient (composition), as part of his or her recital requirements. A Beryl Barns award recipient (composition) will compose a work dedicated to the memory of Beryl Barns to be performed, where possible, and/or appropriate, by a Beryl Barns Memorial Award recipient (performance). In years in which both performer(s) and composer(s) hold Barns awards, the composer(s) will be encouraged to write works for current Barns award recipient(s) (performance) to be premiered at a public recital. These original works will be added to a library of works composed by Beryl Barns Memorial Award recipients (composition) as a living and growing legacy to Beryl Barns.
Travel Grants

A number of graduate travel grants are available:

  1. Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research Travel Awards
  2. Graduate Students' Association Academic Travel Grants
Assistantships

In the Department of Music all graduate students, except for special and visiting students, are eligible for teaching and research assistantships providing they are active in their program and have a satisfactory GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students are not eligible for a teaching or research assistantship during the term that they complete their program. Preference is given to full-time students.

Teaching assistantships are composed of duties that primarily support instruction, provide the student with beneficial work experience, and meet a need of the department.

The collective agreement and salary scale for assistantship positions can be found on the FGSR website here.

Graduate Advising

Graduate Advisors
Rebecca Anderson
Dawn Hunter
musicgs@ualberta.ca

Director of Graduate Programs
Prof. Michael Frishkopf
michaelf@ualberta.ca