Financial Support

   All MSc and PhD graduate students are paid at least a minimum yearly stipend of $25,000 for Canadian students and $31,800 for international students (to offest the increased tutition payable by international students -- see the "Fee Schedule" link on the right).

The money for this salary comes from three sources: program funding provided to the Department by the University, funding through a Teaching Assistantship (TA), and funding through a Research Assistantship (RA) provided by the supervisor.

A normal TA appointment is for 10 hours per week in the fall and winter terms. Increased stipends are paid to major scholarship holders (NSERC PGS-D/M, CGS-D/M, OGS/OGSST). If you will hold such a scholarship, please contact the Department for a detailed salary offer.

As one of Canada's leading research institutions, we place great importance on helping you finance your education. While at Western, you will want to devote your full energy to the successful completion of your studies, so we want to ensure that stable funding is available to you.

Some funding is awarded to you upon entry into a program, some is based on recommendations from the program that is admitting you, and others you must apply for yourself, either to The University of Western Ontario or to an external funding agency.

There are two main types of funding available to graduate students:

  • Western Funding - Provided directly by department, faculty or the University, these types of funding are distributed to students on a term by term basis.
  • External Funding - Awarded by federal, provincial and private agencies, to students who apply for scholarships and awards in annual competitions to support graduate study the following academic year.  Major scholarship competitions are run through the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca

NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships (PGS) provide financial support for masters and doctoral students in the natural sciences or engineering research programs.

Annual Value: $17,300 to $35,000

Deadline for Application: The application deadline is set by your home department.

Eligibility to apply:

  • Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
  • Hold (or expect to hold) a university degree in science or engineering
  • 1st class (A- or 80%) average in EACH of the last 2 years of study (full-time equivalent)
  • Intending to undertake full-time graduate studies at the master's or doctoral level in the natural sciences or engineering disciplines
    *Consult the NSERC website to verify your eligibility as more conditions may apply.

How to Apply: Application

Tools for submitting a successful application:

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program
osap.gov.on.ca

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program is jointly funded between the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and matched funding through donations to The University of Western Ontario. The Ontario Graduate Scholarships are designed to encourage excellence in graduate studies at the master's and doctoral levels.

Annual Value: $10,000 to $15,000

Deadline for Application: The application deadline is set by your home department.

Eligibility to Apply:

  • Plan to be enrolled full-time in a graduate program at an Ontario university
  • Canadian citizen, permanent resident or an international student studying on a study permit
  • A- (80%) average over the last two years of study if less than two years of graduate work OR the cumulative graduate average, if more than two years
  • Have not exceeded the lifetime maximum of four years of government-funded awards including OGS, and awards from CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC.

How to Apply: Online application

Tools for submitting a successful application: