Graduate funding and awards database: Faculty of Arts

  • This award has been established by family and friends in memory of Sylvia Knight.

  • One gold medal is awarded annually, usually in October, to the student graduating from the Master of Accounting program who has the highest marks in all required and elective accounting courses

  • Alumni Relations recognizes top graduating students for academic achievement, by awarding the Alumni Gold Medal at convocation. 

  • The Amit & Meena Chakma Awards for Exceptional Teaching by a Student were established through a generous gift by Dr. and Mrs. Chakma to recognize and promote teaching excellence of our next generation of educators. The Awards are given in recognition of excellence in teaching of all kinds by registered students and are open to all students who have a formal teaching role (e.g. teaching assistant, laboratory demonstrator, sessional lecturer) at the University of Waterloo or its federated and affiliated university/college. Recipients are to be chosen from among nominees by a Selection Committee of faculty and students. They will present up to four awards each year valued in the range of $1,000 each. Dr. and Mrs. Chakma established these awards to recognize and promote teaching excellence of our next generation of educators.

  • A prize, with a value of at least $500, will be awarded annually to a graduate or undergraduate student registered full time in any program at the University of Waterloo.

  • The Department of Philosophy at the University of Waterloo is privileged to establish the Ardeth Wood Memorial Graduate Bursary.

  • With the support of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU), a Scholar Awards Program in Autism was established to ensure that Ontario attracts and retains pre-eminent scholars.  The community of autism scholars fostered by this Awards Program will excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge concerning child autism, and its translation into improved health for children, more effective services and products for children with autism, and increase the province’s capacity in diagnosis and assessment of autism and a strengthened treatment system.

  • This scholarship was established in loving memory of Bonnie Ho, a Bachelor of Arts '02 and Masters of Accounting '03 graduate, respectively

  • A scholarship valued at $2,500 is provided annually to a full-time graduate student enrolled in the Master of Accounting program at the School of Accounting and Finance in the Faculty of Arts on the basis of academic achievement (based on an excellent academic record at the undergraduate level).

  • An award valued at least $2,000, will be provided annually in alternating years to a graduate student enrolled in Global Governance or Environment and Resource Studies. 

  • The CGS-MSFSS Program supports high calibre Canadian graduate students in building global linkages and international networks through the pursuit of exceptional research experiences at research institutions abroad.

  • For complete award details, including eligibility, selection criteria and award value, please visit Waterloo's CIHR Doctoral Research Award  webpage.

  • For complete award details, including eligibility, selection criteria and award value, please visit Waterloo's Tri-Agency CGS M web page.

  • The Canadian Water Resources Association offers scholarships annually available to graduate students.

  • The Certificate in University Teaching (CUT) Award is given annually to a graduate student who shows a strong commitment to their development as a university teacher and demonstrates the highest achievement on completion of the CUT program.

  • An award, valued at approximately $1,500 will be awarded annually to a full-time graduate student registered in the Master’s of Accounting (MAcc) program in the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) in the Faculty of Arts.

  • Two Awards, valued at a minimum of $150 each, will be awarded annually.

  • Several awards are provided annually to full-time undergraduate and graduate students in any Faculty who wish to participate in an international experience, including a minimally-paid or volunteer international co-op work placement, a volunteer placement, an academic exchange or a study term related to academic requirements.

  • The David Johnston International Experience Awards will pay lasting tribute to David’s unparalleled leadership as president of the University of Waterloo. These awards will celebrate his exemplary service to Canada, and will honour his commitment to promoting a better understanding among peoples of all nations.

  • These awards, valued at $5,000 - $10,000 each, will be provided annually on the basis of academic excellence to outstanding undergraduate or graduate students who have been living in Israel and are entering Year One in any Faculty.

  • Funding is available each year to support undergraduate and graduate refugee students who are sponsored by the World University Service of Canada at Waterloo (WUSC) or any other students who are recognized by the Canadian government as being refugees or protected persons.

  • A scholarship will be provided annually to full-time graduate students registered in the Master’s or Doctoral program in the Department of English language and Literature in the Faculty of Arts on the basis of academic excellence (minimum 80%). Students will be chosen by the Associate Chair for Gradate Studies in English Language and Literature, in consultation with the Department Graduate Committee.

  • This award has been established in memory of David Zaharchuk, a doctoral student in the Department of Chemical Engineering. 

  • Scholarships have been established in memory of Robert M. and Doreen M. Davis.

  • The Department of Philosophy Graduate Award has been established to provide funding to graduate students registered full time in a Master's or Doctoral program in the Department of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Waterloo.

  • The Department of Philosophy Graduate Essay Prize has been established to provide funding to graduate students registered full time in a Master's or Doctoral program in the Department of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Waterloo.

  • A limited number of awards are available each academic term to support doctoral students who are within the last two terms of program completion (term of award plus one additional term). The intention is to assist highly qualified, full-time doctoral students to complete their thesis writing and defence. 

    Priority will be given to applicants who identify as Indigenous*

    *For the purpose of this award, an Indigenous person is one who is a citizen or member of a First Nations community (Status/Non-Status), Métis, or Inuit as defined in the Canadian Constitution Act 1982. To protect the integrity of Indigenous graduate students eligible for specific funding, those identifying as Indigenous must be verified by the Office of Indigenous Relations at the University of Waterloo through the Indigenous verification process. 

  • A scholarship valued at $1000 will be awarded annually to graduate students registered full time in a Master's or Doctoral program in the Department of Germanic & Slavic Studies in the Faculty of Arts.

  • Interest-free emergency loans are available to full-time graduate students who are experiencing short-term financial difficulty

  • An award valued at a minimum of $750 will be awarded annually to a full-time current or incoming graduate student enrolled in the Master’s or Doctoral program in the Department of Germanic & Slavic Studies in the Faculty of Arts on the basis of academic achievement and excellence in the area of German studies.  Students will be nominated by the Associate Chair in Graduate Studies in the Department of Germanic & Slavic Studies in February and the recipient selected in the Winter term. This fund is made possible by a donation from Evelyn Guderian for support of continued scholarship in the area of German studies.

  • The Faculty of Arts Departmental Graduate Scholarships have been established to administer graduate student funding contributions received as part of the graduate funding package in Arts.

  • The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition is an annual university-wide competition for research-based Master's and Doctoral students at the University of Waterloo.

  • Three awards are awarded annually based on the students’ participation in a recognized institutional Canadian-organized German language or cultural studies program abroad.These awards are made possible by a donation from Fred and Ruth Stork, and their children Michael and Marion, as loyal friends and supporters of the University of Waterloo, the Kitchener-Waterloo community and the Waterloo Centre for German Studies (WCGS).

  • This scholarship valued at $5,000 will be awarded every other year to a full-time University of Waterloo graduate student in the Department of English Language and Literature with a focus on Literary, Rhetorical, or Digital-Media Studies in the Faculty of Arts. The scholarship will be awarded to a graduate student on the basis of scholastic excellence and a demonstrated interest in English Language and Literature, Rhetoric and/or Digital Media. Preference will be given to a student who holds an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) or another major external scholarship that requires a matching or enhancement component. If the match or enhancement becomes unavailable or a suitable recipient cannot be found, the funds will be paid out as a regular graduate scholarship. This scholarship has been established by The Srivastava Family in honour and with fond memories of Gladys Srivastava.

  • The Governor General's Academic Medals are awarded at four distinct levels: Bronze at the secondary school level; Collegiate Bronze at the post-secondary, diploma level; Silver at the undergraduate level; and Gold at the graduate level.

  • This award is intended to provide financial support for full-time graduate students who acquire experience as a Teaching Assistant during the course of their graduate degree program in one of the specified departments/faculties.

  • The Graduate Student Contingency Bursary (previously known as the Millennium Graduate Bursary) is available to international students registered full time in a graduate program at the University of Waterloo who have demonstrated financial need resulting from extenuating circumstances* that have occurred since starting their graduate program.

  • One award valued at a minimum of $200 will be given annually to a Philosophy graduate student to acknowledge excellence as a Graduate Student Instructor in the Department of Philosophy. Students who were student instructors in any of the three terms in the previous year are eligible to be considered for this award. Selection will be made by the Faculty annually in May and will be based on teaching evaluation scores, student comments, and track record of competent and successful administration of courses.

  • Limited funding for up to eight months (two terms) is available to eligible students who take a parental leave (includes adoption).

  • One award valued at a minimum of $200 will be given annually to a Philosophy graduate student to acknowledge excellence as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Philosophy. Students who were Teaching Assistants (TAs) in any of the three terms in the previous year are eligible to be considered for this award. Selection will be made by the Faculty annually in May and will be based on evidence of good teaching as determined by faculty members who have worked with the TAs.

  • This scholarship will be presented annually to a graduate student in the Department of French Studies who has the best dissertation for the year.

  • An award valued at $1,000 is normally awarded to a graduate student who is currently registered (or will be) in either the Master's or Doctoral program in the department of Germanic & Slavic Studies in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Waterloo

  • Up to three award valued at up to $2,500 each will be provided in the Spring term to graduate students registered full time.

  • The J. Alan George Student Leadership Award is presented to an entering graduate student.

  • An award, valued at $1,000, is provided annually to an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in studies at the University of Waterloo. The successful recipient will demonstrate an active academic interest in Russian Mennonite studies and will have produced a substantive research project contributing to the understanding of the Russian Mennonite experience, or will have applied for and been accepted to complete a research internship at the Mennonite Archives of Ontario at Conrad Grebel University College. This fund is made possible by a donation from J. William and Sarah Dyck.

  • Jack Gray is a deceased former faculty member in English who donated substantially to the Graduate Scholarship in English fund and is honoured with a yearly award from that fund.

    This award is given out once a year to a student with the highest average which is not receiving any external awards. It is paid out in the Fall term but presented at an awards ceremony that usually takes place in March each year.

  • Two scholarships, valued at up to $5,000 each, will be awarded annually to full-time University of Waterloo graduate students in any University of Waterloo graduate program.

  • A scholarship valued at $2,500 is provided annually to a full-time graduate student enrolled in the Master of Accounting program at the School of Accounting and Finance in the Faculty of Arts on the basis of academic achievement and extracurricular involvement in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. Interested students must submit an application each year

  • An award, valued at a minimum of $1,000 will be awarded (when funds permit), to a graduate student enrolled in the Master's or Doctoral program in the Department of Economics, Faculty of Arts who demonstrates academic excellence and financial need.

  • A scholarship will be provided annually to full-time graduate students registered in the Master’s or Doctoral program in the Department of English Language and Literature in the Faculty of Arts on the basis of academic excellence (minimum 80%) and merit of professionalization activities (e.g. research travel costs or conference attendance). Students will be chosen by the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in English Language and Literature, in consultation with the Department Graduate Committee. This fund is made possible by a donation from David Clarence Nimmo in memory of his late wife Lea Vogel-Nimmo who, via the generosity of others, was given opportunities to develop her artistic talent and reach her professional goals.

  • The Mackenzie King Scholarships were established as an independent trust under the will of the late Rt. Hon. William Mackenzie King (1874-1950).

  • In 2002, Mary Bales, MA English 1972, MA Philosophy 1973 and 2002 recipient of the Arts Alumni Achievement Award, established a scholarship for graduate students in the Faculty of Arts. The student will hold an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS). The Graduate Studies Committees in Arts, in consultation with the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and Research, will make the selection

  • Students in the Master’s of Arts in Global Governance who are not currently in receipt of a Balsillie School of International Affairs (Balsillie)/Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) Fellowship or who hold a Balsillie/CIGI Fellowship and choose not to use the Balsillie/CIGI Fellowship toward the internship component of the degree may be eligible for consideration of this award valued at a maximum of $1,500.

  • An award, valued at up to $1,500, is provided annually to a full-time undergraduate or graduate student who is enrolled in a program in the Department of Classical Studies in the Faculty of Arts.

  • An award valued at $1,000 will be provided annually to a full-time graduate student registered in the Master’s or Doctoral program in the Department of French Studies in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Waterloo.The student must be working as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Nantes in France, or in some cases when this is not possible, the student will create a cultural report during their time in Nantes

  • For complete award details, including eligibility, selection criteria and award value, please visit Waterloo's Tri-Agency CGS M web page.

  • For complete award details, including eligibility, selection criteria and award value, please visit Waterloo's NSERC Doctoral Scholarships webpage.

  • The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) programs encourage excellence in graduate studies at publicly-assisted universities in Ontario. Since 1975, the OGS program has been providing merit-based scholarships to Ontario’s best graduate students in all disciplines of academic study. In 1998, the Ontario government introduced the QEII-GSST, a merit-based scholarship program targeted specifically toward graduate students in science and technology. Both programs are jointly funded by the Ontario government and participating institutions. The government contributes two-thirds of the value of the awards and the university provides the remaining one-third.

    Waterloo reserves two OGS awards for Indigenous* applicants each year. 

  • Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, a Scholar Awards Program in Women's Health has been established to ensure that Ontario attracts and retains pre-eminent women's health scholars. The community of women's health scholars fostered by this Awards program will excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge about women's health and its translation into improved health for women, more effective health services and products for women, and a strengthened heath care system.

  • Each year, nominees for the Alumni Gold Medal and Governor General’s Gold Medal are considered for a designation of “Outstanding Achievement in Graduate Studies - Master’s or Doctoral”.

  • This scholarship has been established in memory of Professor Paul Seligman. It will be awarded annually to a first year graduate student in Philosophy. Special consideration will be given to students who have already demonstrated excellence in the areas that Professor Paul Seligman had worked in, most notably ancient philosophy, Jewish thought, and the philosophy of religion. All newly-admitted first-year graduate students in Philosophy will be eligible for the award. Announcement of the award is expected by June 30 each year.

  • Bob Harding, Linda Young and the Edper Foundation have established a scholarship fund in the name of Mr. Peter F. Bronfman for graduate students at the University of Waterloo. The students will hold an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) or a Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science & Technology (QEII-GSST). The selection will be made by the Assistant Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs in conjunction with Faculty Associate Deans for Graduate Studies. This scholarship is open to Canadian and/or permanent residents

  • One scholarship, valued at $2,500, will be awarded annually to a full-time University of Waterloo graduate student in the Faculty of Arts, Classical Studies. The scholarship will be given to one graduate student who has the highest academic standing upon entry into the graduate program in Classical Studies.

  • This three-year leadership program is designed to train engaged leaders, equipping outstanding doctoral candidates with the skills to translate their ideas into action.

  • Awards honour deceased students, alumni, staff, faculty, and friends of the Department of Psychology. Contributions have been received in memory of:

    D. Amoroso
    K. Bowers
    M. Briedenbaugh
    P. Bryden
    Z. Kunda
    R.H. Walters

    Awards are made, as funds permit, to undergraduate and/or graduate students based on academic excellence.

  • These programs encourage excellence in graduate studies at publicly-assisted universities in Ontario.

  • The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest (established 1903) international scholarship programme in the world, and one of the most prestigious. Administered by the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, the programme offers 100 fully-funded Scholarships each year for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom - one of the world’s leading universities. Rhodes Scholarships are for young leaders of outstanding intellect and character who are motivated to engage with global challenges, committed to the service of others and show promise of becoming value-driven, principled leaders for the world’s future. 

  • Dr. Sally Weaver was the former chair of the University of Waterloo Anthropology department and an authority on Canadian First Nations. She came to UWaterloo in 1966. Sally was the author of extensive work about Native peoples in North America, dating back to Medicine and Politics among the Grand River Iroquois in 1972 and Making Canadian Indian Policy in 1981.

  • At least three awards will be awarded annually to the women graduate students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the university or general community while maintaining exemplary academic records.

    The competition is run on a cyclical basis across regions of Canada every 4 years. Regions and number of awards can be found on the SWAAC website

  • Awards will be given annually to students registered full time at the University of Waterloo who have achieved a minimum overall average of 80% and have documented financial need. Candidates must be Canadians/permanent residents and a resident of Ontario.

  • For complete award details, including eligibility, selection criteria and award value, please visit Waterloo's Tri-Agency CGS M web page.

  • For complete award details, including eligibility, selection criteria and award value, please visit Waterloo's SSHRC Doctoral Scholarship webpage.

  • An award valued at $5,000 will be provided to a student entering year one of the Intercultural German Studies Program, the regular German MA or the German PhD program in the department of Germanic & Slavic Studies in the Faculty of Arts.

  • Two awards valued at $4,000 each are presented annually to excellent full-time graduate students in the Faculty of Arts, who conduct research on German language, culture, history, and/or society. Eligible students can apply by submitting a CV and a one-page research project proposal. Applicants must also arrange for a letter of support from a UW faculty member. The Application and letter of support to be sent to wcgs@uwaterloo.ca by March 1.

    This fund is made possible by a donation from Cecilia Piller.

  • An award, valued at approximately $2,500 is awarded annually to a full-time or part-time graduate student enrolled in the Master of Taxation program in the School of Accounting and Finance in the Faculty of Arts who demonstrates a strong and consistent academic performance.

  • The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition is an annual university-wide competition for research-based Master's and Doctoral students at the University of Waterloo.

  • The University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarship, normally valued at $1,000 per term for up to three terms.

  • The University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarship, normally valued at $1,000 per term for up to three terms, is awarded to graduate students registered full time in a Master's or Doctoral program at the University of Waterloo.

  • Several awards, valued at up to $2,500 each, are available annually to full-time undergraduate and graduate students who participate in an international experience, including a minimally-paid or volunteer international co-op work placement, a volunteer placement, an academic exchange or a study term related to academic requirements. Students in any Faculty, in satisfactory academic standing, who are planning to participate in an international experience are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to students with financial need who will be travelling to an unfamiliar country where they will experience a different culture in a new learning environment.  Award selection will take place once per term. Students should apply as soon as they are able to confirm the details of their intended experience by one of the applicable term deadlines.

  • Waterloo is pleased to provide the President's Graduate Scholarship (PGS) to outstanding graduate students who hold certain major federally and provincially-funded competition-based scholarships.

  • This scholarship will be used to enhance external scholarships like Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS),and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

  • Several awards, valued at $500 - $1,000 each, are provided annually to full- or part-time undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in a degree program at the University of Waterloo who are affiliated with the UW Staff Association (UWSA) as a member or as the child, spouse, grandchild, or dependent of a current UWSA member.

  • For complete award details, including eligibility, selection criteria and award value, please visit Waterloo's Vanier CGS webpage.

  • One scholarship with a value of at least $1,800, will be awarded annually to a graduate student registered full time in the Department of English Language and Literature in the Faculty of Arts. Selection will be made by the Department based on academic excellence (minimum 80% cumulative average) without the need for a specific scholarship application.

  • This award was established to commemorate the spirit of the (1974) Walrus activities by a group of former graduate students of the Department of Political Science, University of Waterloo, who annually gather to salute their past association with graduate work. The recipient of this award must demonstrate a combination of good academic standing and financial need.

  • Numerous awards are granted annually to full-time undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Year Two of their program of study who are in good academic standing and have demonstrated financial need. These awards are made possible by a generous gift from the late Walter Metzger.