Guaranteed funding
Incoming domestic research master's (thesis) students in the Faculty of Environment are guaranteed a funding offer of $17,000 over the course of their program. This applies to full-time incoming students in good academic standing. Many students receive more than the minimum funding.
Funding questions
Questions regarding funding can be directed to:
Cynthiya Subramaniam
Administrator, Graduate Studies
519-888-4567 x42784
c3subramaniam@uwaterloo.ca
2026 Funding packages for exceptional research master's students
Exceptional research master's students starting their studies in 2026 are eligible for the following funding packages.
Funding packages
| Academic average | Entrance award | Teaching assistantships (TAs) | Approximate value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85%+ | $5,000 (split between terms 1 and 2) | Three TAs | $30,000 |
| 80 - 84.5% | N/A | Three TAs | $25,000 |
TAs are assigned based on faculty need and usually require regular on-campus presence. Rates are updated annual and are posted on the GSPA website.
In some cases, research supervisors will provide additional funding.
Eligibility: Open to Canadian citizens (living in or outside of Canada) or Permanent Residents of Canada who have a completed application by February 1, 2026. Must be enrolled in a research master's program full-time (Geography [thesis option], Sustainability Management [thesis option], Planning [thesis option], Social and Ecological Sustainability [thesis option]). The academic average is calculated from your last two years of full-time study for domestic transcripts, and the overall average for international transcripts.
Available through the Graduate funding and awards database.
Full-time, domestic master's research students, fall 2025.
For students who received additional external funding (20% of all full-time domestic master's research students, fall 2025).
Empowered by opportunity: Recent award recipient
Waterloo awards and scholarships
The University of Waterloo has over 100 awards and funding opportunities for students in the Faculty of Environment. Some awards require an application, while others are awarded through Faculty/Department selection. The full database of awards and scholarships can be found on the GSPA webpage.
Notable awards that you may be eligible for are listed on the current graduate student funding webpage.
External funding
External awards are offered by federal and provincial agencies, foundations or private companies. Full details about external funding are available here.
If you are successful in being awarded an eligible scholarship (including the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Master's [CGRS M] or the Ontario Graduate Scholarship [OGS]), the University of Waterloo will award you the President’s Graduate Scholarship (PGS). Full details on the PGS are available here.