Funding

Funding for Pharmacy MSc and PhD Students

The School of Pharmacy guarantees a minimum amount of financial support to eligible full-time graduate students in our MSc and PhD programs that is equal to or greater than the University of Waterloo minimum funding amounts; funding amounts are noted in the offer of admission. This funding is used first to cover the cost of tuition and fees; any amount remaining is reimbursed to the student and can be used toward living expenses. Students should reasonably expect to have additional sources of funding beyond what is provided by the university, school, or supervisor, to support the total cost associated with the pursuit of higher education.  

To remain eligible for this funding, students must:

  • maintain full time registration in the MSc in Pharmacy or PhD in Pharmacy program;
  • be in good academic standing in their program;
  • be within program time limits;
  • be without alternate funding sources such as graduate scholarships, internships, or international student sponsorship. 

Sources of funding

Generally, sources of funding include the Graduate Research Studentship, the Science Graduate Award, and Teaching Assistantships. Less frequently, students may be offered Research Assistantships in place of Teaching Assistantships. This is normally at the discretion of the suprvisor. Many Pharmacy students have been successful in securing graduate scholarships or internships. Details about the sources of funding are outlined in the following sections. 

Graduate Research Studentship

A significant portion of funding for eligible MSc and PhD in Pharmacy students is provided by the research supervisor(s), from the supervisor's research funding, in the form of a Graduate Research Studentship (GRS).

The GRS amount is calculated on a term-by-term basis and is determined by the number of TA units held in a given term. GRS funding is arranged by the department and paid through Quest. 

Science Graduate Award

The Science Graduate Award (SGA) provides support to eligible full-time graduate students in MSc and PhD programs in the faculty of Science, who are within program time-limits. The award is part of the overall funding provided to graduate students and is intended to offset the GRS amounts required from supervisors, to encourage greater capacity for graduate students, and to encourage students and supervisors to work together to ensure timely completion of their programs. The SGA is paid through Quest, normally in the first month of the term.  

The SGA is not a competitive award and should not be included on scholarship applications as such.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship

A Graduate Teaching Assistantship (TA) is a paid position whereby students are employees of the university, under the supervision of a course instructor. TAs are an important part of the graduate student experience, enhance the student's CV, and offset the GRS funding amounts required by supervisors.

The School of Pharmacy guarantees TA positions to eligible full-time MSc and PhD students as part of their overall minimum funding package. TA positions are subject to university regulations and are arranged by the department. TA funding is paid on a monthly basis during the months worked and is subject to taxes and other federal and provincial deductions. 

For more information about TA, including pay rate, eligibility, and how to apply for positions, see the pharmacy teaching assistantship web page.

Graduate Research Assistantship

A Graduate Research Assistantship (RA) is a paid position whereby students are employees of a faculty research supervisor. RAs are sometimes offered in place of TAs at the discretion of the faculty supervisor, offset the GRS funding amounts required by supervisors, and are paid on a monthly basis. As with TAships, RAships are subject to taxes and other federal and provincial deductions.

Internships

Students who are interested in partnering with organizations can find out more information about internships at Waterloo Pharmacy by visiting our internship web page.

Graduate scholarships

Students are encouraged to apply for major scholarship funding through agencies such as NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC, OGS, etc. 

Students who secure such funding normally receive more funding than the posted guaranteed minimums, and are more successful in securing further scholarships and awards as such awards greatly enhance their CV.  Graduate scholarship funding also helps to offset the GRS amount required by the supervisor. 

Details on scholarships administered through Waterloo are found within the Graduate funding and award database.

Information for international students

The minimum funding levels for international MSc and PhD students are the same as they are for domestic MSc and PhD students.  

In addition to the minimum funding that is provided to all eligible students who are admitted to MSc and PhD programs in Pharmacy:

All current eligible international students are encouraged to apply for the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) for International students, or any other scholarships and awards for which they are eligible; refer to the Graduate Funding and Awards Database.