Funding and awards

MA (thesis) support

Full-time master's students (thesis-based study only) are guaranteed two terms of funding during both their first and second years, currently totalling a minimum of $30,696. The normal completion time for the master's program is approximately two years. You should plan your time and financial resources accordingly.

Current guaranteed funding details for research-based Master's students

PhD support

The Faculty of Health is committed to providing funding over four years to support new full-time domestic doctoral students as part of its PhD funding initiative. Students may also be eligible for additional scholarship and funding opportunities.

Current guaranteed funding details for doctoral students

University of Waterloo Graduate Scholarships are awarded at the departmental level for excellent progress and high academic achievement.

Students are encouraged to apply for external scholarships including the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Scholarship, which are the most common ones for our students.

Students who are awarded external scholarships receive the President's Graduate Scholarship (PGS). Recipients of Tri-Agency scholarships also receive matching PGS financial support from the department, usually in the form of a UWGS payment.

The Governor General's Academic Gold Medal and the University of Waterloo Alumni Gold Medal are awarded to outstanding students, following completion of all their degree requirements, in recognition of academic excellence. Students are nominated for these awards by their Departmental Graduate Committees.

A variety of financial assistance programs are available to graduate students experiencing financial hardship. Depending on eligibility, students may access support through bursaries, emergency loans, parental leave funding, medical leave awards, contingency funding for international students, and donor-funded awards. Eligibility criteria and application requirements vary by program.

Key sources of financial assistance include:

• Graduate Student Bursaries for eligible students demonstrating financial need.
• Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) provides various types of assistance based on financial need to eligible students.
• Emergency Loan Fund for Faculty of Health graduate students experiencing short-term financial difficulties.
• Parental leave bursaries and other specialized funding programs designed to support students during significant life events.

For complete information on available programs, eligibility, and application procedures, please visit the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs website.

Conference travel support

Assistance is also provided jointly by your supervisor (if funds are available), the department ($200), the faculty ($100 MA, $150 PhD) and the Graduate Studies Office ($500) for travel to present your research at a conference once per fiscal year (May through April). The Graduate Studies Research Travel Assistantship form is submitted to your supervisor and then to the department to request these funds. Deadlines are:

• August 1 for fall term conferences
• December 1 for winter term conferences
• April 1 for spring term conferences

Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs maintains a list of other awards and scholarships available to students.

In addition, there are some awards offered by professional organizations, including:

• Future Scholars Award offered by the National Recreation and Park Association
• Graduate Award ($1,000) and PhD Award ($3,000) offered by the Travel and Tourism Research Association Canada
• Sustainable Tourism Scholarships ($1,000) offered by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada/Parks Canada

Information regarding international student funding can be found on the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs website.