Graduate Students

Graduate Student Programs, Opportunities, & Resources

Events & Workshops

Visit our WiCS Event Page for the full list of upcoming events!

Graduate Inclusivity Group

GIG (Graduate Inclusivity Group) is a WiCS/CS initiative to run a series of hour-long discussions to improve resilience in grad researchers and to create an inclusive research environment. The various discussions aim to foster confidence, a growth mindset, self-efficacy, and a sense of belonging in academia and CS research. Each event will focus on a different strategy that has a strong research base of evidence for improving individual and team performance and effectiveness.

This event is open to all CS graduate students and post-docs. No registration is required. Pizza lunch provided.

Note: GIG is typically run once a month in the Fall & Winter Terms from 12 to 1 pm in DC 1304.

Grad Social Events

At least once each Fall and Winter term the WiCS Graduate Student Representatives organize a social event to bring together the WiCS Graduate Student Community. 

Examples of Past Events:

  • Fall 2025 — Trivia & Lunch at the Grad House
  • Winter 2026 —Yoga & Tea/Coffee Social

Graduate x Faculty Lunch

Annual lunch (typically held in the Winter Term) where women and gender-diverse grad students can connect with, share experiences, and ask questions to women faculty members!

Student Industry Lunch

Annual event hosted in honour of International Women’s Day!

Enjoy a sit-down meal while connecting with women in technical roles across a wide range of companies. Ask questions, hear real career stories, and build meaningful connections with professionals shaping the future of tech. 

Open to Undergraduate and Graduate Students.

Distinguished Lecturer Series

Each year, WiCS and WiM sponsor a woman or gender-diverse speaker for the School of Computer Science's Distinguished Lecturer Series. 

WiCS organizes lunches for students, alumni, staff, and faculty to interact with women Distinguished Speakers to discuss their career choices and trajectories, topics related to women in computing, and provide advice to women who are interested in careers in research.

Look for our full listing of past and present speakers. 

WiCS Con

WiCS Con is a free hybrid conference for women and gender-diverse students CS and related fields at the University of Waterloo Davis Centre.

The conference program includes sessions on hot topics in computing (tech talks, workshops), the hiring process (resume critiques, interview prep, negotiating contracts), careers in computing (Break into ….), panels and mentoring circles, and more. Engineers and mentors lead sessions from high-tech companies, WiCS, and students.

WiCS Con is open to UWaterloo women and gender-diverse students interested in computing, as well as local community members and high school students! 

Learn more about WiCS Con here!

WiCS Sponsor Events

Open to undergraduate and graduate students, each term WiCS hosts a variety of events presented by WiCS Sponsors. 

Opportunities

Volunteer & Professional Development Opportunities

WiCS Committee - Graduate Rep

Each year, two graduate students are selected to sit on the WiCS Committee.

The WiCS Graduate Student Representatives hold the position for one full year and have the following responsibilities:

  • Attend regular WiCS Committee Meetings
  • Organise (at least once per Fall and Winter Terms) Graduate Social Events
  • Provide feedback and guidance regarding Graduate Student events and opportunities
  • Maintain WiCS Graduate Rep Handbook and help transition the incoming reps

The WiCS Graduate Student Representatives will work with the Director of WiCS and the WiCS Outreach Coordinator throughout their term.

If you are interested in becoming a WiCS Graduate Student Representative for the upcoming new school year (Fall - Spring), please email wics@uwaterloo.ca.

WiCS Events

WiCS is always seeking volunteers to help out at our events!

Example of Events with Volunteer Opportunities:

  • WiCS Con (Yearly, Mid-May)
  • WiCS Orientation (Yearly, First Saturday after Labour Day in September)
  • Conferences (varies each year)

Subscribe to the WiCS Newsletter to be the first to know about upcoming volunteer opportunities. 

Technovation Girls Waterloo

Technovation Girls is a free, 4.5-month-long program that equips girls and gender diverse youth ages 8-18 with the skills to become tech entrepreneurs and leaders. With the support of volunteer mentors, students work in teams to code mobile apps or AI solutions that address real-world problems they've identified. Learn more about Technovation at technovationchallenge.org

Women in Computer Science (WiCS) Outreach oversees the Waterloo Chapter of Technovation Girls, which supports teams in the beginner (8-12), junior (ages 13-15), and senior (ages 16-18) divisions. The chapter includes students from Cambridge, Elmira, Guelph, Kitchener, London, Stratford, Waterloo, and their surrounding townships.

Technovation Girls needs many volunteers to make things happen (all folks welcome). People like you! Click here to learn about the different ways you can volunteer with Technovation Waterloo!

FLIGHT Camp (Virtual Youth Summer Program)

FLIGHT Virtual Summer Camp (last two weeks of July) is an introduction to tech entrepreneurship for girls and gender diverse students aged 13-18 who self-identify as Black and/or other underrepresented minorities. 

In this 2-week program, students will work in teams to create a technology-backed business idea around a problem that they identify within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Guest speakers will teach students industry best practices from the design-thinking process - including problem definition, market research, and creating a prototype - and coaches work with teams on each step of their project. At the end of the program, students will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges for feedback and prizes. The program also includes a one-day conference focused on professional development.

There are four ways you can volunteer on the FLIGHT Crew to support our camp and engage with participants. You can even pick more than one role!

  • Navigators (Guest Speakers)
  • Air Traffic Controllers (Coaches)
  • Customs (Judges)
  • Conference Speakers/ Panellists/ or MC! (Pilots)

Learn more about FLIGHT here!

UR2PhD

Awards & Scholarships

WiCS Graduate Student Scholarship

Multiple one-time scholarships valued at $3000. Scholarships will be awarded to current full-time Computer Science women and gender-diverse students who are registered full-time in a Master's or Doctoral program in the Cheriton School of Computer Science, wherein women and gender-diverse students are underrepresented. Students with an expected graduation date of 2026 are ineligible for this scholarship. This scholarship is funded by contributions to Women in Computer Science.

Learn more & apply here!