Program Requirements
The Master of Science program is a thesis-based program.
Students are required to complete a minimum of 15.0 units in coursework and a thesis.
The Master of Science program is a thesis-based program.
Students are required to complete a minimum of 15.0 units in coursework and a thesis.
The minimum period of residence is two consecutive four-month terms of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.
The time required to complete the MSc will vary according to the previous training of the applicant and the nature of the research undertaken; however, a typical time of two years is normally required.
The maximum time to complete the thesis-based MSc program as set by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies is four years.
The University of Alberta in Edmonton is one of the top teaching and research universities in Canada, with an international reputation for excellence across the humanities, sciences, creative arts, business, engineering and health sciences.
…knowledge shall not be the concern of scholars alone. The uplifting of the whole people shall be its final goal. HENRY MARSHALL TORY, Founding President
There are a variety of scholarships and awards available to both Canadian and international students. Canadian students with outstanding academic records are encouraged to apply for federal and provincial government awards. Foreign students are encouraged to apply for awards from their home countries that may be used for foreign study. Be sure to read all application instructions carefully and submit your application by the appropriate deadline.
| Scholarship | Department Deadline | Value | Eligibility† |
| Vanier | Sep 1: Request nomination letter from Department Chair | $50,000/year | Entering & continuing doctoral students |
| Killam and Andrew Stewart (General Awards) | Jan 25: Students must complete the Killam and Andrew Stewart (KAS) Awards application form and submit supporting documents to the Grad Program Admin | Killam: $35,000/year + differential fee for international students Andrew Stewart: $5000 | Canadian & international |
| NSERC Doctoral Tri-Council Scholarships | Please follow this link to FGSR information on the CGS-D and PGS-D Scholarships. Our departmental deadline is September 15, 2019. (Departments to forward students’ transcripts and an alphabetical list of eligible applicants to FGSR directly) | CGS-D: $35,000/year PGS-D: $21,000/year | Canadian; entering & continuing doctoral students |
| NSERC Master’s Canada Graduate Scholarships | (No department deadline) | CGS-M: $17,500/year | Canadian; entering & continuing master’s students |
| Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship | September 26, 2018: Students submit the application form and two letters of reference to the Grad Program Admin.
| Master’s: $26,500/year Doctoral: $31,500/year | Canadian & international |
| Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship (top-up) | (No department deadline) Must apply to the full Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship Competition to receive top-up. Details below | $12,000/year | Canadian; CGS-M, PGS-D, CGS-D or Vanier holders |
| Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarships | Masters students do not need to submit an application. The department will choose nominees for this award. Jul 1: Doctoral students who applied for FGSR General Awards do not need to submit a new application.
| Maximum of: Master’s: $10,800/yearDoctoral: $15,000/year | Canadian; entering & continuing students |
| † For eligibility, “Canadian” refers to both Canadian citizens and permanent residents. | |||
Any student who wins a Tri-Council scholarship at the U of A (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR) gets an automatic “top-up” from FGSR.
Master’s Tri-Council winners: Walter H. Johns Grad Fellowship (FGSR)
Doctoral Tri-Council winners: President’s Doctoral Prize of Distinction (FGSR)
Faculty of Science Graduate Scholarship
NSERC, Vanier, China Scholarship Council and other external peer-reviewed award holders who win an AITF Graduate Student Scholarship will receive an automatic top-up for the duration of their eligibility ($12 000), and this top-up value may increase to the full scholarship value when the external funding ends, for the remainder of the AITF scholarship terms.
The China Scholarship Council and the University of Alberta have signed a collaborative co-funding agreement for sponsoring up to 10 doctoral students to study at the University of Alberta. Please visit Funding Information for International Students on the FGSR webpage for more details.
Other forms of financial assistance including bursaries and emergency funding as well as student loans are also available. For help with various forms of financial aid, visit the Student Service Centre.
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