Make the most of the financial resources available to you.
Prospective applicants who are Canadian citizens/Permanent residents are strongly advised to apply for Tri-Agency awards by the award application deadline. Applicants who apply for a fellowship for graduate studies from agencies such as NSERC, CIHR, or SSHRC greatly increase their chance of admission.
Our department is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and these are considered in all admission and funding decision.
Graduate students in the Department of Psychology receive financial support at levels comparable to those at other major universities. Students receive a minimum guaranteed level of support for the first two years of the MA ($23,000 per year for two years) and the first four years of the PhD ($24,000 per year for four years), with significantly higher average levels of funding, unless other arrangements are made at the time of admission. Funding packages are generally comprised of a combination of Fellowship, Teaching Assistantship (TA) and/or Research Assistantship (RA).
Support is available to both domestic and international graduate students and is comprised of some combination of fellowships, awards, teaching assistantship, and research assistantship. Students are expected to apply for scholarships and financial awards during their studies here. Financial support is contingent on maintaining high academic standing and making satisfactory progress toward degree completion.
All applicants and continuing students who have applied for fellowships (Tri-Council doctoral and master’s awards, UBC Affiliated Fellowships) will be adjudicated and ranked by the Fellowships Committee. These applications and rankings are the basis for awarding university and department fellowships. The Associate Head for Graduate Affairs combines these rankings to determine allocations of funding including UBC’s Graduate Support Initiative (GSI) and 4-Year Doctoral Fellowship (4YF) awards. All eligible students must apply for funding (e.g., external fellowship or UBC affiliated fellowship) in the fall if they want to be considered for any university or department funding for the following academic year.
Other funding opportunities include Research Assistantship (RA), Teaching Assistantship (TA), and Travel Awards for both MA and PhD students. Refer to the Awards Opportunities page to learn more about other internal and external funding opportunities.
Graduate Entrance Scholarship (GES)
Entering MA students are automatically considered for a Graduate Entrance Scholarship (GES); no separate application is required. Nominations are submitted directly by the potential supervisors. The Graduate Admissions Committee adjudicates these nominations based on all information available in the application for graduate studies, including academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, and research productivity.
Successful applicants will receive a GES worth $27,000 for the first year of their MA studies. Applicants who have successfully secured both the CGSM (see below) and GES will receive their CGSM award during the first year, and the GES will be deferred to the second year of MA study.
Tri-Council Canadian Graduate Scholarships - Master’s Awards (CGSM)
The major external granting agencies for Canadian graduate students are within the Tri-Council group: the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). These awards are open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents; international students are not eligible.
Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for the Tri-Agency CGSM award by the December 1 deadline as students who are successful at obtaining a fellowship for graduate studies from agencies such as NSERC, CIHR, or SSHRC greatly increase their chance of admission. Fellowships at the master’s level are worth $27,000. For information and instructions on submitting an application for a CGSM awards, please review the Harmonized Tri-Council Awards website. The application deadline for CGSM is December 1, and applications are submitted directly via Research Portal.
Tri-Council CGSM applications are adjudicated by the department’s Fellowships Committee, comprised of six faculty members plus a faculty member Chair. The committee forms two-member subcommittees that independently rank each application on the basis of scholarly record, research productivity, leadership, and letters of reference. The top candidates will be nominated to compete at the University level (adjudicated by G+PS). Applicants who have successfully secured both the CGSM and GES will receive their CGSM award during the first year, and the GES will be deferred to the second year of the MA study.
UBC-Affiliated Fellowships
The Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS) offers approximately 50 UBC-Affiliated Fellowships each year to meritorious students for full-time study leading to a graduate degree. Awards are made on the basis of academic excellence, with applications open to current and prospective full-time UBC graduate students regardless of citizenship or visa status. The application deadline for UBC-Affiliated Fellowships is December 1.
UBC-Affiliated Fellowship applications are adjudicated by the department’s Fellowships Committee, comprised of six faculty members plus a faculty member Chair. The committee forms two-member subcommittees that independently rank each application on the basis of scholarly record, research productivity, leadership, and letters of reference. The top candidates will be nominated to compete at the university level (adjudicated by G+PS).
UBC-Affiliated Fellowship values range from $175 to $30,000, but most are in the range of $16,000. Additional Information can be found on the Affiliated Fellowship Master’s Program page.
University Fellowships
The Department of Psychology receives funds from the university to support one-year fellowships for master’s level study. This funding comes from the UBC Graduate Support Initiative, a program for funding graduate students through entrance scholarships, multi-year funding packages, tuition awards and scholarship top-ups. The department allocates these fellowships based on the Fellowships Committee rankings of applications; no separate application is required.
International Tuition Awards (ITA)
UBC automatically offers a tuition scholarship of up to $3,200, which is applied to tuition paid by non-Canadian students who are registered full-time in a master’s or doctoral program that assesses International tuition fees per year. Visit the International Tuition Award page for more information.
Tri-Council Doctoral Fellowships
The major external granting agencies for Canadian graduate students are within the Tri-Council group: the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). At the doctoral level, the agencies offer a range of multi-year fellowships support at the amount of $40,000. These awards are open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents; international students are not eligible. Visit the specific agency websites for more information about applying. The department application deadline is generally in mid to late-September.
Prospective applicants who intend to apply for admission to the PhD program and are Canadian citizens/Permanent residents are strongly encouraged to apply for the Tri-Agency Doctoral level award by the award application deadline.
Tri-Council doctoral scholarship applications are adjudicated by the department’s Fellowships Committee, comprised of six faculty members plus a faculty member Chair. The committee forms two-member subcommittees that independently rank each application on the basis of scholarly record, research productivity, leadership, and letters of reference. The top candidates will be nominated to compete at the university level (adjudicated by G+PS).
NSERC doctoral fellowships provide support to the most promising researchers at a pivotal time in their careers. The fellowships are also intended to secure a supply of highly qualified Canadians with leading-edge scientific and research skills for Canadian industry, government, and universities.
SSHRC provides financial support for post-secondary research training and knowledge mobilization activities for students pursuing doctoral studies in social sciences or humanities.
CIHR is Canada’s federal funding agency for health research and provides funding opportunities for four themes of health research: biomedical, clinical, health systems services, and social, cultural, environmental and population health.
Qualified Indigenous students are encouraged to apply.
UBC-Affiliated Fellowships
The Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS) offers approximately 50 UBC-Affiliated Fellowships each year to meritorious students for full-time study leading to a graduate degree. Awards are made on the basis of academic excellence, with applications open to current and prospective full-time UBC graduate students regardless of citizenship or visa status.
UBC-Affiliated Fellowship applications are adjudicated by the department’s Fellowships Committee, comprised of six faculty members plus a faculty member Chair. The committee forms two-member subcommittees that independently rank each application on the basis of scholarly record, research productivity, leadership, and letters of reference. The top candidates will be nominated to compete at the university level (adjudicated by G+PS).
UBC-Affiliated Fellowship values range from $175 to $30,000, but most are in the range of $16,000. The department application deadline is generally in mid to late September. Additional information can be found on the Affiliated Fellowships Doctoral Program page.
Four-Year Fellowships (4YF)
Each year, the department awards several Four-Year Doctoral Fellowships (4YF). The 4YF provides funding for up to four years of doctoral study, beginning in either the first or the second year of the PhD and contingent on satisfactory academic progress. Fellows receive a minimum stipend of $18,200 per year plus tuition. Both Canadian and International students are eligible for the 4YF.
Students holding a Tri-Council doctoral award automatically become 4YF designates and may be eligible for tuition support and a 4YF stipend, depending on the value and duration of the Tri-Council award. There is no separate application for the 4YF; allocation decisions are made at the department’s discretion based on Fellowships Committee ranking of applications.
For more information, please refer to the 4YF guidelines.
University Fellowships
The department receives funds from the university to support one-year fellowships for doctoral level study. This funding comes from the UBC Graduate Support Initiative, a program for funding graduate students through entrance scholarships, multi-year funding packages, tuition awards and scholarship top-ups. The department allocates these fellowships based on the Fellowships Committee rankings of applications; no separate application is required.
President's Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award (PAEIPA)
UBC automatically offers the PAEIPA awards to all new and continuing PhD students. Award values per student vary depending on student type and year standing. For more information, please refer to the PAEIPA award page.
International Tuition Awards (ITA)
UBC automatically offers a tuition scholarship of up to $3,200, which is applied to tuition paid by non-Canadian students who are registered full-time in a master’s or doctoral program that assesses International tuition fees per year. Visit the International Tuition Award page for more information.
Please note that unlike Fellowship and Awards, payments for RA and TA are made following the payroll schedule.
Research Assistantships (RA)
Faculty in our department attract over $5 million each year in grant funding. Most have very active labs with opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate research assistantships. These RA appointments are desirable because they involve students directly in work that is relevant to their research interests. RAs are arranged directly with the faculty member who is usually, but not always, the student’s research supervisor. Note RA funding amount varies depending on individual research supervisor.
Teaching Assistantships (TA)
Teaching assistantships are available to all psychology graduate students. Note that TA appointments are not automatic, students must submit a TA application by the deadline. For more information, refer to the TA resources page. Non-Canadians should obtain a social insurance number as soon as possible. The department has an annual budget of approximately $1 million for such appointments. In 2024, the stipend for a full-time TA appointment (average of 12 hours/week for 8 months) is $14,410 for MA students and $14,971 for PhD students (amount subjects to change based on CUPE 2278 collective agreements). Students admitted to the program are contacted in late spring concerning these positions. Additional information can be found on the Research and Teaching Assistantships at UBC page.
The department of psychology also has funding available from the estate of a distinguished alumnus, Dr. Michael J. Quinn. The Quinn Exchange Fellowships have been established for students pursuing a graduate degree in Psychology at UBC through short-term exchanges with graduate students in universities outside of British Columbia. In addition to enhancing research opportunities, this program fosters new ties with foreign academics, creates opportunities for innovative research collaborations, and broadens job prospects for our graduates. Visit the Quinn Memorial Endowment website for more information.
