Funding

The Department of Sociology provides competitive funding packages to all full-time graduate students in our MA thesis and PhD programs. Full-time course-based MA students will be considered for funding on a term-by-term basis but are not guaranteed a funding package.

Our funding approach-which includes employment, scholarships, and research and travel awards-is designed to support both the scholarly and the professional development of each graduate student.

Guaranteed Funding

All full-time MA thesis and PhD graduate students receive guaranteed funding in the form of research and teaching assistantships (normally twelve hours/week), and, for post-candidacy PhD students, the opportunity to teach as a Principal Instructor. Students pay their tuition and fees out of these incomes.

  • MA (course-based) Funding is not guaranteed for full-time MA course-based students, but it may be offered on a term-by-term basis contingent upon availability.
  • MA (thesis-based) four terms over 2 years of guaranteed funding (excluding Spring/Summer) for full-time students (value = ~$37,500)

  • PhD twelve terms over 4 years of guaranteed funding (value = ~$117,000)

MA students within their guaranteed funding window receive funding in the Fall and Winter terms only (September - April). Funding is not offered during the Spring and Summer terms (May - August). PhD students within their guaranteed funding window receive funding in the Fall, Winter and Spring, Summer terms (September - August).

Amounts paid for assistantships and principal instruction are determined through the Association of Employed Graduate Students' Collective Agreement. Prospective students can visit the FGPS website for an estimate of the cost of living in Edmonton as well as the latest schedule for tuition and fees.