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Funding & Finances
Graduate Funding
Graduate student funding is provided in accordance with the Department of Biological Sciences Graduate Student Funding Policy.
Financial arrangements should be negotiated with your proposed senior supervisor as part of the process of applying and being accepted to the Department. If you are not a major scholarship holder (e.g., NSERC, CIHR), financial support is generally provided through a combination of the following sources:
Teaching Assistantships (TAships)
Support from Research Grants
Prior to program admission, the senior supervisor must agree to provide at least 1/2 of the guaranteed minimum stipend from research grants, in the event that funding is not obtained from other sources.
Graduate Fellowships (GF)
Graduate Fellowships are offered by Graduate Studies to full-time students in any SFU graduate program. Awards are made on the basis of academic merit; the normal minimum criterion for eligibility is a CGPA of 3.5. These are one-semester awards valued at $7000.00. We encourage students to apply for graduate fellowships; the application deadline is 15 April.
If you hold a major award, such as an NSERC post-graduate scholarship or a C.D. Nelson entrance scholarship, you will have lower priority for funds administered by the Department. However, once your awards expire, you will have normal eligibility.
Scholarships and Awards
We encourage students to apply for both internal and external scholarships and awards. The Graduate Studies website is your go-to resource for Scholarships and Awards. If you have any questions about the Department's internal deadlines or requirements for scholarship applications, please contact the Graduate Program Assistant.
Departmental Awards
Private Awards
Over the years, generous donors have instituted awards specific to students in Biological Sciences. These include the following:
- B.P. Beirne Prize in Pest Management (MPM)
- BC Council of Garden Clubs Mildred Wells Scholarship (MPM)
- Coastal Zone Canada (BC) Association Graduate Scholarship in Coastal Studies
- Dr. H.R. MacCarthy Graduate Bursary
- Dr. John Yorston Memorial Graduate Scholarship in Pest Management (MPM)
- Glen Geen Graduate Scholarship in Marine Biology Biological Sciences
- J. Abbott / M. Fretwell Graduate Fellowship in Fisheries Biology
- Master of Pest Management Graduate Entrance Scholarship (MPM)
- Mutual Fire Insurance Company of BC Graduate Scholarship in Biological Sciences
- Philip and Marian McClelland Memorial Scholarship
- Phyllis Carter Burr Graduate Scholarship in Developmental Biology and Cell Biology
- Sharon Clements Biological Sciences Award Biological Sciences
- Shaughn Clements Biological Sciences Graduate Award
- Thelma Finlayson Graduate Entrance Scholarship (MPM)
- Thelma Finlayson Graduate Fellowship (MPM)
- Weston Family Scholarship
This list is not exhaustive. Find more private awards on the Graduate Studies site.
Tuition & Fees
All graduate students pay tuition fees upon registration each semester, according to the fee schedule set by the University. The most current fee information is available from Graduate Studies. International students pay the same rate as domestic students. This fee decreases after 6 semesters for Masters and 8 semesters for Doctoral students.