Funding

PhD students in the School of Criminology admitted in September 2024 and later can expect funding in accordance with Graduate General Regulation 1.17 Minimum Funding. The primary goal in the development of a minimum funding guarantee is equity, which the graduate program in the School of Criminology defines as fairness and justice in the allocation of funding resources within the School with the goal of enabling impartial outcomes.

PhD students eligible for the minimum funding policy can expect funding of at least $28,000 for the first four years of their program through a combination of Teaching Assistantships and Graduate Fellowships. Many PhD students obtain additional funding through Research Assistantships and other research opportunities with faculty members of the School and students are encouraged to seek out such opportunities upon acceptance into the program. Total funding value per year varies by student depending on the amount of Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant income earned by the student.

The PhD Research Scholarship supports new and current PhD students if they meet all of the eligibility requirements and conditions outlines in the Terms of Reference. This scholarship is valued at $1836 per term for 12 terms, subject to continued eligiblity. 

Teaching Assistant income is assigned on a competitive basis and students must submit an application for a TA position in each term they wish to be considered. TA positions are available in all three academic terms, but to a lesser extent in each summer term.

Graduate Fellowships (current value: $3500) are awarded on an annual basis to students who maintain eligibility for the award. GF awards are usually applied to the student account in the summer term of each Year 1 through Year 4 of their program.

Funding to support travel to present at conferences and conduct research is available to eligible students through the Travel and Research Award (TARA). TARA is awarded on a competitive basis and is subject to budgetary constraints.

All eligible students are encouraged to apply for Tri-Agency (CIHR, SSHRC, NSERC) and/or other internal and external funding opportunities. The School of Criminology has a strong history of supporting graduate students in their applications for Tri-Agency funding.

Read the Graduate Program in Criminology PhD Minimum Funding Policy in full for detailed information about eligibility for minimum funding.