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All financial support administered by the Faculty of Education is subject to policies and regulations set out in the Graduate General Regulations and the SFU Graduate Student Admission Handbook, and is consistent with other governing regulations and practices of the University.

All students are eligible, encouraged and supported to apply for private and external funding per the terms of reference that govern those awards. Senior supervisors and pro-tem advisors commit to helping their advisees develop competitive applications for all internally and externally administered funding awards to which the student chooses to apply.

The Faculty of Education awards funding based on merit with consideration such that, other things being equal, funds are distributed to students not otherwise employed.

1. Financial support administered by the Faculty of Education is competitive and subject to
   satisfactory progress and performance in course work and research towards degree completion.
2. Preference will be given in offering financial support to students who are (a) not remunerated for work outside SFU, (b) not employed in a CUPE or APSA position at SFU and enrolled in the first (c) 6 semesters of a master’s program or (d) 9 semesters of a doctoral program.
3. Packages of funding offered at admission or other times to exceptionally qualified master’s and doctoral students may consist of one or a combination of research assistantships (RA), teaching assistantships (TA) and tutor marker positions (TM), graduate fellowships (GF), and once PhD students have completed course work plus the comprehensive examination, the President’s PhD Scholarship (PS).
   • Students holding RAs will have priority in awards for GFs and PSs subject to the conditions described in #6.
   • RAs enrolled in a doctoral program are paid at an annual rate not less than $18,500 for 750 hours work per year or an hourly rate of $24.67. Benefits will be added to these amounts.
   • RAs enrolled in a master’s program are paid at an annual rate not less than $16,000 for 750 hours work per year or an hourly rate of $21.33. Benefits will be added to these amounts.
4. Exceptionally qualified students enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs are eligible, as funds are available, for funding generated within and provided by the Faculty of Education.
   
5. Master’s and doctoral students admitted to an area of study – Arts Education, Educational
   Leadership, Educational Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Educational Technology and
   Learning Design, Curriculum and Instruction, Curriculum Theory and Implementation,
   Mathematics Education, and Languages Cultures and Societies – have priority for TA, TM or Site Assistant (SA) positions in courses within the disciplinary purview of that area.
   
6. Every student supported by any component of a funding package (see #3) who is eligible must make application within 15 months of first enrollment to sources of funding for which the student is eligible that are managed by and external to SFU. Failure to do so lowers the student’s priority for GF and PS funding.

Note: Specific programs may be ineligible for Government student loans and grants. Please ensure you check with Financial Aid Services. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the student and the program meets the eligibility requirements. Please contact Financial Aid Services at fiassist@sfu.ca with any questions.

Students wishing to transfer from the MEd to the MA degree may apply after four core courses are completed (students must complete five core courses in total for the MA plus a Master’s Thesis). In order to be accepted into the MA program students must demonstrate a strong writing ability, a clear research plan, and committed advisement from a senior supervisor.

Students should follow the procedure outlined below: 

1. Students will have completed four core courses before applying to transfer from the MEd to the MA.  At this point they must consult a prospective advisor for the thesis. If this faculty member is other than the pro-tem advisor, the pro-tem advisor is to be informed.

2. In consultation with the prospective thesis advisor, the student will then prepare a written thesis proposal. This will be a minimum of ten pages in length, and will include a) research question(s), b) context for the research, c) objectives, d) methodology, e) contribution to the advancement of knowledge and/or educational practice, f) student's special interest in the proposed area of research.

These questions can help to guide your research proposal preparation:

1. What is your question/inquiry? (i.e., paragraph overview of your question or inquiry focus)
2. What brings you to it? (a brief statement regarding what brings you to the question, i.e., what is the spark for this interest/why is this topic of importance/significance to you)
3. How are proposing to approach this inquiry (i.e., what are your methods, and what methodology might be the overarching thread for these methods; what ethical or other requirements or implications do you need to bear in mind in conducting this research?)
4. Who are the key thinkers you are drawing on, what are the key concepts, theories, ideas embedded in this area of inquiry?
5. What educational significance do you feel this inquiry has or might have (and by 'educational', that might be everything from specific pedagogical or curricular or policy implications, or a broader philosophical and/or sociological significance).

3. The thesis proposal must be approved by your prospective supervisor before it is submitted to Graduate Programs office together with 1) Faculty of Education Change Degree, Program or Specialization Application form, 2) approval of supervisory committee form, and 3) required documentation as follows:

• A letter/email from the faculty member who agrees to serve as the Senior Supervisor indicating that he or she has approved the thesis proposal
• A thesis proposal (minimum ten pages as outlined above)
• An annotated bibliography for the proposed thesis (minimum of 20 references to include current journal articles, books/chapters, and relevant online resources, etc.)
• A copy of a written assignment undertaken for the MEd

If any of the above conditions are not met, the change of degree route will not be approved.

Your senior supervisor may recommend other course(s) for you to take related to your masters thesis research.

• Graduate Studies Graduate Student Handbook
• Education Graduate Student Handbook