The W. L. Mackenzie King Memorial Scholarships

The W.L. Mackenzie King Memorial Scholarships/ Les Bourses Mackenzie King

The Mackenzie King Scholarships were established under the will of the Rt. Hon. W.L. Mackenzie King (1874-1950), who was the Prime Minister of Canada 1921-26, 1926-30, and 1935-48.

Deadline to Apply:
February 1^st

Award Values:
$13,000-$15,000 (Subject to Change)

Candidate Eligibility:

Graduate students

Canadian Graduate Scholarships

How to Apply

Check eligibility

The Mackenzie King Open Scholarship is open to graduates of any Canadian university who engage in graduate study (master's or doctoral) in any discipline, in Canada or elsewhere.

One Open Scholarship of $13,000 has lately been awarded annually, but the value is subject to change.

The Mackenzie King Travelling Scholarship is open to graduates of any Canadian university who engage in postgraduate study (master's or doctoral) in the United States or the United Kingdom, of international relations or industrial relations (including the international or industrial relations aspects of law, history, politics and economics).

Mr. King expressed the hope in his will that this scholarship would "afford to Canadian students in the future opportunities to broaden their outlook and sympathies and contribute in some measure to that understanding of the problems and policies of other countries which is the basis of international good will".

Four Travelling Scholarships of $15,000 have lately been awarded annually, but the number and the value of scholarships are subject to change.

For either the Open or the Travelling Scholarship, applicants must be holders of a Canadian university degree of any level. Applicants who have no yet finished their degree are eligible to apply provided they expect to finish it before the graduate studies to be supported by the scholarship begin.

The present competition is for graduate study in the academic year 2025-26, beginning in or after September 2025.

The scholarships are for one year only.

For samples of winning applications, visit our Document Library →

Note: only currently enrolled grad student have access.

Note: As an international student, you are eligible to apply, but you must already hold a Canadian degree. If the graduate study being pursued is your first Canadian degree, you are not eligible.

Review evaluation criteria

The awards will be based on high academic achievements (all A's or very nearly so), personal qualities, and demonstrated aptitudes. Consideration will also be given to the applicant's proposed program of study. The awards will be made by, and at the sole discretion of, the Board of Scholarship of Trustees.

Apply online

Must apply through our Graduate Awards Application Adjudication System (GA3) under the 2025-26 Mackenzie King Scholarship competition posted under the DGS department.

Click HERE to watch a video on how to use the GA3 system

Upload your completed application and transcripts as one PDF file:

Application Form (including Sheets A and B as described on the form)
Certified copies of official transcripts and other academic records from each university you have attended. SFU transcript can be unofficial at this time.

Instruction: How to generate your unofficial SFU transcript

For the 3 reference letters:

Under the Reference Section (GA3), use the drop-down menu and ensure to select "Mackenize King Scholarship References" as your reference type for all 3 references. You also need to enter your references' work email address. Once this section is completed, the system will send an email request to your reference.

Requests for references should be sent to your referees in advance to allow enough time for them to submit their reference by the deadline of February 1^st. Refer to FAQ for more details.

The letter should ideally be written by referees who know your record and ability and are able to give a critical evaluation of your plans for graduate study. Two must be from someone you know in an academic setting, or from senior colleagues with whom you have been associated in academic teaching or research.

Decisions

Our office will forward to the Board of Scholarship Trustees a short-list of our recommended candidates together with their applications, and will advise all of our applicants of the outcome of this internal competition in May through GA3. Decisions in the national competition are usually announced by the end of June.

For more information, please refer to the Mackenzie King Scholarship - Website or contact our office at gradawards@sfu.ca.

Note

Applications must be made to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of your "home" university. This is the Canadian university from which you most recently graduated or at which you are currently enrolled.

If you have not recently graduated from SFU or are not currently enrolled at SFU, you cannot apply through SFU.

If you have been admitted to SFU to start at a future term, you are not considered as currently enrolled at SFU. You must apply through your home Canadian university from which you most recently graduated or at which you are currently enrolled.

Applications sent directly to the Board of Scholarship Trustees will not be considered.

Competition Timeline (2025)

February 1	Student deadline to submit the full application in GA3. Please ensure that your references submit before Feb.1. If the deadline falls on a weekend or on a federal holiday, applications must be submitted by the following business day.
May 1	FINAL SFU submission deadline
Late June	Competition Results are announced

FAQ

Can I hold a Mackenzie King Scholarship with other awards?

According to the Mackenzie King Scholarship website, a candidate may not hold a Mackenzie King Scholarship at the same time as other scholarships without the written approval of the Board of Scholarship Trustees. This approval is usually given provided that the candidate’s total scholarship support, including the Mackenzie King Scholarship, does not exceed a maximum amount defined by the Board. Lately the maximum amount has been the candidate’s expected tuition fees plus CAD$20,000 (the "cap"), but the figure is subject to change.

If you know at the time of application that you already have scholarship funding for the next academic year that exceeds the "cap", there is no point in applying.

Please note that "Scholarship support" does not include salary for services such as research or teaching assistance.

What is the format for the reference letters?

The three reference letters must include a handwritten signature, contact details, and be written on official letterhead. Once you created an application in GA3, you will need to enter your references' contact details. They will then receive an email to upload a reference letter. Make sure your referees upload their reference letter before February 1^st, otherwise your application will be considered incomplete.

Do I need to submit the up-to-date SFU official transcripts?

If you are selected by SFU to move forward in the competition, our office will contact you by email and request for an official SFU transcript at that time.

Please submit your official transcripts to:

Graduate Awards Team

Graduate Studies
Maggie Benston Student Services Centre 1100
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, British Columbia
Canada V5A 1S6

Graduate Studies

TRI-Agency & Government Awards