Funding

Graduate

Funding

Pursuing a graduate education is expensive. Students should familiarize themselves with the kinds of financial aid available and make sure that their applications are completed to meet the deadlines. A listing of scholarships specially selected for HIS graduate students is posted on this page.

University of Toronto Funding Package

In 2001 the University of Toronto introduced a funding package for doctoral-stream students guaranteeing a minimum level of financial support for up to five years of doctoral studies. The Department of History is please to provide this package to all PhD students without major external funding from years 1 through 5. For the 2012-13 academic year the minimum package was $23,402.00 for domestic students and $33,812.00 for international students. The package is designed to cover a student’s tuition and provide the student with $15,000.00 per year. The funds come from a University of Toronto Fellowship, a 205 hour Teaching Assistantship and a Research Assistantship worth $600. Students must maintain good standing in their program to remain eligible for this funding. Students with major external funding worth more than $10,000.00 have their package reduced by the difference between this amount and the scholarship. Regulations for OGS and SSHRC winners are below.

Master of Arts students are not funded in the Department of History although they are eligible for some of the restricted awards within the department (see Department of History Awards). MA students should also consult the School of Graduate Studies’ Financing Your Graduate Education page.

Internal Scholarships

  • The University of Toronto Fellowship is a major source of funding for doctoral students in the Department of History. This is a guaranteed fellowship assured to all students in the funding cohort (years 1 through 5) and will be continued throughout the years the student remains in this cohort. Students must maintain good standing in their programs and apply every year for major external awards (i.e. OGS & SSHRC) to remain eligible for this funding.

Department of History Restricted Awards

The Department of History has a number of awards only for History graduate students. Some require an application and others do not. The Graduate Office will solicit applications as required. Unless otherwise indicated the amounts of the awards are based on yearly interest and both masters and doctoral students are eligible for them.

  • Alfred and Florence Aiken and Dorothy Woods Memorial Graduate Scholarship
  • Jeanne Armour Award in Canadian History
    To be awarded to a graduate student in the Department of History who is undertaking a course of study related to Canadian history. OSOTF conditions apply.
  • Jeanne Armour Graduate Scholarships in Canadian History
    A series of awards for students in the area of Canadian history based on a generous donation from the estate of the late Jeanne Armour, and covering funding for travel, conference and stipendiary amounts.
  • Carmen Brock Fellowship
    An award for students from post-secondary institutions in sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean Islands, Belize, Guyana and /or Surinam who will be studying the history of these regions at the doctoral or masters level.
  • Chinese Railway Workers of Canada Memorial Scholarship
    To be awarded to a graduate student in the Department of History on the basis of academic merit.
  • Maurice Cody Fellowship
    To be awarded to a graduate student whose research deals with Canadian Confederation, conditions immediately preceding the Confederation of the provinces and territories of British North America and Objects of Confederation.
  • Doctoral Completion Award
    For doctoral students who are beyond the funded cohort but within the time limit for the degree.
  • Tom Easterbrook Graduate Scholarship in Communitcations and Mass Media
    (Shared with Economica and Political Science)
  • Rene Efrain Memorial Scholarship in French History in the Department of History
    For a graduate student studying French history. OSOTF II conditions apply.
  • Emeritus History Professors Graduate Fellowship
    For a graduate student enrolled in full-time studies. Based on academic merit.
  • The Finlayson Gold Medal
    Awarded to a graduate student in the doctoral program with the most outstanding thesis in the preceding year.
  • Marianne Hodgson Graduate Prize
  • Margaret S. McCullough Scholarship in Canadian Historical Research
    For senior graduate students in Canadian history nearing completion of their program.
  • Kenneth McNaught Fellowship in History
    Preference given to master’s students studying Canadian history. OSOTF rules apply.
  • Part Time MA History Award
    A $750.00 award for 2 part-time master’s students. Preference given to a graduate student studying 19th century British history.
  • Vivienne Poy Chancellor’s Fellowship
  • C.P. Stacey – Connaught Graduate Fellowship
    For a graduate student with outstanding achievements who is entering a research oriented degree program.
  • Women’s Canadian Historical Society of Toronto Graduate Fellowships in Canadian History
    Two awards for entering masters students and two awards for 1st year doctoral students with a specialization in Canadian history. Each award is $2,500.00.
  • Natalie Zemon-Davis Fellowship
    Made possible by the generosity of Professor Natalie Zemon Davis, this fellowship is to be awarded to a graduate student whose research is informed by multiple disciplinary approaches. Preference is given to candidates whose research illuminates the histories of regions beyond North America and is both socially and culturally inclusive.

Awards For Conference and Research Travel

  • Craig Brown Travelling Fellowship for History Graduate Students
    Travel scholarship for graduate students traveling to a conference or for field based research.
  • Barbara Frum Fund
  • History Conference Travel Grant
    To be awarded to students who are presenting their work at a scholarly conference.
  • Martin Klein Fellowship Fund for Students From Africa
    For graduate students from Africa, based on academic excellence and need for assistance with travel costs associated with research academic conferences and /or course of study.
  • Patricia and Alan Marchment Graduate Student Travel Awards in History
    Travel scholarship for graduate students traveling to a conference or for field based research. OSOTF rules apply.
  • Michael Marrus International Travel Scholarship
    For a graduate student registered in the Department of History who requires financial support in order to travel to conduct research or present a paper at an academic conference. Academic merit and financial need will be considered.
  • Pre-Dissertation Research Award
    Awarded to doctoral students in their first or second year for research travel, with preference given to students in their second year and are finishing comps.
  • Ronald Pruessen Graduate Travel Bursary
    For a graduate student registered in the Department of History who requires financial support in order to travel to conduct research or present a paper at an academic conference. Academic merit and financial need will be considered.
  • Rotenburg Fund
  • Jerome Samuel 7T0 Memorial Graduate Scholarship in History
    Awarded to graduate students, in the first instance, who are studying 18th and/or 19th century British history. If no suitable candidates are found the scholarship will be awarded to students studying British history, or finally, awarded to students studying in the Department of History.
  • Traveling Fellowship for History Graduate Students
    Travel scholarship for graduate students traveling to a conference or for field based research. OSOTF rules apply.

External Scholarships

Doctoral Students registered at UofT are required to apply for OGS and SSHRC awards through the History Department in order to be eligible for internal scholarships. All others should apply through their university or contact the ministries involved directly.

  • Ontario Graduate Scholarship
    For students applying to, or registered in, an MA or PhD program in the social sciences in Ontario. An OGS is worth $15,000.00 over three terms (12 months). Application forms and information online.The application deadline is March 1, 2015.
  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellowships (SSHRC)
    For students applying to, or registered in, a doctoral program in the social sciences or humanities. A SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship for 2013-2014 is worth $20,000.00. These fellowships are distributed through a national competition open only to Canadian citizens and landed immigrants. The application deadline for the Department of History is now closed.
  • Canada Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral
    For students applying to, or registered in, a doctoral program in the social sciences or humanities. Funding of $35,000.00 is available for years 1 through 3 of a doctoral program. Eligible applicants applying to SSHRC are considered for this grant at the national level. The application deadline for the Department of History is now closed.
  • Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s
    CGS scholarships are awarded by the SSHRC council to students applying to, or registered in, a master’s program in the social sciences or master’s and doctoral students who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. The value of the award is $17,500 for 12 months. Application forms are available from the SSHRC website
  • 2013-14 SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s Scholarships
    The Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s Scholarships funding opportunity seeks to develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students in the social sciences and humanities who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies. CGS scholarships are awarded by the SSHRC council to students applying to, or registered in a master’s program in the social sciences. The value of the award is $17,500 for 12 months. The full program description, application form and instructions are now available on the SSHRC website. The graduate department of history requires the original application plus 5 photocopies, excluding transcripts and reference letters, as they need to be submitted in sealed envelopes. Please submit all documents to Virginie Kobayashi at the graduate department of history. Please direct all inquiries to:hisgradi@chass.utoronto.ca.The deadline for applicants to submit to the graduate department of history is Monday November 19, by 5:00pm – now closed.

TAships

TAships not only provide valuable professional experience, they serve as an important source of funding and form a component of a typical U of T funding package. Conditions of work and rates of remuneration are governed by a collective agreement negotiated between the university and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (C.U.P.E.). To apply for Teaching Assistant positions, please see our Employment Opportunities page. Here is some information on the TA Hiring Policy.

Student Loans / Ontario Student Assistance Programs

Students are encouraged to investigate their eligibility for these programs. Application forms and brochures can be obtained from Admissions & Awards, University of Toronto, 172 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5R 0A3. For more information:OSAP: Ontario Student Assistance Program.

Research Travel Grants

The Faculty of Arts and Science and the School of Graduate Studies hold competitions annually for research travel grants. Funds are available for a limited number of doctoral students in the humanities to study or carry out research in Canada, the United States or overseas. The Department realizes the importance of research abroad and also has limited funds available for this purpose (see internal awards section). Consult the Graduate History Office for more information.

Department of History Financial Policy

The Department of History makes all its awards within the framework of University and SGS regulations and policies. The University has determined that all doctoral-stream students in years 1-5 should receive a minimum financial support “package,” as determined by the University and Faculty. The university has set this at $15,000 plus tuition and fees. In 2012-13, for domestic students this means an award of $23,402 and for visa students $33,812. This is a minimum award assured to all students in the funding cohort and will be continued throughout the years the student remains in this cohort. Students must maintain good standing in their programs to remain eligible for his funding.

Graduate student funding packages are composed of a combination of earnings from research assistantship, teaching assistantship, University of Toronto Fellowships (UTF) and any external scholarships the student may win. The Department requires eligible students to apply for OGS and SSHRC scholarships. Students who receive a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship to be held in 2013-14 or a SSHRC CGS Doctoral Scholarship will not be obligated to work as a teaching assistant; they may waive their TAship if they so wish.