Graduate

FUNDING YOUR GRADUATE EDUCATION

At Ryerson University, we want to ensure you are able to concentrate on your studies while pursuing your graduate degree. There are a number of funding packages available to graduate students. 

Students are also encouraged to apply for external scholarship programs for which they are eligible. Graduate students from Ontario may also wish to apply for loans/grants through the Ontario Government Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

The Funding of Graduate Studies policy can be found here.

CATEGORIES OF STUDENT FUNDING

Refers to $7,000 scholarships for academic excellence provided by the University. The allocation of scholarships will be on a competitive basis and will be consistent with Ryerson’s policies concerning access, equity and research integrity, and the criteria established by the Scholarship and Awards Committee of the School of Graduate Studies. The Committee will oversee the evaluation of candidates and selection of award winners in collaboration with Graduate Program Scholarship Committees. [For more information, see " Guidlines for Ryerson Graduate Scholarships " section below.]

Ryerson Graduate Award (RGA)

Refers to merit awards provided by individual programs. The amount of these awards is variable, but less than the amount of an RGS. These program awards funds may be used to enhance the level of funding for students who have won external awards. Graduate Program Committees must specify their funding policies in their proposals to SGS Council. Funding policies and practices associated with existing and future Joint Graduate Programs with other institutions will normally be consistent with the policies of the SGS. Differential practices and harmonization terms are subject to negotiation, development and review by the Dean of Graduate Studies and the Programs and Planning Committee of the School of Graduate Studies.

Access to Opportunity Program (ATOP) awards for Engineering Doctoral Students

These funds are provided to support Doctoral students in Engineering Programs.  They are distributed by the Doctoral Engineering Programs based on the total amount of funding provided to students from other sources, as well as the students’ academic record. The value of the awards is approximately $4,000.

Ryerson International Student Scholarships for Engineering Doctoral Students

The RISS awards were created to support a limited number of international students enrolled in Doctoral Engineering programs.  A RISS can be held in conjunction with an RGS, RGA, GA and any other source of funds except those that defray the cost of international student tuition fees.  The value of a RISS is set to cover roughly the differential between the annual international student fee and that for domestic students. It is currently $7,000. These awards are distributed through the Doctoral Programs in Engineering.  All Engineering doctoral students are considered automatically for these awards, and the selection is based on the total amount of funding from other sources provided to students who qualify, as well as their academic record. 

Other Internal Scholarships:

Graduate Stipend

Refers to funding to support a graduate student while completing a degree. Normally the stipend is paid from the research funding of faculty supervisors. Stipends are not payment for employment. When the stipend is a student’s only source of funding, the minimum awarded must be $1,000 per month/$12,000 per year.  The awarding of stipends is to be consistent with employment and graduate funding policies of granting agencies whose funds may be used to support graduate students.

Research Assistants

Refers to employment available to students assisting Principal Investigators in conducting research activities not related to their studies. The minimum rate of pay is defined by the Granting Council (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR) or organization/institution who is providing funds to the Principal Investigator. Should that institution be Ryerson University, the minimum rate of pay is defined in the OPSEU Collective Agreement, Article 14, Section 14.06. The Terms of employment of graduate students will be consistent with this collective agreement. However, the minimum recommended rate of pay for graduate students is the rate at which Graduate (Teaching) Assistants are paid, which is outlined in the CUPE 3 Collective Agreement.

Graduate (Teaching) Assistants

Refers to” an appointment of a Ryerson Graduate Student, enrolled on a full-time basis, who is employed to assist with teaching or related duties.  Such students shall be Ryerson students, enrolled in the University’s Master’s or PhD programs.” Employment opportunities may be offered by departments or schools. Full-time graduate students can be employed for a maximum of 10 hours per week. The rate of pay can be found on the Human Resources website in the CUPE Local 3904 Unit 3 Collective Agreement. Students may be offered GA positions by their program, and/or the positions will be posted on the HR website.  Click GA Opportunities for current postings.  Terms of employment of graduate students will be consistent with the collective agreements between Ryerson and its employee groups.

Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST)

Scholarship Value:

The scholarship value will be to a maximum of $15,000 annually, or $5,000 per term.  Consistent with the 2:1 ratio of government funding to institutional funding for this program, the Ontario government portion of the award to an individual student will be to a maximum of $10,000 annually, or $3,333 per term. The remaining funds are provided by Ryerson University, through fund-raising from the private sector.

Eligible Students: 

The scholarships will be awarded to Canadian citizens or permanent residents enrolled full-time in approved research masters and or doctoral programs in science and technology at Ryerson.

Recipients must exhibit overall academic excellence. For applicants entering the 1st or 2nd year of graduate studies, they must have an average of at least A minus, or the equivalent, on the last 20 one-term/semester courses or the equivalent completed. For applicants entering 3rd year or beyond of graduate studies, they must have an average of at least A minus, or the equivalent, on all graduate courses completed. Recipients will also exhibit research ability or potential; excellent communication skills; and interpersonal and leadership abilities.

Applicants who have defaulted on a Canada or Ontario Student Loan or a loan made under the Ontario Venture Capital Program, or have failed to make satisfactory repayments on an Ontario Study Grant overpayment, may be ineligible for an QEII-GSST..

Eligibility Conditions:

Master’s students can receive the QEII-GSST for a maximum of 2 years and doctoral students for a maximum of 4 years, subject to a lifetime maximum of 4 years per student.  Master’s students are not eligible for an QEII-GSST after 2 years of study at the master’s level, and doctoral students are not eligible for an QEII-GSST after 5 years of study at the doctoral level. 

The award may be offered for one year or for a maximum of two years.  Recipients must maintain excellent academic standing and be making progress at a satisfactory pace through their programs in order to receive their awards for the second year.

Recipients must remain enrolled as a full-time student in an eligible program. Recipients who withdraw, transfer to part-time status, or fail to complete the term, will be required to repay the award.

Selection  Process

QEII-GSST awards are administered by individual Graduate Programs, and all students who meet the above criteria will automatically be considered. 

EXTERNAL FUNDING:

Federal Granting Councils:

Guidelines for Ryerson Graduate Scholarships

Financial support of students is critical to successful graduate programming. These guidelines propose nomination procedures for merit scholarships in graduate programs at Ryerson, called Ryerson Graduate Scholarships (RGS). Currently, the value of an RGS is $7,000. These guidelines would normally be applicable to other University-wide and program-based merit awards.

These proposed guidelines for the selection of scholarship recipients are designed to strike a number of balances in allocating funding to graduate students at Ryerson. These procedures aim to:

1. Maximize program determination of scholarship recipients in a context of accepted university-wide norms.
2. Allocate entry scholarships based on academic excellence, and permit the allocation of scholarships to in-progress graduate students (not funded on entry) who demonstrate excellence in their Ryerson studies.
3. Make allocation decisions expeditiously, based on a comprehensively considered set of criteria.

Eligibility

1. All students applying to graduate programs at Ryerson will be considered for the RGS.
2. Masters students may receive scholarship funding for a maximum two-year period, doctoral students for a maximum three- year period.
3. To be eligible for a scholarship, an entering master’s candidate will normally require a minimum grade point average of at least 3.67 (or A- equivalent) in their last two years of study. Renewal will require a minimum first year grade point average of 3.67, with no grade below 2.67.
4. To be eligible for a scholarship, an entering doctoral candidate will normally require a minimum grade point average of at least 3.67 (or A- equivalent) in their master’s program, with no grade below 3.0 Renewal will require a minimum cumulative grade average of 3.67 with no grade below 3.67 and/or declaration by supervisor and committee of successful progress in research.
5. Students who did not receive an entry scholarship, but who perform at the level required for scholarship renewal will be eligible to be considered for an RGS after their first year in a Ryerson graduate program. Such awards will be dependent on availability of funding.

Ranking criteria for entry level scholarships

To facilitate consistency across graduate programs and program scholarship committees, the following criteria and weighting ranges are recommended for evaluating students for an RGS. The first four factors are required as part of the student’s application to Ryerson. We recognize that programs may also wish to establish additional specific criteria such as portfolios, interviews, program suitability, etc.

Criteria Weighting

Programs must complete a ranking form that clearly identifies the criteria, their relative weight, and the student’s score in each category. This should be submitted to the Scholarship and Awards Committee in advance of ranking decisions. (See Scholarship Ranking Template below.)

Adjudication

Each program scholarship committee will submit three lists of nominees for RGS’s to the Scholarship and Awards Committee, who will review the lists to ensure consistency with eligibility criteria specified above:

1. Incoming students: a ranked list of all eligible incoming students

2. Current students who hold an RGS: A list of those who are continuing in their program, indicating eligibility for renewal/non-renewal and CGPA;

3. Current students who do not hold an RGS: a list of eligible students, ranked by CGPA.