Financial Support

Annual Financial Support Packages

Annual Financial Support Packages are offered to Western's Philosophy graduate students to offset tuition and fees. Eligibility for financial support is conditional upon full-time registration and meeting our conditions for progression towards the degree (see: Financial Support Regulations). Annual Financial Support Packages are subject to change.

Students who are offered admission to our graduate program receive details of the guaranteed minimum financial support they will personally receive. Term-by-term funding details are then provided to each student annually when they are activated for the upcoming academic year, typically in early August.

Financial support packages may come from a variety of sources, including external scholarship funds (such as SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, OTS, OGS, QEII, etc.), a Graduate Teaching Assistantship, internal scholarship support (such as Western Graduate Research Scholarships, program-based scholarships, endowments, etc.), and university employment other than a Graduate Teaching Assistantship.

If you are awarded a major external scholarship, please let us know immediately, as your annual financial support package may change.

Examples of recent Annual Financial Support Packages are provided below for reference.

MA Domestic

Western Graduate Research Scholarship: $4,550
Graduate Teaching Assistantship: $13,750.46

MA International

Western Graduate Research Scholarship: $3,000

PhD Domestic

Western Graduate Research Scholarship: $10,050
Graduate Teaching Assistantship: $13,750.46

PhD International

Western Graduate Research Scholarship: $10,650
Graduate Teaching Assistantship: $13,750.46

Major External Scholarship Holders

Financial support packages may come from a variety of sources, including:

-  External scholarship funds (such as SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, OTS, OGS, QEII, etc.)
-  A Graduate Teaching Assistantship
-  Internal scholarship support (such as Western Graduate Research Scholarships, program-based scholarships, endowments, etc.)
-  University employment other than a Graduate Teaching Assistantship


If you are awarded a major external scholarship, please let us know immediately, as your standard financial support package may change.

 



Funding Source Details

Western Funding

Western Graduate Research Scholarship (WGRS)

The WGRS is directly applied to the Student Centre tuition account at the start of each term. Philosophy graduate students typically receive the annual scholarship amount divided 35% / 30% / 35% between the three terms. Students will need to set up direct deposit in Student CentreMore details

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

GTA funding is received in the form of monthly pay during the terms a graduate student is hired (Fall and/or Winter Term). Payroll is run via Western Human Resources and falls on the normal Western pay cycle day on the second last business day of the month. Students will need to set up direct deposit with Human Resources by accessing their myHR account.

Philosophy GTA's typically lead tutorial sessions (PhD's only) and/or support the course as a grader, and are required to be available for the entire exam period to proctor exams. More details

Entrance Scholarships

Rotman Institute of Philosophy Doctoral Entrance Scholarship
The Rotman Institute of Philosophy will award up to two scholarships annually to full-time students entering the Doctoral Program in the Department of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Students with demonstrated academic excellence and a stated research interest in philosophy and science (including epistemology, ethics or history of science) are eligible. The recipients will become members of the Rotman Institute of Philosophy. Recipients will be selected by the Graduate Chair of the program and the Director of the Rotman Institute of Philosophy.

Centre for Digital Philosophy Entrance Scholarship
The scholarship is awarded to Western PhD students with research interests that are consonant with the Centre for Digital Philosophy's mission of advancing research and teaching in philosophy through technology. Value: up to 2 awards, $4000 in total in four instalments of $1000 per year (as long as student is eligible)

Faculty of Arts and Humanities Chair’s Entrance Scholarship 
Awarded to students entering a Masters or Doctoral program in Arts and Humanities. Students must have a minimum admission average of 80%. Graduate chairs in each program will select recipients of the award.  The number of scholarships will be determined annually by the individual Department Chairs, Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Value: less than $2,000 each.  Effective: May 2008

Dean’s Entrance Scholarship
Awarded to full-time students entering a Masters or Doctoral program in Arts and Humanities.  Students must have a minimum admission average of 80%.  Graduate chairs in each program will select recipients of the award. Value: $2,000 each.  The number of scholarships will be determined annually by the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Humanities.  Effective: May 2007

Provost’s Entrance Scholarship
Awarded to full-time students entering a Doctoral program in Arts and Humanities.  Students must have a minimum admission average of 80%.  Graduate chairs in each program will select recipients of the award. Value: $4,000 each.  The number of scholarships will be determined annually by the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Humanities.  Effective: May 2007

President’s Entrance Scholarship
Awarded to full-time students entering a Doctoral program in Arts and Humanities.  Students must have a minimum admission average of 80%.  Graduate chairs in each program will select recipients of the award. Value: $6,000 each.  The number of scholarships will be determined annually by the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Humanities.  Effective:  May 2007

Faculty of Arts and Humanities Chancellor’s Entrance Scholarship 
Awarded to full-time students entering a Doctoral program in Arts and Humanities. Students must have a minimum admission average of 80%. Graduate chairs in each program will select recipients of the award.  The number of scholarships will be determined annually by the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Value: $8,000 each. Effective: May 2008

Donor Funded Awards

Eligible Philosophy graduate students are invited to apply for the following awards each year (details available via the Donor Funded Awards Search):

Faculty of Arts and Humanities Alumni Graduate Awards

Lynne-Lionel Scott Scholarship in Canadian Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Mary Routledge Fellowships

Harold Johnson Memorial Scholarship in Mediaeval Philosophy

Richard A. Harshman Memorial Scholarship


Philosophy students may also be considered for the following donor award jointly held with Political Science:

The Barnard Scholarship in Political Philosophy at Western

Mrs. Margot Barnard has generously endowed a scholarship trust in memory of her late husband, Frederick Mechner Barnard who was a distinguished political theorist and intellectual historian at Western from 1970 until his retirement in 1985. The F.M. Barnard Scholarship Trust offers scholarships to graduate students in political philosophy, entering MA or PhD programs in either Political Science or Philosophy at Western.

A condition of these awards is that recipients must propose to work under the supervision of a member of the Moral, Political, and Legal Philosophy Research Group. A list of current members and their interests may be found below.

Awarded annually, the Barnard Scholarships may be held during the first year of a student’s program. The awards are additional to the regular funding provided by departments. No special application is needed: recipients will be selected from the applicant pool by a committee appointed by the Chairs of Political Science and Philosophy.

Value: $15,000.

External Scholarships

All graduate students are encouraged to apply for major external scholarships. For Philosophy graduate students, these are primarily the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). 

Application support resources and information sessions are available via Western Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)

The Ontario government, in partnership with Ontario's publicly assisted universities,  encourages excellence in graduate studies at the Master's and doctoral levels through the awarding of Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS). More details

Value: $15,000 for one year

Application Opens:
December 10
Application Closes: February 1

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Research Awards fund research training awards that aim to develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students who demonstrate a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities. More details

Value: $35,000 per year for 36 months - Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral (CGS-D) or $20,000 per year for 12, 24, 36 or 48 months - SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships

Application Opens: August 1
Application Closes: September 24

Graduate students beginning our MA program may also have a SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship - Master's. More details



Additional Resources

> Philosophy's Conference and Research Funding

> Payment Methods - Tuition and Fees

> Financial Support Regulations - Western Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies

> Living Costs - Financial Management

> Financial Assistance Resources

> Income Tax Reporting