Funding Support Package For MFA Students

Annual funding support packages are offered to 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. Annual funding support packages are subject to change. All amounts quoted below are for the 2025-2026 academic year.

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

Domestic MFA students in the Department of Visual Arts are offered a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) and a Western Graduate Research Scholarship (WGRS) annually for the two years of the program.

International MFA students in the Department of Visual Arts are offered a Western Graduate Research Scholarship (WGRS) annually for the two years of the program.

In addition to sources of university support, students are encouraged to apply to external funding sources including the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), and Canada Graduate Research Scholarships (CGRS).

 

Master’s in Visual Art (MFA) Funding Support Package
Domestic Students
External Scholarship WGRS GTA Total from Western* Scholarship Amount Total Funding**
No external scholarship $4,550 $14,953.12 $19,503.12 $0 $19,503.12
OGS $2,000 $14,953.12 $16,953.12 $15,000 $31,953.12
CGRS M $0 $14,953.12 $14,953.12 $27,000 $41,953.12

 

Master’s in Visual Art (MFA) Funding Support Package
International Students
External Scholarship WGRS GTA Total from Western* Scholarship Amount Total Funding**
No external scholarship $3,000 $0 $3,000 $0 $3,000

 

* Total from Western includes funding from research grants.
** Funding support packages can be comprised of funds from a variety of sources and can differ from student to student. Funding sources include scholarships, graduate fellowships, and part-time employment such as graduate teaching assistantships or graduate student assistantships. The amounts represent the minimum funding an awardee is expected to receive in each scholarship category.