Apart from funding from external sources such as SSHRC doctoral awards and Canada Graduate Master's Scholarships, other funding for graduate work in English is limited to the sources listed below (please note that all eligible Ph.D. and M.A.-Thesis students are required to apply to SSHRC; all M.A. students who might be entering a Ph.D. program the following year are urged to apply).

Upon admission to the program, each applicant is automatically considered for all forms of available funding. No separate application is necessary. New students are evaluated for academic standing and promise as indicated in the application file; continuing students are also evaluated for standing and progress in the program.

Regular M.A. funding (with the exception of those holding a Dean's Scholarship) is limited to one year. Major funding from the college and department is normally restricted to the first four years of the Ph.D., with the exception of students applying for the Teacher Scholar Doctoral Fellowship in their fifth year.

Students are also encouraged to look for other funding opportunities.

Dean's Scholarship

The intent of the Dean's Scholarships is to attract high caliber students to the University of Saskatchewan. These awards will be offered to students who:

• have outstanding academic records (a GPA of at least 85%);
• show research promise (authorship or co-authorship of a refereed journal publication or a conference presentation/publication for M.A.s; two journal publications or three conference presentations/publications for Ph.D.s); and
• are registering for the first time in a thesis or dissertation-based graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan.

The English department forwards applications on behalf of graduate students who qualify.

A Dean's Ph.D. Scholar will receive $22,000 annually for up to four years, contingent upon satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree and a GPA of at least 80%. A Dean's Master's Scholar will receive $18,000 per year for up to two years, contingent upon satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree. The second half of the funding envelope (year 2 for Master's Scholars, years 3 and 4 for Ph.D. Scholars) will also have associated service requirements, which may take the form of a research or teaching assistantship.

Students with a Dean’s Scholarships are encouraged to apply for national funding from the Tri-Council Funding Agencies (NSERC, SSRHC, and CIHR) if they are eligible. Students who are successful will be expected to take the national award and decline the Dean’s Scholarship. However, they will receive the following supplementary funding:

• an additional scholarship of $6,000 annually from the CGSR;
• if the Tri-Council Award is less than the Dean’s Scholarship, the student will receive a supplementary scholarship equal to the difference.

Preference will be given to Ph.D. applicants and students proposing to work with faculty who hold external (especially Tri-Council) funding or have held such funding in the recent past. For complete information on the Dean's Scholarship Program see the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies financial aid information.

Department of English Graduate Scholarships

All students accepted into the M.A. and Ph.D. programs are automatically considered for various funding packages. Graduate Scholarships or TAships in the department are valued at $16,908 (tenable for 1 year) for M.A. students and at $20,000/year (tenable for up to 4 years) for Ph.D. students in good standing. Most scholarships in English are partial scholarships, combined with partial Graduate Teaching Fellowships or other funds. A condition of a full scholarship is that the award holder must provide a minimum of four hours' service per week to the department through the regular session (September-April). At the outset of the award, the Graduate Chair assigns duties to the scholarship holder. These duties often involve collaborating with a faculty member as a teaching assistant (e.g., marking essays, consulting with students, and occasionally lecturing in a course taught by the faculty member) or research assistant (e.g., compiling bibliographies, providing computer support, collating texts, and reviewing areas of research).

Students receiving this funding must meet the minimum standard for first-class standing (M.A.: a GPA of 80%, equivalent to the U of S grading system, on the last two years of completed study or the last 60 credit units; Ph.D.: a GPA of 80%, equivalent to the U of S grading system, for their master’s degree). While holding the award, the student shall maintain registration as a full-time student, meeting all requirements for such status.

The College of Graduate Studies and the Department also fund a limited number of Education Equity Scholarships for applicants who identify themselves as having a disability, or being indigenous, or being from a visible minority. Applicants who feel they may qualify for these awards should notify the Chair of the Graduate Committee.

The Graduate Teaching Fellowship (GTF)

In May, the Graduate Committee selects students for the Graduate Teaching Fellowship, an award jointly funded by the College of Arts and Science and the College of Graduate Studies. For both M.A. and Ph.D. students, the value of this award begins at $16,908, $4,000 of which comes as a scholarship in the summer months. For Ph.D. students, the GTF is tenable during the first four years of the program. A holder of a full GTF must provide twelve hours of instruction per week during the regular session by assuming responsibility for tutorials in a first-year English class. Sometimes GTFs are split in half, and combined with scholarship funds into M.A or Ph.D. Funding Packages (see below). The Department currently offers between ten and twelve GTFs each year.

Other Awards

The University offers the following awards for graduate students in English. Click the award title for more information. 

JOEL AND LILLY GREEN MEMORIAL AWARD IN ENGLISH LITERATURE  
VALUE: Varies. No application required. For more information, contact the Administrative Support Group in the College of Arts and Science at asg.studentawards@usask.ca

RON GEORGE GRADUATE AWARD IN ENGLISH LITERATURE  
VALUE: Varies. No application required. For more information, contact the Administrative Support Group in the College of Arts and Science at asg.studentawards@usask.ca.

DR. EDWARD MCCOURT MEMORIAL AWARD IN ENGLISH 
VALUE: two annual awards of $500 
APPLY: Submit a statement and brief budget outlining travel and/or material costs for thesis or dissertation research to asg.studentawards@usask.ca. Selection will be based on the merits of the submitted documents, as determined by the Department of English Graduate Committee. For more information, contact the Administrative Support Group in the College of Arts and Science at asg.studentawards@usask.ca.

SCOTT TRUITT MEMORIAL BOOK PRIZE 
VALUE: $200 
APPLY: All first-year students are invited to submit a single essay, (or a re-edited version of that essay) that must be from a graduate class completed in Term 1 or from a full class in which they are currently registered. The deadline for this piece of first term work is January 15th annually to asg.studentawards@usask.ca. Selection will be based on the merits of the submitted essays, as determined by the Department of English Graduate Committee. For more information, contact the Administrative Support Group in the College of Arts and Science at asg.studentawards@usask.ca.

SUSAN WILLIGAR PRIZE IN ENGLISH 
VALUE: Varies. No application required. For more information, contact the Administrative Support Group in the College of Arts and Science at asg.studentawards@usask.ca.

MCCOURT MEMORIAL FELLOWSHIP 
VALUE: $2,000 
No application required. For more information, contact the Administrative Support Group in the College of Arts and Science at asg.studentawards@usask.ca.

KATHLEEN FRASER PRESCOTT DAYKIN SCHOLARSHIPS 
VALUE: three annual awards of $2000 
No application required. For more information, contact the Administrative Support Group in the College of Arts and Science at asg.studentawards@usask.ca.

HANTELMAN HUMANITIES SCHOLARSHIPS 
VALUE: Varies 
No application required. Nominations from the Department Graduate Chair are submitted by August 14th annually to the Director of Graduate Awards & Scholarships with the College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. For more information, contact the Administrative Support Group in the College of Arts and Science at asg.studentawards@usask.ca.

 

THE ELIZABETH BREWSTER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP 
VALUE: Varies 
No application required. Graduate students in the MFA in Writing program are recognized for these scholarships. For more information, contact the Administrative Support Group in the College of Arts and Science at asg.studentawards@usask.ca.

 

MACKENZIE SCHOLARSHIP 
VALUE: $2000 
No application required. For more information, clontact the Administrative Support Group in the College of Arts and Science at asg.studentawards@usask.ca.

 

Employment

Qualified graduate students in the Department of English also have the opportunity to be employed as Writing Center tutors. Writing Centre tutorships normally involve six hours per week of work in the regular session, valued at $2,600 per term.

M.A. Funding Packages

Most M.A. students are funded at some level during their first year of study. However, we do not guarantee funding for M.A. students.

1. Full GTF Package (approximately $17,000): work assignment consists of one Tutorial Leader Position.
2. Alternative Package (between approximately $2,500 and $17,000): consists of a combination of funds possibly including one-half Graduate Teaching Fellowship, supplemented by a MacKenzie, Daykin, Prescott, Green Scholarship, or a Writing Centre assignment.

All eligible students are expected to apply for SSHRC Master's Fellowships, valued at $17,500.

Ph.D. Funding Packages

Ph.D. students are funded at some level for the first four years of study. Graduate Scholarships or TAships in the department are valued at $20,000 per year (tenable for up to 4 years) for Ph.D. students in good standing. Like the M.A. funding packages described above, these may comprise a full GTF package or alternative package. All eligible students are expected to apply for SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships, valued at $20,000.

Other Funding Sources

Finally, the College of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Students' Association offer bursaries to students in particular need. Graduate students in English are also eligible for Graduate Service Fellowships, and some scholarships and grants administered by the College or by agencies outside the university. For more information about funding see the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the Graduate Awards database for financial aid information. The Department provides further information about externally funded scholarships as it becomes available.