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Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS)

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Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) are breaking the boundaries of conventional wisdom and pursuing research that tackles our most challenging issues. They’re shaping the future. You can, too.

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Graduate Students

GPS is home to more than 8,400 graduate students in 500+ graduate programs and 170+ doctoral programs in 300 research areas.

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Postdoctoral Fellows and Visitors

With more than 600 postdoctoral fellows, we are the largest postdoctoral community in Canada.

Postdoc Resources + Services
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  • Top 5

    The University of Alberta is a
    Top 5 University in Canada.

  • 160 Countries

    Our graduate students represent more than
    160 countries.

  • $54.9M

    GPS administered $54.9M in graduate student funding in 2022-23.

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Tuition + Fees
Scholarships + Awards
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Giving

With your help, GPS is pushing the boundaries on what it means to be a graduate student. From funding awards and scholarships that advance world-changing research to funding important programs that support graduate student career preparedness and mental health, your gift makes a difference.

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Professional Development

Grow your network, explore opportunities and build a plan for your future.

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Events

Stay up to date with upcoming events and announcements at GPS.

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Policies + Procedures

As the home faculty of the U of A’s graduate students, we oversee the policies that enable them to pursue academically rigorous studies in a just and equitable environment.

Minimum Guaranteed Funding for PhD Students

Minimum guaranteed funding for PhD students at the University of Alberta will begin Fall 2025. This initiative commits us to set our students up for individual success and to support their continued impact on our research, education and engagement missions at the U of A. 

Read about GPS’ commitment to doctoral students and programs, the operating standard that describes the way in which we will meet this commitment and what’s next.

Find out more »

In The News

Moving beyond meds to improve mental health care
Research, Health And Wellness
Moving beyond meds to improve mental health care
Nursing PhD grad Kate Melino seeks ways to address the root causes of mental illness for her most vulnerable patients.
June 09, 2025
Research helps rural communities look to their dark skies for tourism potential
Business, Society and Culture, Research
Research helps rural communities look to their dark skies for tourism potential
Case study of the popular Jasper festival reveals lessons for realizing opportunities while avoiding pitfalls.
June 05, 2025
‘Definitive test’ finds exercise a potent weapon against colon cancer
Science and Technology, Health And Wellness, Research
‘Definitive test’ finds exercise a potent weapon against colon cancer
International clinical trial shows that a structured exercise program after surgery and chemotherapy improves odds of survival and lowers risk of cancer coming back.
June 02, 2025
U of A professor emeritus joins ranks of Newton, Darwin in Royal Society
Society and Culture, Science and Technology, Research
U of A professor emeritus joins ranks of Newton, Darwin in Royal Society
Mark Lewis earns the rare honour for his collaborative research using mathematical models to unlock the complexity of biological systems.
May 28, 2025
Plant partnership: fungi help spruce trees fight off budworm attacks
Science and Technology, Research
Plant partnership: fungi help spruce trees fight off budworm attacks
New study could help researchers and industry boost forest resilience by taking advantage of natural symbiosis.
May 23, 2025
Harnessing AI to improve access to quality health care
Health And Wellness, Research, Science and Technology
Harnessing AI to improve access to quality health care
U of A’s new interdisciplinary AI + Health Hub aims to turn research into solutions for everything from disease diagnosis to hospital management and drug discovery.
May 20, 2025
North American boreal forest holds 31 per cent more trees than thought
Research, Science and Technology
North American boreal forest holds 31 per cent more trees than thought
New AI-enhanced estimate suggests the vast forests may have more potential to mitigate climate change.
May 13, 2025
U of A launches new centre to fuel a hydrogen-powered future
Research, Society and Culture, Science and Technology
U of A launches new centre to fuel a hydrogen-powered future
Centre for Hydrogen Innovation, Workforce Development and Outreach will focus Alberta’s expertise to advance technologies, train future leaders and engage with communities.
May 05, 2025
How playoff beards grew from Swedish roots to hockey tradition
Society and Culture, Research
How playoff beards grew from Swedish roots to hockey tradition
Other cultural norms emerge, spread and even transform in much the same way, says anthropologist.
April 29, 2025
Splitting water molecules with sunlight
Science and Technology
Splitting water molecules with sunlight
The process to produce hydrogen fuel could become a cheaper and more efficient path to a clean energy future than existing solar technologies.
April 24, 2025
The smoke is back. What does that mean for our health?
Health And Wellness, Science and Technology, Research
The smoke is back. What does that mean for our health?
Consecutive years of wildfire smoke exposure compound the dangers, says U of A expert who offers advice on how to protect ourselves.
June 06, 2025
Shaped by community
Society and Culture, Research
Shaped by community
With an education in Indigenous governance, Marc Jr. Doire is on a path to supporting his nation and serving as a role model for others to follow.
June 04, 2025
Decades of research lead to kidney transplant breakthrough
Health And Wellness, Research
Decades of research lead to kidney transplant breakthrough
A discovery 51 years in the making could lead to new treatments to prevent organ rejection.
May 29, 2025
Cheeky discovery: scientists identify previously unknown soft tissue structure in dinosaurs
Science and Technology, Research
Cheeky discovery: scientists identify previously unknown soft tissue structure in dinosaurs
“Exoparia” challenges existing knowledge of dinosaur anatomy — and highlights limitations of relying on their modern relatives for reconstruction.
May 27, 2025
Video spotlight: Birds, beasts and mythical animals come to life in U of A exhibition
Society and Culture
Video spotlight: Birds, beasts and mythical animals come to life in U of A exhibition
Decorative rank badges worn by civil and military officials reveal insights into Chinese culture during the Qing dynasty.
May 22, 2025
Family doctors’ research answers critical questions that ‘otherwise don’t get asked’
Health And Wellness, Research
Family doctors’ research answers critical questions that ‘otherwise don’t get asked’
First studies by Pragmatic Trials Collaborative settle the controversy over when it’s best to take blood pressure meds.
May 15, 2025
Meet eight nurses transforming health for the better
Research, Health And Wellness
Meet eight nurses transforming health for the better
From small-town Alberta to around the world, these experts, educators and carers are making a positive difference.
May 12, 2025
Study tackles challenge of Canada’s family farming legacy
Health And Wellness, Society and Culture, Business
Study tackles challenge of Canada’s family farming legacy
As a historic generational shift looms, researchers look at how to help farmers plan for succession.
May 01, 2025
U of A research opens doors of access to youth mental health services
Science and Technology, Business, Research, Society and Culture, Health And Wellness
U of A research opens doors of access to youth mental health services
Students and researchers contribute to cross-Canada study that has changed service delivery for the better.
April 28, 2025
All-out approach needed to curb chronic wasting disease ‘hotspots’ on farms, study suggests
Science and Technology, Research
All-out approach needed to curb chronic wasting disease ‘hotspots’ on farms, study suggests
Removing access to some but not all food attractants could increase the risk of transmission of the fatal disease among mule deer.
April 23, 2025
Building the city of tomorrow
Research, Business, Society and Culture
Building the city of tomorrow
U of A business school taps leading expert to envision new solutions to urban challenges — starting with Edmonton.
June 05, 2025
‘It literally saved my life’: Edmonton Protocol celebrates 25 years of success
Health And Wellness, Research
‘It literally saved my life’: Edmonton Protocol celebrates 25 years of success
The U of A’s islet transplantation program has revolutionized diabetes treatment — and researchers continue the quest to improve its life-changing impact for patients.
June 03, 2025
The science behind the surge in northern lights
Research, Society and Culture, Science and Technology
The science behind the surge in northern lights
Experts explain how explosive events on the sun lead to dazzling displays in the night sky — and offer tips on how to get the best view.
May 28, 2025
Mixed reality glasses give ‘the whole world back’ to people with partial vision loss
Health And Wellness, Research
Mixed reality glasses give ‘the whole world back’ to people with partial vision loss
Ophthalmologist and team create software to partially restore peripheral vision for people affected by stroke and other brain injuries.
May 26, 2025
Deepest ice core in the Americas drilled in Canadian Arctic
Research, Science and Technology
Deepest ice core in the Americas drilled in Canadian Arctic
613-metre-long ice core and three shallower cores set to unlock ancient climate secrets.
May 21, 2025
Uncovering ‘silent’ species losses key for conservation efforts: study
Research, Science and Technology
Uncovering ‘silent’ species losses key for conservation efforts: study
To get the most accurate view of biodiversity, we need to look beyond what’s there and find out what’s missing, says plant ecologist.
May 14, 2025
Genomics could hold the key to stroke risk, U of A researchers say
Science and Technology, Research, Health And Wellness
Genomics could hold the key to stroke risk, U of A researchers say
Two leading experts will examine how genes interact with environmental factors like diet and exercise in the hunt for biomarkers to better predict, diagnose and treat the disease.
May 08, 2025
Exercise app could bridge access gap for cancer survivors in rural and remote communities
Research, Health And Wellness, Science and Technology
Exercise app could bridge access gap for cancer survivors in rural and remote communities
An app with personalized features could offer much-needed support for survivors to improve their health, study suggests.
April 30, 2025
From Edmonton to CERN and back: U of A physicists land Breakthrough Prize
Science and Technology, Research
From Edmonton to CERN and back: U of A physicists land Breakthrough Prize
U of A researchers recognized for decades of key contributions to the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider.
April 24, 2025
New guidelines include option for medication, surgery for pediatric obesity
Health And Wellness, Research
New guidelines include option for medication, surgery for pediatric obesity
Evidence should be the basis for decision-making conversations between families and health care providers, U of A expert says.
April 22, 2025