Financial support for new PhD students in Physics and Geophysics
The total annual support package for students holding assistantships in the Department of Physics varies depending on the program and whether or not the student holds a major scholarship. As of the 2026–2027 academic year, funding for a full-time PhD student in Physics is approximately $33,696 CAD. Typically, this funding increases by 1% annually.
If requested, basic financial support from the Department and from students' research supervisors includes:
- Graduate Teaching Assistantship (TA) and/or Graduate Research Assistant Fellowship (GRAF), usually granted over 4 terms each year, September-December, January-April, May-June, July-August.
For the 2026–2027 academic year, the faculty provides $1,000 CAD in tuition remission for international students, and the supervisor is required to cover a minimum of an additional $1,000 CAD.
Please note that students are responsible for paying their tuition and other fees. No departmental financial support will be provided to part-time students.
Typical Funding, 2024-2025
Typical funding for full-time PhD students is below and is determined by whether or not a student has a scholarship. Not all major scholarships are listed. We offer funding packages for students with mayor scholarships, such as CONACYT, CSC or Vanier. Contact us for more information.
|
If a Student comes with--> |
no scholarship1 | AGES2 | Golden Bell Jar3 |
| fall TA and/or GRAF | 11,040 | 0/11,040 | 5,520 |
| winter TA/GRAF | 11,040 | 11,040/0 | 5,520 |
| summer GRAF | 11,040 | 11,040 | 5,520 |
| AGES | 12,000 | ||
| Golden Bell Jar | 18,000 | ||
|
first-year stipend |
33,120 | 34,080 | 34,560 |
|
If a Student comes with--> |
Alberta Innovates4 |
NSERC CGSD |
AI + CGSD |
| fall TA and/or GRAF | 5,520/0 | 0 | 0 |
| winter TA/GRAF | 0/5,520 | 0 | 0 |
| summer GRAF | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NSERC CGSD | 40,000 | 40,000 | |
| $2K scholarship; top-up to NSERC CGSD5 | 2,000 | 2,000 | |
| President's Doctoral Prize of Distinction (PDPD) | 7,100 | 7,100 | |
| Alberta Innovates | 31,000 | 12,000 | |
|
first-year stipend |
36,520 |
49,100 |
61,100 |
1Students will receive a full TA (192h) in fall and winter semesters and a full GRAF in the summer.
4Students are offered a a half TA (96h) TA in fall or winter semester
5Awarded to any new graduate student entering a PhD program who has won a NSERC CGSD
The commitment for financial support from the Department is for a student's first year of residence. Students can, however, expect support through teaching and/or research assistantships to be extended through the normal duration of their programs as long as they are making satisfactory progress toward their degree and in their tasks as a graduate assistant. For an PhD student, the maximum period of guaranteed financial support is 5 years for students entering with only an undergraduate degree, 4 years for students entering with a graduate degree or post-graduate studies.
We encourage students to apply for all scholarships and fellowships for which they are eligible.
- Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada apply for NSERC scholarships in October.
- International and Canadian students doing research in nanoscale physics, biophysics, or energy can apply for Alberta Innovates graduate student scholarships before being admitted to University of Alberta.
Information on this page is subject to change without notice.