Student Finances

The Department of Chemistry at Western offers stipends that are competitive with other Canadian universities. Your dollar also goes further at Western: the cost of living is substantially lower in London than in other cities, and your tuition also includes a year-round bus pass valued at approximately $880.

Stipends vary according to whether you are a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant, or an international student, as outlined below.

Canadian Students or Landed Immigrants

If you are a Canadian citizen or have been granted Canadian landed immigrant status, then you fall into this general category. To receive the indicated stipends, non-scholarship students perform two TA units, while scholarship students perform either one unit or no units (see Program Information for TA details). The tuition and fees include a year-round, London transit pass valued at $880.

Outstanding domestic and international applicants for a graduate program in physical chemistry are eligible to receive a Christian Sivertz Scholarship worth $3500. The Graduate Admissions Coordinator of the Chemistry Department will select awardees based on grades and supporting information in their application file, and all physical chemistry applicants will be considered, there is no need to apply. The Sivertz Scholarship is in addition to all stipends listed below.

1. All Non-scholarship students

As of September 1, 2018, we guarantee a highly competitive, minimum stipend of $26,381 for both M.Sc. (2 years maximum) and Ph.D.(4 years maximum). Students are required to perform two TA units (280 hours/year) included in the stipend.

2. OGS or OGSST holders

For holders of Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) or Ontario Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (OGSST). Students are responsible for tuition fees.
Funding Available Amount
OGS or QEII Graduate Scholarship
$15,000
One unit of TA
 $6672.85 (includes 4% vacation pay)
Scholarship
$6500 ($2167/term)

3. Canada Graduate Scholarship Master's holders

For holders of CGS Master's scholarships.
Funding Available Amount
CGS Master's Scholarship
$17,500
Western Graduate Tuition Scholarship (New awards as of May 2017)
current tuition fee
One unit of TA
 $6672.85
Scholarship (One time payment)
 $2,000

4. NSERC Postgraduate Doctoral holders

For holders of NSERC PGS Doctoral scholarships.
Funding Available Amount
NSERC PGS Doctoral Scholarship
$21,000
Western Graduate Tuition Scholarship (does not extend after department funding ends)
current tuition fee
One unit of TA
 $6672.85

5. Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral holders

For holders of CGS Doctoral Scholarships. These students will not have any TA responsibilities allowing more time to concentrate on completing thesis work.
Funding Available Amount
CGS Doctoral Scholarship
$35,000
Western Graduate Tuition Scholarship (does not extend after department funding ends)
current tuition fee
No TA required
 $0

International Students

Every international student accepted into our program (M.Sc. or Ph.D.), that does not have funding from their home country,  will be offered a yearly stipend of $26,381/year. Part of this money comes from our department's research funds and part of it comes from your duty to serve as a Teaching Assistant (TA) supervising undergraduate teaching labs for 280 hours/year. The stipend provides a monthly salary of approximately $2200 before deductions. This money is paid to you at the end of each month however, tuition fees are due the first week of each term (September, January, and May) therefore, it is important to make sure you have enough funds to pay your tuition and living expenses for the first term when you begin your program.

The exact tuition fees for each year are posted on the registrar's office website. Click on "Fee & Refund Schedule". Beginning September 1, 2018, international Ph.D. students will pay domestic fees plus UHIP. M.Sc. students will be charged international fees, however, the department will pay an international scholarship, which decreases tuition to approximately the same as domestic fees plus UHIP.

Please note that fees are higher in the Fall as they include health and dental as noted on the Office of the Registrar's website under tuition fees.

International students interested in pursuing graduate studies should be aware that external scholarship programs also exist:

As one of Canada's leading research institutions, we place great importance in helping you finance your education. While at Western, you will want to devote your full energy to the successful completion of your studies, so we want to ensure that stable funding is available to you.

Some funding is awarded to you upon entry into a program, some are based on recommendations from the program that is admitting you, and others you must apply for yourself, either to The University of Western Ontario or to an external funding agency.

There are two main types of funding available to graduate students:

  • Western Funding - Provided directly by department, faculty, or the University, these types of funding are distributed to students on a term by term basis.

  • External Funding - Awarded by federal, provincial, and private agencies, to students who apply for scholarships and awards in annual competitions to support graduate study the following academic year. Major scholarship competitions are run through the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Students for the 2+2 Ph.D. Program

Domestic or international students admitted into the "2+2" joint Ph.D. program of Soochow University – Western University Centre for Synchrotron Radiation Research will receive a maximum of 4 years of financial support from both Western University and Soochow University. When the students are at Western, the finance structure will be the same as other domestic or international students in regular Chemistry graduate programs as described above. In addition, the student will receive $10,000 CAD per year from Soochow University in lieu of TA/RAship while studying at Western. The student will receive 50,000 Chinese Yuan (~$10,000 CAD) per year when studying in Soochow. Students will pay only one tuition to one university at any time. The fee schedule when studying at Western is the same as other domestic or international students here.