Prospective Students

Graduate Student Funding

The Department of Physics at Simon Fraser University guarantees funding to all incoming graduate students. The overall graduate stipend for the current academic year is:

  • MSc Students: $26,250 per annum
  • PhD Students: $28,750 per annum

These annual stipends are guaranteed for two years to entering MSc students, four years to entering PhD students, and five years (from the point of graduate admission) to students who transfer from the MSc to the PhD program. Student stipends include contributions from scholarships, teaching assistantships (TAs), and graduate research stipend (GRS). The guarantee is subject to satisfactory degree progress and TA performance.

The Department of Physics differentiates between scholarships that are incorporated into annual graduate stipend amounts and those awarded in addition to annual stipend funding (see Awards page). The department places no limits on the amount of scholarship funding that a student may receive provided that the total does not surpass the SFU limit of $50,000 of scholarship support per academic year. SFU Physics guarantees no additional RA or TA support for students receiving scholarship funding beyond its NSERC CGS-M (MSc) and PGS-D (PhD) stipend levels.*

In the case where scholarship funding falls below NSERC stipend levels set by the department, additional departmental support in the form of RAs or TAs is limited to the amount of the difference.  Additional support (if required) must first come in the form of an RA up to a value of one-third of the annual stipend amount, with the rest being made up in the form of TAs or RAs to be determined in consultation with the student’s supervisor.

*Multi-Year Funding (MYF) and the NSERC CGS-D awards have specific stipend levels associated with them. The funding policy is adjusted in accordance with these higher stipend levels.

Typical Annual Funding - MSc Students

 

MSc Regular Stipend Funding: $26,250 per annum

Funding Source Year 1 Year 2
Teaching or Graduate Research Stipend (TA/GRS)  $19,250  $26,250
Special Graduate Entrance Scholarship  $7,000  $0
Total  $26,250  $26,250

Awards may be subject to factors such as satisfactory program performance, and entering with and maintaining a CGPA of 3.50 or above.

MSc NSERC CGS-M Stipend Funding: $30,250 per annum 

MSc NSERC CGS-M award holders will be topped up to $30,250 per annum.

MSc Graduate Dean's Entrance Scholarship (GDES) Funding: $30,250 per annum

Graduate Dean's Entrance Scholarship (GDES) award holders will be topped up to $30,250 per annum.

Typical Stipend Scenarios - PhD

PhD Regular Stipend Funding: $28,750 per annum

Funding Source Years 1 - 4
Teaching or Graduate Research Stipend (TA/GRS) $25,250
Graduate Fellowship $3,500
Total $28,750

Awards may be subject to factors such as satisfactory program performance, and entering with and maintaining a CGPA of 3.50 or above.

PhD NSERC PGS-D Funding: $33,750 per annum (during period of the award)

PhD NSERC PGS-D award holders will be topped up to $33,750 per annum.

PhD NSERC CGS-D Funding: $36,750 per annum

PhD NSERC CGS-D award holders will be topped up to $36,750 per annum.

Graduate Dean's Entrance Scholarship (GDES): $33,750 per annum

PhD Graduate Dean's Entrance Scholarship (GDES) award holders will be topped up to $33,750 per annum.

Graduate Tuition and Fees

Students must pay tuition fees every semester. International students pay the same rate as domestic students. Total annual costs for the first year of a graduate research program including extended health care coverage break down as follows (note that tuition and fees are subject to change, for the most up-to-date information please consult SFU's Academic Calendar):

Graduate Tuition and Fees

Fee
Per Term Annual Total
Tuition* $2,025.60 $6,076.80
Student Activity Fee $75.37 $226.11
Student Services Fee $49.99 $149.97
Recreation and Athletic Fee $83.27 $249.81
Universal Transit Pass   $176.80 $530.40
Graduate Extended Health and Dental Plan Varies per term $920.92
Total $2718.00
$8,154.01

Fees are current as of September 2022.

*Note that tuition fees decrease by 50% for MSc students after six semesters and for PhD students after eight semesters. MSc students who transfer into the PhD program will receive this tuition reduction eight semesters after entering the MSc program.

Additional Fees (Applicable to first year of program)

In the first term of your program the following additional fees may be applied:

Fee Per Term Total
Graduation Fee

$12.00 - Charged in each of first 3 terms

$36.00

International Student Medical Insurance(International Students Only)

$281.00
 

Entrance Scholarships 

Entrance Scholarships Information