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Awards and Financial Support

University Entrance Scholarships

A number of Graduate Entrance Scholarships are available to students who have demonstrated exceptional academic excellence. The competition for these awards is university-wide and very intense. The value of the awards varies.

Graduate Fellowships and Master of Publishing Private Awards

The Master of Publishing program offers Graduate Fellowships and named awards to students enrolled in the program. Named awards include:

The value of graduate fellowships range from $3,500 to $7,000. The value of private awards listed above varies. Students enrolled in the MPub program may apply for all but the University Entrance Scholarships during their first semester of study. Criteria include financial need, academic excellence, and, most important, performance in the program.

Application Process

All applicants to the program are automatically considered for entrance awards (including special graduate entrance awards), private awards, scholarships and fellowships. There is no separate application process.

Successful applicants will be informed if they are being offered an award/scholarship/fellowship in the admission offer.

During the course of the program there will be further opportunity for admitted students to apply for awards/scholarships/fellowships on a semesterly basis. During these times —September and January— students are informed of the process at September orientation and again during the spring semester.

A minimum GPA of 3.50 (roughly A-) is required for consideration.

Awards Criteria

The Master of Publishing program provides a number of financial awards to students, some from private donations that are designated for students in the MPub program and some allocated by the university to the program from general university funds. Because this program is a professional program, every attempt is made to assess potential for professional performance. Thus, in allocating awards, grades, experience, and workplace performance are assessed by the Graduate Awards Committee. At the same time, criteria specified by donors are adhered to, as are university policies in respect of fairness to all.

A further overriding principle that the program uses in considering student applications for awards is the spreading of funds as widely as possible among qualified applicants. Therefore, qualified students will normally be eligible for only one graduate fellowship (maximum $7,000.00) unless there are more awards in a given year than qualified applicants. Similarly, major awards granted to students outside the control of the program, and research assistantships, will be considered in the allocation of awards within the context of the applicant’s record of past academic achievement, experience, performance in the program, and spreading financial resources. Generally, a limited number of graduate fellowships are allocated as entrance fellowships with the remainder being awarded after one full semester in the program. No minimum funding is guaranteed to incoming applicants.

Students should note that the policy of the program is that students commit to full-time attendance while courses are in session. Voluntary leaves of absence, for reasons other than medical or other recognized emergency, will result in a student not being eligible for financial awards.

Other Options for Financial Assistance

Student Loans

Applicants to the MPub program may apply for student loans, which are awarded on the basis of financial need. Canadian students must apply through the province in which they live at the time of application. Deadlines are tight, and we recommend that loan applications be submitted early in the spring. Foreign students are not eligible for Canada Student Loans.

For details, contact SFU Student Services, Financial Aid and Awards: http://www.sfu.ca/students/financialaid.html#grad

Bursaries

Bursaries are grants; they do not need to be repaid. For details, contact SFU Student Services, Financial Aid and Awards: http://www.sfu.ca/students/financialaid.html#grad

Research and Teaching Assistance

From time to time, the Master of Publishing program has opportunities for students to work on special research projects for modest remuneration. If you have been accepted into the program and you are interested in research work, inform the Program Advisor when the course begins in September.

The Publishing program offers an undergraduate curriculum. All TA postings are advertised on the SFU Human Resources website at: http://www.sfu.ca/human-resources/tssu.html

It is recommended that MPub students not TA for the first two semesters of the program.

Outside Employment

Applicants to the MPub program should note that the curriculum is intensive: you will be working 40 to 60 hours per week on coursework and projects. Hands-on publishing projects are completed in small groups, which often meet outside normal classroom hours. Students must be prepared to devote their full energy to the program. Please keep this in mind when considering outside employment.

For more information:

Phone: 778.782.5242
Email: pub-info@sfu.ca