The School of Kinesiology and Health Studies offers guaranteed funding commitments for all full-time, funding eligible graduate students. These commitments are confirmed when graduate students are offered admission into our program.
Funding Packages at SKHS
All full-time master's students receive a guaranteed minimum funding package of $16,000 per year for their first 2 years of study.
All full-time doctoral students receive a guaranteed minimum funding package of $23,000 per year for their first 4 years of study.
Our graduate funding packages include funding from a number of sources, including:
Internal Awards or Fellowships: The most common Queen’s-based award is the Queen’s Graduate Award.
Teaching Assistantships (TAs) or Teaching Fellowships (TFs): employment-based funding opportunities to apply and teach skills in undergraduate courses.
Research Assistantships (RAs): Employment-based funding opportunities to assist with faculty research.
Graduate Research Fellowships (GRFs): Funding, usually from a student’s supervisor, dedicated for students to complete research activities related to their own thesis or research project.
External Awards or Fellowships: Students are expected to apply for the competitive merit-based awards: Tri-Council Graduate Scholarships and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.
Funding Eligibility
SKHS graduate students must meet the following requirements to be eligible for a funding package:
- Guaranteed minimums apply to full-time master’s students registered in years 1-2 of their degree OR to full-time doctoral students registered in years 1-4 of their degree.
- Eligible graduate students must remain in good academic standing.
FAQ
Is tuition covered as part of a student's funding package?
No, tuition and ancillary fees are not included or paid for by the university as part of the funding package. Students must pay tuition and fees from their funding, savings, and/or other income.
Can graduate students apply for OSAP?
Yes, eligible graduate students can apply for the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), including the non-repayable grant portion of OSAP. To learn more about OSAP, review our OSAP website.
What if a graduate student exceeds their funding-eligible period?
Graduate students can work with their supervisors and graduate programs to secure additional funding for part or all of the remainder of their studies after they have exceed their funding eligibility period. This funding typically involves employment in the form of a TA, RA, and TF positions. At the discretion of supervisors and graduate programs, students may also receive funding in the form of GRFs or internal/external awards, including the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.
Who should graduate students talk to about funding?
Students can discuss funding with their supervisor. Having open conversations about funding with your supervisor, even before you decide to come to Queen’s, is critical. The Setting Expectations: A Resource Guidebook for Graduate Students and Supervisors can help you navigate conversations with your supervisor about funding as well as other important topics related to graduate studies.
The SKHS Graduate Program Coordinator can also help answer your questions, help you interpret your funding letter, and guide you to other funding resources on campus.
What is the cost of living in Kingston, and how do graduate students manage their finances while studying?
The cost of living in Kingston, like in many cities across Canada, has increased in recent years. Graduate students can access the School of Graduate Studies' Graduate Funding Guide for information about the costs of living in Kingston, budget templates, and other resources.
All eligible SKHS graduate students are required to apply for Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS). Applications are due March 1 of each year. Applications will be used to nominate students for internal Queen’s Awards and Fellowships.
Eligible applicants:
- Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada*
- Enrolled in an eligible post-secondary institution in Ontario in 2024-25
- Enrolled full-time an eligible graduate program in 2024-25
- Applicants entering first or second year of graduate studies at the time of application must have an A- average in each of the last two completed years of full-time study.
- Applicants entering the third year and beyond of graduate studies at the time of application must have an overall average of A- on all graduate courses completed.
* Visa Students. Foreign students who are studying in Ontario under a temporary resident visa – student study permit, under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) are eligible for the allotted visa student awards. There will be a separate competition for visa students.
Scholarship value:
$15,000 for one academic year, paid out in 3 equal installments.
Tri-council (CIHR, SSHRC, NSERC) Awards
The Tri-Council is comprised of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
These prestigious awards provide significant funding for student research at Queen’s. All eligible SKHS graduate students are expected to apply for Tri-Council funding. Applications are due in October (PhD) and December (MA/MSc) of each year.
Detailed information about applying can be found on each agency’s website.
The University recognizes the success of those who receive Tri-Council awards by offering Tri-Agency Recipient Recognition Awards of $5,000 to incoming Master’s students and $10,000 to incoming PhD students (both one-time payments). The Awards and Financial Assistance section of the Academic Calendar provides further information.
Queen's Internal Fellowships, Scholarships, and Awards
Thanks to the generosity of university benefactors, Queen’s offers numerous opportunities to graduate students to receive internal fellowships, scholarships, and awards. A list of these can be found on the Internal Awards and Financial Assistance page within the Graduate Calendar. Be aware that some are discipline specific.
When graduate students submit their applications to the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, they are automatically considered for these internal award opportunities.
Conference Travel Awards
Each year, the School of Graduate Studies allocates a lump sum of Conference Travel Award funding to our department based on a two-year average of student enrolments. This funding is typically around $7,000 and is allocated to students per the SKHS Graduate Student Conference Funding Policy. Graduate students receive details and application materials during the Fall and Winter terms.
Graduate Dean's Travel Grant for Doctoral Field Research
The Graduate Dean’s Travel Grant for Doctoral Field Research is a competitive award for doctoral students pursuing dissertation research at a considerable distance from Queen’s. The maximum value of the award is $3,000. Graduate students receive details and application materials approximately 8 weeks prior to the annual competition deadline.
Emergency and Needs-Based Funding
Queen’s has a variety of programs to support graduate students who encounter financial difficulty. Funding resources and programs available to graduate students in need, include:
- SGSPA Funding, Awards, Scholarships and Bursaries (See Emergency and Needs-based funding)
- Queen’s General Bursary
- Queen’s Emergency Assistance
- Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre Financial Assistance
- Ban Righ Centre Financial Assistance
- Society of Graduate and Professional Students Bursaries
- PSAC 901 Bursaries
- Queen’s University Student Awards