Make the most of the financial resources available to you as a UBC graduate student.
Support for graduate students in the Department of English Language and Literatures is provided through a combination of internal and government awards (eligibility for the latter varies), teaching assistantships, and research assistantships.
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS) considers all program applications for financial aid; you do not require a separate application.
G+PS provides financial aid through scholarships, tuition awards, and scholarship top-ups. Funding is awarded based on academic excellence and is open to all domestic and international graduate students.
Teaching and Academic Assistantships
Teaching assistants (TAs) work 12 hours per week for each 16-week term, running discussion groups once a week and marking assignments and exams.
Graduate students apply for teaching assistantships in each term and are entitled to reappointment according to the following schedule:
- PhD students have preference over new hires for 4 years after their first year of employment
- MA students have preference over new hires for 1 year after their first year of employment
All TA appointments and preference considerations are contingent upon departmental budgets.
Only incoming students accepted on a full-time basis and with full standing and continuing full-time students progressing at the accepted rate will be eligible for teaching assistantships. Candidacy PhD students may hold partial sessional lectureships.
Many faculty members hire part-time graduate academic assistants (GAAs) to do library and database research, proofreading, editing, web design, conference planning, obtaining permissions, etc. Students interested in assisting with faculty research should upload their credentials via the RA and research skills database and are encouraged to approach faculty members with overlapping interests about possible employment.
Funding Opportunities
You will be eligible for fellowships, scholarships, awards and prizes from the Department of English Language and Literatures when you submit your application to our graduate programs.
Students wishing to receive additional funding to support their studies are encouraged to review the following funding options.
Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Graduate Student Travel Fund
Provides travel support of a maximum of $500 once in the course of a graduate program to graduate students who present a paper or poster at an official conference or symposium (student workshops are excluded).
Department of English Graduate Students' Travel Fund
Provides travel support up to $500 once in the course of a graduate program to support a student presenting a paper at a conference or travelling for research purposes (for example, to a library or other archive). Students should have already applied for the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies' travel funding to be eligible. The English department travel funding form is available from the graduate office.
Shakespeare Research Travel Fund
The travel fund supports students doing advanced research at libraries and other research institutions around the world. The fund is made possible by a generous donation to the UBC English department. Only PhD students in English are eligible. Students can claim flight, accommodation, per diem, and other travel expenses.