Categories: University Application 2025

Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s program 2023

High-caliber scholars enrolled in a Canadian master’s or, in some cases, doctoral program are supported financially by the Canada Graduate Scholarships Masters Program. These scholars are able to fully focus on their studies in their chosen subjects because to this assistance. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council together run the CGS M program, which provides funding for up to 3,000 students annually across all disciplines (SSHRC). Under the direction of the three agencies, the institutional level manages the selection procedure and post-award administration. Students use the Research Portal to submit their application to the organization where they want to hold their award. The goal of the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s (CGS M) program is to support students who have achieved highly in their undergraduate and early graduate studies while also assisting in the development of research capabilities and the training of highly competent professionals.

Degree Level

An eligible graduate program must include a significant research component that leads to the completion of a thesis, major research project, dissertation, scholarly publication, performance, recital and/or exhibit that is merit/expert-reviewed at the institutional level as a requirement for completion of the program.
Joint programs with a professional degree (for example, MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/MA, JD/PhD, MBA/PhD, MA/MBA) as well as clinically oriented programs of study, including clinical psychology, are eligible if they have a significant autonomous research component, as described above.
Master’s programs that are based only on course work are typically not eligible since they do not include a significant research component, as described above.
Given the specific requirements of certain disciplines, institutions are invited to contact the appropriate agency for guidance on the eligibility of programs of study.
Without exception, CGS M awards are tenable only at eligible Canadian institutions.

Available Subjects

All Subjects

Scholarship Benefits

High-caliber scholars enrolled in a Canadian master’s or, in some cases, doctoral program are supported financially by the Canada Graduate Scholarships Masters Program.
These scholars are able to fully focus on their studies in their chosen subjects because to this assistance.

Eligible Nationalities

Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) as of the application deadline date

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply, you must:

be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) as of the application deadline date
be enrolled in, have applied for or will apply for full-time admission* to an eligible graduate program at the master’s or doctoral level at a Canadian institution with a CGS M allocation
respect the internal deadline to apply for admission for your intended program of study—contact the faculty of graduate studies (or its equivalent) at the selected Canadian institution(s) for more detailed information
have completed, as of December 31 of the year of application
either between 0 and 12 months of full-time studies (or full-time equivalent) in the program for which you are requesting funding,** which may be one of the following:
a master’s program
a doctoral program that you are entering directly from a bachelor’s program without having ever been enrolled in any graduate programs (direct-entry)
a combined master’s-doctoral program
a master’s program that will transition to an eligible doctoral program, either before or after award activation, with no master’s degree conferred (fast-track)
a master’s program for which the degree requirements will be completed before the end of the award, allowing the award to continue into an eligible doctoral program
or between 4 and 12 months of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in an eligible master’s program for which the degree requirements will be completed before activation of the award, allowing it to be activated during the first 12 months of the subsequent doctoral program for which you are requesting funding
not have held or be currently holding a CGS M scholarship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC
have achieved a first-class average, as determined by the host institution, in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent)

Important Notice

Contact your preferred host institutions to learn how they utilize this eligibility criterion; universities may, at their discretion, accept CGS M applications from those who have not earned a first-class average.
You may only submit one scholarship (master’s or doctorate) or fellowship application to CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC each academic year.
If more than one application is filed, only the first chronologically eligible submission will be kept.
Nominations to the This link will take you to another Web site Vanier CGS program and applications to the Le lien suivant vous amène à un autre site Web Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program do not count toward this limit (other exceptions may apply to CIHR internships)

Application Procedure

You must fill out and submit an application through the Research Portal to a maximum of three institutions in order to be considered for the CGS M program. Consult the Master’s program for Canada Graduate Scholarships.
Each agency gives eligible Canadian institutions a specific number of awards to distribute.
Agency-specific allocation must be complied with by institutions.
For a list of allocations by an institution and by the agency, see the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s award allocations page.