Funding

Make the most of the financial resources available to you as a UBC student.

Awards

Many of our awards are entrance awards which are offered during the admission adjudication process. There are two main award types: Faculty/Departmental awards and Major External awards. Students holding a UBC Faculty/Department award may have their tuition fees deducted from the scholarship payments.

Faculty/Departmental Awards

A $2,700 scholarship has been endowed by former Vancouver Sun reporter, David Baines, for a student in the Master of Journalism program specializing in business journalism. The award is made on the recommendation of the School of Journalism in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

A fellowship has been endowed through the estate of Geraldine Phyllis Cromie. The award is offered to a student in Journalism and is made on the recommendation of the UBC Graduate School of Journalism in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate Studies. This award is made on the recommendation of the Journalism School faculty.

This graduation scholarship will be awarded to a second year Journalism student who demonstrates exceptional ability in investigative research and reporting; and who also displays an interest in pursuing a career in daily journalism.

A scholarship has been endowed by the Fairchild Group to alternate each year between the UBC Graduate School of Journalism and the UBC Film Production Program. Thomas Fung, owner and founder, presented the award. The award is bestowed on the recommendation of the Department of Theatre and Film in even-numbered years and on the recommendation of the School of Journalism in odd-numbered years. Preference is given to Canadian and international students with good academic standing who are focusing on cultural diversity and entrepreneurial leadership.

A number of entrance awards, available to some incoming students demonstrating academic excellence and a commitment to journalism as a career, are administered by the UBC Graduate School of Journalism’s Awards Committee. The funds for these awards are made available from the Faculty of Arts and/or Faculty of Graduate Studies. Awards are determined on the basis of merit and diversity and are open to any graduate student regardless of citizenship or visa status. The number of awards, and the value of each award, is revised annually.

Bursaries have been endowed through a bequest from Gwyneth M. Gunn for students in the School of Journalism, with preference for women students in need of financial assistance. Only students who have applied for Canadian student loans are eligible. Students do not need to apply directly to UBC Financial Aid. UBC Financial Aid determines bursary amounts from data derived from student loan applications.

A gold medal and prize have been endowed by Beverley J. Straight and Robert H. Straight in honour of their father, Hal Straight, who was an editor, managing editor, and publisher for over 50 years. The award is offered to the most outstanding graduate student in Journalism and is made on the recommendation of the School.

A bequest from Ida Helen Badenoch provides graduation scholarships to students who are most proficient in the community health nursing practice and who are proceeding to further work in this field of study; and, to two students who are most proficient in a field of journalism, or in a field related to journalism.

This award recognizes Jack Webster and his legacy of insightful, accurate and uncompromising reporting from his more than 40 years of print, radio and television journalism. Five $2,000 awards are available and will be paid towards tuition at the recipient’s school. In addition, the recipients will be invited to the Jack Webster Awards Dinner. The application is open for students who are permanent residents of British Columbia (at least three years) and are pursuing full time journalism studies in a B.C. post-secondary journalism program, and who show a demonstrated interest in journalism.

An entrance scholarship has been endowed by the family of James L. and Donald A. Duncan to honour them and recognize their high regard for excellence and integrity in journalism. Preference is given to graduate students with excellent writing abilities who are well-read and have a demonstrated interest in a broad range of journalistic topics. The award is made on the recommendation of the UBC Graduate School of Journalism.

A prize has been endowed by The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group in honour of Rafe Mair. It is awarded to a student in the graduating class in Journalism. The prize is awarded to the graduating student who has produced the best published work of public service journalism during the degree program.

One or more scholarships have been endowed by Roy Barnett in honour of his sister, Susan M. Boyce, for graduate students in the Master of Journalism Program in the School of Journalism. Susan is a longtime Vancouver-based journalist and a firm believer in the need to support and mentor aspiring writers in this exciting career. It is her hope this scholarship will contribute to making the aspiration a reality for many who are dedicated to preserving the value and integrity of the written word.

A $1,000 award is offered by family and friends in memory of Brian Truscott (BFA ’88) to a student enrolled in the Graduate School of Journalim with an interest in business journalism. Brian began his career at the Vancouver Courier, where he worked as a reporter from 1988 to 1994. A move to Hong Kong saw him reporting for the Eastern Express newspaper, and then Finance Asia magazine. From 1998 to 2010, he was variously a columnist, reporter and editor with the Dow Jones Newswires financial news service, in Singapore, London and Vancouver. Brian’s friends and relatives remember him as an inquistive man with a wry sense of humour and an abiding passion for his profession. The award is made by the School of Journalism, in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Major External Awards

Every year students win a number of Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and Affiliated University Graduate Fellowships. Affiliated Graduate awards range in amount from $200 – $20,000. SSHRC awards are $17,500. Note that International students are ineligible for SSHRCs; however, they may apply for the graduate Affiliate Award for their second year of funding.

First Year Funding: prospective domestic journalism students with first-class standings are strongly encouraged to apply for SSHRCs directly through SSHRC (not through UBC) and the institution in which they achieved their bachelor’s degree. This funding is for the first year of study (see below for second year SSHRC/Graduate Affiliate funding). The deadline is December 1 of the year prior to our September intake. Your undergraduate university may have an internal deadline that is earlier, so make sure that you check with the faculty or department as soon as you can. More information can be found on the SSHRC website.

Second Year Funding: once classes start in September, students may apply for second year funding from SSHRC if they plan to continue their journalism studies beyond five terms (domestic students only) and/or from the Graduate Affiliated Criteria-Based Awards (for those who are applying for or have SSHRC funding already, and/or for international students). Students are encouraged to have all of their application materials ready before they begin the Master of Journalism program.

Tuition

The Master of Journalism program fee is assessed as a full-time program fee, divided into five installments of payment at the beginning of each academic term. The fee is the same regardless of how many course credits the student registers in. Please note that students are also expected to pay full summer tuition fees.

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