Tuition, Awards and Funding
This page is divided into the following sections:
Program Fees
Estimated Tuition
Please refer to the Academic Calendar for information on the tuition fees for each of our programs.* MASc and PhD students are assessed tuition fees according to the Standard Master’s/PhD tuition schedules. Professional programs such as the MEng and MEL have specialized tuition fees that differ from the standard Master’s fees. Please refer to the table in the Academic Calendar that corresponds to your program.
MASc: Standard Master’s Degree Programs
PhD: Standard Doctoral Degree Programs
MEng (Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering): Master of Engineering
MEng NAME: Master of Engineering in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering
MEL: Master of Engineering Leadership
* Note: Fees, including tuition, program, course, special, and student society fees, are approved by the Board of Governors following consultation with students and are subject to change.
NOTE: Please note that we have been informed that UBC is in the process of increasing tuition fees. These changes are currently pending. The proposed increase will take effect after May, annually.
Other Expenses
Cost of Living
Use this calculator provided by UBC’s Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to calculate your estimated cost of living, including rent, health care, student fees, textbooks, groceries, and entertainment.
Graduate Student Fees
All UBC students are assessed student fees. These fees help cover costs of resources available to students. Most of these fees are mandatory, but some have opt-out provisions. With the exception of AMS/GSS Extended Health Care Fee and iMED fee, all student fees are charged in three installments payable in September, January, and May. Refer to the Academic Calendar for a full list of student fees.
Funding
The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers a number of scholarships, awards, Research Assistantships (RAs) and Teaching Assistantships (TAs) to our graduate students.
A large number of research graduate students who do not hold a major award or scholarship are offered research assistantships by their supervisor(s). These assistantships may be held with teaching assistantships and some scholarships.
NOTE: The majority of applicants applying for January admission are not eligible for scholarships, department awards, or research assistantships.
Awards and Scholarships
There are many awards available for MASc and PhD students ranging from national research awards to departmental top-ups. The majority of awards are awarded upon a student’s application into their program. For a list of all external awards, visit the Graduate School Award Opportunities database.
Please note that professional or course-based Master’s students (i.e. MEng and MEL) are not eligible for the following awards. For funding opportunities for the MEng NAME program, please visit the NAME website. For MEL awards, refer to the MEL website. MEng and MEL students may also be eligible for Teaching Assistantships (see below) with the permission of their Program Director.
NSERC helps provide financial support to high-calibre scholars who are engaged in eligible doctoral and master’s programs in Canada. Refer to the NSERC website for information, eligibility requirements, and how to apply: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/AppProcess-ProcessusDemande_eng.asp
Current students:
- To be considered for this award, students must submit an online application with all required supporting documents to the NSERC portal by the deadline listed on the NSERC website (likely early September for PhD) (Likely early December for MASc).
- Doctoral application: At the end of your application process, you might be asked to indicate a person responsible for uploading transcripts, please indicate the admission coordinator of the Mechanical Engineering Department and admissions@mech.ubc.ca as the correct contact person. Students should prepare application through NSERC website, but should not complete the final submission step until informed to do so. Please notify our office about your intention to apply, as well as sending your complete PDF application to admissions@mech.ubc.ca by the above mentioned deadline.
- Master's application: CGSM applications cannot be submitted or edited after the application deadline. The portal has crashed around the deadline a couple of years ago because too many students were submitting at the last minute. Submitting earlier (even on the day) will help.
Prospective students:
- To be considered for this award, students must submit an online application with all required supporting documents to:
- Doctoral application: directly apply to the appropriate agency by the deadline on the NSERC portal
- Master's application:
- NSERC portal by the deadline listed on the NSERC website (Likely early December for MASc), and
- UBC application portal by December 1 (MASc)
- Prospective students are responsible to upload all of their transcripts, as well as completing the final step of application submission.
PhD: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/nserc-postgraduate-scholarships.
MASc: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/canada-graduate-scholarships-masters-cgs-m-program.
Affiliated Fellowship (PhD and MASc)
Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies offers approximately 50 Affiliated Fellowships each year to meritorious students to assist their full-time study and/or research leading to a graduate degree. Awards are made on the basis of academic excellence, and are open to all current and prospective full-time research graduate students.
Prospective students:
- To be considered for this award, prospective students must submit an Affiliated Fellowship application (see links below) to admissions@mech.ubc.ca and a UBC online application with all required supporting documents by September 15 (PhD) or December 1 (MASc). Applications received without all supporting documents will not be considered.
Current students:
- To be considered for this award, current students should submit an Affiliated Fellowship application (see links below) by September 14 (PhD) or December 1 (MASc). Note that students who submit an NSERC application are eligible for open Affiliated Fellowships and do not need to submit a separate Affiliated Fellowships application, instead students should submit this checklist to admissions@mech.ubc.ca by the same deadline listed above.
PhD: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/affiliated-fellowships-doctoral-program.
MASc: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/affiliated-fellowships-masters-program.
British Columbia Graduate Scholarship (BCGS) (PhD and MASc)
The province of British Columbia has funded graduate scholarships in any field of study, with emphasis on research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, and support for Indigenous students. The scholarships of $15,000 will be awarded by graduate programs and disciplinary Faculties. (https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/british-columbia-graduate-scholarship)
Eligibility:
- Only available to Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents.
- Students are required to apply to the Tri-Agency CGS D program (PhD) or Tri-Agency CGS M program (MASc), if they are eligible to do so. You do not need to submit a separate application if you have submitted a NSERC application. All NSERC applications that are submitted before the deadline will automatically be considered for the British Columbia Graduate Scholarship.
- Students who have completed more than 24 months (PhD) or 12 months (MASc) of full time study as of December 31 of the year of application must complete the below application form with all required supporting documents (Resume, 3 reference letters and official transcripts for all post-secondary studies) sent to admission@mech.ubc.ca by September 17, 2019 (PhD) and December 2, 2019 (MASc).
BCGS application Form:
EduCanada Study in Canada Scholarships (International students: see eligible countries from the below link)
The Study in Canada Scholarships program aims to increase opportunities for post-secondary institutions across Canada to welcome international students from around the world. The Study in Canada Scholarships program is open to students from all academic disciplines, for programs of up to two years in duration at the post-secondary level leading to a diploma, post-secondary or post-graduate certificate, or Master’s degree at a college, technical or vocational institute or university in Canada.
For more information regarding to eligibility and application procedures, please view the Go Global's website: this page and EduCanada website: this page.
Indigenous Graduate Fellowships
The University of British Columbia offers multi-year fellowships to master's and doctoral Indigenous students. Award winners are selected on the basis of academic merit through an annual competition administered by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Each fellowship provides a stipend of $18,200 per year for doctoral students or a stipend of $16,175 per year for master’s students. Additionally, IGF recipients are eligible to receive tuition funding. Tuition funding will not exceed the current value of standard doctoral or master's degree tuition fees. Applicants for Master's funding will receive fellowship funding until the end of their second year of master’s studies; applicants for doctoral funding will receive fellowship funding for four years or until the end of their fifth year of doctoral studies, whichever comes first. In all cases, continued fellowship support is conditional on satisfactory academic progress. Recipients of master’s fellowship funding must re-apply to be considered for doctoral funding.
NEW! Effective the 2023-2024 academic year, the IGF is also offering opportunities for (i) Indigenous PhD students in their fourth year to apply for a fifth year of funding and (ii) research master’s and PhD students to apply for research funding.
- Deadline: Likely in February - see G+PS Application Details link below
- Application Details: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/indigenous-graduate-fellowships
International Tuition Award (PhD and MASc)
International Tuition Awards assist international graduate students with their tuition fees if they are registered full-time in research-oriented master’s and doctoral programs. There is no nomination or application procedure for this tuition waiver, as all international students are automatically considered. The award helps international graduate students with up to $3,200 per year. View the quick facts at https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/international-tuition-award.
To be considered for the 4YF/Gartshore, prospective students must submit an online application with all required supporting documents to the application portal (MASc/PhD Applications) by December 1 (PhD & MASc). All applications that are submitted before the scholarship and awards deadline will automatically be considered for a Departmental Award. No extra application will be required from prospective students. Our Faculty members nominate students based on their academic merit, using the same guidelines as those used to award NSERC/ Affiliated scholarships.
Four Year Fellowship (4YF) (PhD only)
Awards worth up to $18,200 plus tuition for up to four years. International and domestic PhD applicants who have completed their September admission applications with all supporting documents uploaded for the doctoral program by December 1 and have been nominated by a potential research supervisor will be considered for this fellowship. NSERC PGS-D winners will automatically receive a 4YF, but will not receive the stipend during PGS-D. NSERC CGS-D winners will automatically receive a 4YF, but will not receive the stipend or tuition award during the CGS-D.
Ambassador Fellowship (PhD only)
Awards worth up to $18,200 plus $6,300 tuition stipend for up to four years. Awarded to an outstanding, self-identified North American Indigenous* or Black student based on scholarly performance and broad-based achievements. International and domestic PhD applicants who have completed their September admission applications with all supporting documents uploaded for the doctoral program by December 1 and have been nominated by a potential research supervisor may apply for this fellowship; qualified applicants are asked to submit a supplemental one page letter of application to graduate-admissions@mech.ubc.ca by December 1 for consideration, but late applications will be considered if funding is available. The letter should outline their holistic achievements and potential to be an outstanding PhD student. Indigenous students are asked to also provide proof of heritage**.
* North American Indigenous students include self-identified First Nations, Metis and Inuit students, who may or may not have Status.
** Proof of heritage includes a copy or scan of the following: Certificate of Indian Status; Métis Membership Card; Inuit Beneficiary Card; parent/grandparent heritage information and documents showing your relationship to them; or letter of acknowledgement from First Nation, Métis Association or Inuit agreement administrator. If there are any challenges in obtaining these documents, please contact our office for assistance.
Gartshore Fellowship (MASc only)
Awards of up to $15,000 for MASc students are offered to students entering the MASc program in Mechanical Engineering. Scholars who hold more than $9,000 in external scholarships receive a top-up to a total of $30,000 (MASc), or the minimum fellowship value, whichever is greater.
Graduate Support Initiative (GSI) (PhD and MASc)
Awards will be allocated by faculty supervisors on an annual basis to support graduate students during their studies. There are no application or nomination procedures for MECH GSI as amounts and allocations are determined at the discretion of the supervising faculty members.
UBC Distinction (Merit) (MASc only)
Awards ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 will be provided to First Class Standing (upper-level courses only) students going directly1 from UBC Vancouver Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering degree to UBC Vancouver Master of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering degree.
1 must start M.A.Sc. degree within 5 years of their BASc graduation.
Research Assistantships
The majority of M.A.Sc and Ph.D. students in the department are offered research assistantships (RA) by their research professors. A RA provides monthly support for students through a research grant or contract held by the Research Supervisor. The number of RA’s offered will vary depending on available funding. Thesis-based graduate students in the Mechanical Engineering Department receive financial support from different sources. The funding may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching assistantships (TA), research assistantships (RA), and academic assistantships.
RA Funding Information for Ph.D. and M.A.Sc. students
The following information outlines minimum funding1 expectations.
All Ph.D. students who start their degree in the 2023W academic session will receive a minimum funding amount1 of $26,000 for their first year, increasing by an increment of $500 per year for four years.
| 2023W (Year 1) | 2024W(Year 2) | 2025W (Year 3) | 2026W (Year 4) | |
| Ph.D. | $26,000 | $26,500 | $27,000 | $27,500 |
All M.A.Sc. students who start their degree in the 2023W academic session will receive a minimum funding amount1 of 24,000 for their first year, increasing by an increment of $500 per year for two years.
| 2023W (Year 1) | 2024W (Year 2) | |
| M.A.Sc. | $24,000 | $24,500 |
1 Please note that the numbers are subject to adjustment and the Mechanical Engineering department reserves the right at any time to update the amounts without notice.
Top-up Funding Amounts for Award Holders
The following information outlines the corresponding RA top-up amounts for students who receive internal or external awards/scholarships.
If a graduate student receives an award/scholarship of $5,000 or more per year, the amount of their supervisor funding (typically in the form of an RA top-up) will be adjusted. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Mechanical Engineering Student Services Office of any internal or external funding they may receive while being a student in our graduate program.
The top-up adjustment of some common awards is listed below as an example.
Four-Year Doctoral Fellowships (4YF) provide $18,200 per year plus full tuition coverage. The fellowship is matched by a minimum of $10,000 per year from the Research Supervisor, totaling a minimum of $28,200 per year plus full tuition coverage. The award may be renewed annually for up to four years, subject to satisfactory academic progress. Complete details are on the 4YF G+PS website.
The Department provides top-ups to 4YF winners according to the below table:
| Scholarship | Degree Program | Scholarships | Minimum Supervisor top-up |
| 4YF | Ph.D. | $18,200 + tuition coverage per year for up to four years | $10,000 |
Awards worth up to $18,200 plus $6,300 tuition stipend for up to four years. Awarded to an outstanding, self-identified North American Indigenous* or Black student based on scholarly performance and broad-based achievements. International and domestic PhD applicants who have completed their September admission applications with all supporting documents uploaded for the doctoral program by December 1 and have been nominated by a potential research supervisor may apply for this fellowship; qualified applicants are asked to submit a supplemental one page letter of application to graduate-admissions@mech.ubc.ca by December 1 for consideration, but late applications will be considered if funding is available. The letter should outline their holistic achievements and potential to be an outstanding PhD student. Indigenous students are asked to also provide proof of heritage**.
* North American Indigenous students include self-identified First Nations, Metis and Inuit students, who may or may not have Status.
** Proof of heritage includes a copy or scan of the following: Certificate of Indian Status; Métis Membership Card; Inuit Beneficiary Card; parent/grandparent heritage information and documents showing your relationship to them; or letter of acknowledgement from First Nation, Métis Association or Inuit agreement administrator. If there are any challenges in obtaining these documents, please contact our office for assistance.
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) offers awards to exceptional students or who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Applications are initiated by the student and may be submitted via UBC or directly to NSERC. Complete details are on NSERC’s Postgraduate Programs webpage.
Three types of NSERC awards for graduate students:
- Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s Program (CGS-M)
- Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral Program (CGS-D)
- Postgraduate Scholarships-Doctoral Program (PGS-D)
The Department provides top-ups to NSERC winners according to the below table:
| Scholarship | Degree Program | Scholarship value | Minimum supervisor top-up | |
| 2023W | 2024W | |||
| NSERC CGS M | M.A.Sc. | $17,500 for one year | $10,400 | $11,000 |
| NSERC PGS D | Ph.D. | $21,000 per year for up to two or three years | $12,700 | $13,300 |
| NSERC CGS D | Ph.D. | $35,000 per year for up to two or three years | $3,500 | $3,900 |
The Vanier CGS is valued at $50,000 per year for up to three years. Complete details are on the Vanier G+PS website.
The Department provides top-ups to scholarship winners according to the below table:
| Scholarship | Degree Program | Scholarships value | Minimum top-up | Minimum top-up |
| 2023W | 2024W | |||
| Vanier | Ph.D. | $50,000 per year for up to three years | $400 | $500 |
Teaching Assistantships
For information about teaching assistantships, please view this page.