Whats an average M.Sc. stipend for canadian university?

[dapper]

Hey guys, just wondering what a typical stipend is for a first year MSc student? I just graduated and entering into my program in September Im not sure whats considered a "good" stipend, I would assume anything that is sufficient enough to cover tuition is good. Unfortunatley I wasnt forward thinking enough to apply for external funding so Ill be living on my stipend I would say!

[talific]

Not really sure what is considered a good stipend. I'm in psych, so it might be a bit different, but for my MSc I was offered $18k (plus guaranteed another 2 or 3 thousand for TAing). For the MA I was accepted to it was lower, about 14.5k and no TA work.

[TakeruK]

For MSc in the physical sciences in Canada, you should expect a stipend around $24k to $30k before tuition, based on what scholarships you may have. Here are some sample numbers from my applications this year and in the past:

At Queen's: No fellowship: $24k, OGS: $29k, NSERC CGS/PGS M: $32k + $5k top-off. Tuition is just over $7k.

At UBC: No fellowship: $23k, BC PGS or NSERC: $25.5k. Tuition and fees is just under $5k. You also get some yearly top-up if you have an NSERC.

2 years ago, McGill offered me $18k and the difference in Quebec- and out-of-province- tuition (so I would only pay the in-province tuition rate which is $2k).

This year, Toronto offered minimum funding of $20k AFTER tuition and more if you have fellowships. But they only have astro direct-PhD programs.

This is numbers for physics (because that's what I'm used to) but I would imagine most physical sciences are about the same ballpark.

Usually if you search the department webpages, you might find something like this: http://www.phas.ubc....nancial-support

Bottom line: Without scholarships, across Canada, MSc's get paid about $18k on average AFTER tuition, even though cost of living could vary considerably. You will get more with fellowships though, especially if you end up with an NSERC (which itself is valued at $17.3k or $17.5k for 1 year).

Edited May 1, 2012 by TakeruK

[j3doucet]

TakeruK has the right of it. A friend of mine likes to say that base pay is just enough so you don't starve (though of course, this depends on where you live).