Funding, Scholarships, Awards, & Student Supports

Funding for students comes from a number of sources. We do not have a guaranteed minimum funding package, but we offer funding to first-year students. This can be comprised of internal and/or other scholarships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and/or bursaries. Many of our faculty are active, grant-funded researchers and are always looking for paid research assistants as well.

If you are accepted to the program, your offer letter will detail the funding package you are being offered.

Funding for second-year students often comes via major scholarships and positions as teaching assistants and/or research assistants.

Scholarship deadlines come up quickly – generally in either November or December for major awards like Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and University of Winnipeg Graduate Students’ Scholarship (UWGSS). Most of these awards require that you include a proposed plan of study for your research, and we strongly recommend that you get your supervisor’s input and feedback on any plans of study. You should begin work on these applications as early as possible (e.g., early October).

Students are eligible to apply for these awards and scholarships for their first and second years of the program, but note that most of the application deadlines will occur before you know whether you are accepted to the program.

Our students have been very successful in winning major scholarships from SSHRC, Research Manitoba, and internally from UWinnipeg. Approximately 80% of our students have won at least one major award.

Here is an article about how six of our students won SSHRC awards in 2022: Criminal justice graduate cohort all awarded SSHRC grants 

For more information on funding opportunities, see the Graduate studies website for M.A.-specific funding: and the Awards and Financial Aid website for general funding opportunities.

Unfortunately, part-time students are generally not eligible for internal scholarship monies and are not eligible for major awards (e.g., SSHRC, MGS, UWGSS).

However, part-time students are welcome to apply for positions as Teaching Assistants or Research Assistants, or other scholarships for which they are eligible. Sometimes organizations external to the university have scholarships for part-time students.

We have two department-specific funding opportunities for students.

The Criminal Justice Graduate Scholarship

This scholarship will be awarded to an incoming student whose research interests are in a corrections or policy-related area. Students do not need to apply for this scholarship.

The amount of the scholarship varies from year to year but is approximately $1,000 per year.

John Gongos Bursary

Full- time students are automatically considered for this bursary. The award is based on need, so winners of major awards are generally not eligible, neither are International students in their first year of study.

The amount of the bursary varies from year to year but is approximately $2,000 per year.Award description: Through a gift in her estate to The Winnipeg Foundation, this bursary fund was established by Ruth Gongos to honour her husband John Gongos. This bursary will support graduate students enrolled at The University of Winnipeg studying Criminal Justice who show financial need, as well as, aptitude and interest in contributing to an inclusive Justice system.  John was born in 1927 and was an RCMP Officer for 33 years, retiring as an Assistant Commissioner in 1980. He was involved in crime scene investigation, and he was also the security chief for the Right Honourable Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. He was committed to DASCH Foundation Inc. as a board member and was very involved in the local community.

International students are eligible for the same internal scholarship and T.A. funding as domestic students. Many of our faculty are active, grant-funded researchers and are always looking for paid research assistants as well.

If you are accepted to the program, your offer letter will detail the funding you are being offered.

The department itself does not offer full scholarships or any scholarships specifically for international students. However, the Faculty of Graduate Studies website has information on funding and scholarships for international students.

International students are not eligible to apply for some of the major external awards (e.g., SSHRC, Research Manitoba).

Be aware that application deadlines for scholarships may come before you have received a decision on your application so you may need to apply before knowing if you are accepted should you wish to ensure scholarship funding in your first year.

If you need supports beyond those related to things faculty are able to help you with, the university has a wide array of supports for students’ physical and mental health that you can access through Student Wellness.

Students who need help with an accessible learning environment can contact Accessibility Services.

Immigrant and Refugee Support Services (IRSS) is a resource specifically to help ensure the success of, and provide supports for, students new to Canada: 

The Faculty of Graduate Studies also has many workshops and training opportunities throughout the year.