Tuition & funding

The PhD Office provides a minimum of $135,000 in funding over five years. In addition, full tuition for the first five years of the program is paid by the PhD Office. 

This funding is designed to provide students with a predictable financial foundation throughout the core stages of doctoral training. Students may also have opportunities to earn additional funding through compensated academic roles, including teaching assistantships, research assistantships and additional teaching appointments in the later years of the program. 

Many Haskayne supervisors hold Tri-Council research funding, which may be used to provide doctoral students with additional financial support, research assistantships, conference travel, data collection support and other research-related opportunities.  

Funding amounts are determined by the relevant collective agreement and are subject to change. Continued funding is contingent upon:

• Successful completion of previous graduate assistantship duties
• Maintaining good academic standing
• Demonstrated academic progress toward degree milestones

PhD students are expected to fulfill assigned teaching and research obligations, which form an integral part of doctoral training.

Tuition

Full tuition for the first five years of the PhD program is paid by the PhD Office in the Haskayne School of Business.

General fees

General student fees are assessed each semester and are the responsibility of the student. Further information about fees can be found in the University of Calgary Graduate Calendar.

In addition to base funding, the PhD Office provides supplementary support to enable students to actively participate in the scholarly community. This includes:

• Internal grants and research support
• Funding for academic conferences
• Support for presenting research and building professional networks

These resources are intended to encourage early engagement with the research community and to support students’ development as independent scholars.

PhD students are expected to apply for external scholarships, fellowships and awards for which they are eligible. Securing external funding strengthens a student’s academic profile and contributes to professional development as a researcher. Students are encouraged to consult the Graduate Studies Awards database for current opportunities and application details.

Explore graduate awards and scholarships

The financial impact of a PhD program depends not only on funding levels, but also on local cost of living.

Relative to other major Canadian research hubs such as Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, Calgary consistently ranks as a more affordable large metropolitan area, particularly with respect to housing costs.

For many students, this translates into:

• Greater financial stability over the course of the program
• Reduced reliance on supplemental income
• More flexibility to focus on research, teaching, and scholarly engagement

Cost-of-living conditions vary by individual circumstances, and prospective students are encouraged to explore external cost-of-living indices when planning.