University of Waterloo Master Scholarships | Canada |2025 (Fully Funded)- Eligibility, Requirements & Scholarship Coverage

#1 - International Master’s Award of Excellence (IMAE)

Award type:?Scholarships

Award description:?

Effective?May 1, 2019 (spring 2019 admissions cycle), the International Master’s Award of Excellence, valued at $2,500 per term for a maximum of five full-time terms within the allowable program time limits (6 terms), will be awarded to eligible international master’s students normally entering a research-based graduate program at the University of Waterloo. Faculties will nominate eligible students based on the Faculty’s award allocation. Students will be selected based on academic excellence as demonstrated through their application for admission to the graduate program.

Value:?

$2,500

Value description:?

Award valued at $2,500 per term for a maximum of five terms.

Eligibility & selection criteria:?

• International students who are registered full time and assessed international tuition fees.?
• Normally given to students in research-based programs (thesis or major research paper).?
• Will normally only be given to students entering the first term of their program (term 1.0).
• Students must demonstrate academic excellence through criteria established by the Faculty.
• Students must meet the academic progress requirements of their program and not have outstanding probationary admission requirements.?
• This award could be in addition to other internal or external scholarships (e.g., UW Graduate Scholarship, OGS,? etc). Note: scholarships are different than sponsorships – see next bullet.
• Normally, students should not be concurrently receiving foreign government or agency sponsorship (e.g., China Scholarship Council, Libyan sponsorship, etc) or be fully or partially self-funded in excess of the Faculty minimum levels of support. ?
• Students grandparented under the existing IMSA program cannot be nominated for an IMAE; however, a student previously awarded an IMSA for a previously completed master’s degree can be nominated for an IMAE.
• Students will be automatically considered for this award based on their application for admission. Departments and/or Faculty will define their own internal process by which they select recipients based on the eligibility criteria and allocation.
• Faculties may impose stricter eligibility criteria as appropriate

Level:?Masters

Program: Open to any program

Citizenship:?International/study permit student

Selection process:?Student selected automatically by Faculty/Department

Term:?Winter, Spring, Fall

Contact person: Coordinators Contact List

International Visiting Graduate Students (IVGS)

Graduate students from around the world are welcome to enhance their research opportunities at the University of Waterloo, by participating in the International Visiting Graduate Student (IVGS) program.

Through the program, students pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees on a full-time basis at an international institution are invited to continue their related research, under the guidance of a supervising Waterloo faculty member.? International students benefit by collaborating with Waterloo’s top innovative researchers, gaining access to state of the art facilities, libraries and other campus resources.? Through international collaboration, visiting students enrich their academic and scholarly development, often making beneficial research contributions to both their home and host institutions.

International Visiting Graduate Students (IVGS) are essential to advancing connections with outstanding academic institutions world-wide. Building mutually beneficial international partnerships, expanding graduate student experience, and accomplishing impactful research.

If you are applying for the IVGS program, we encourage you to begin your visit at the start of an academic term if possible (winter term - January to April; spring term - May to August; fall term - September to December). In addition, it is recommended that the approval process begin at least 4 to 5 months before the intended start date of the visit.

• Step 1:?Determine your eligibility
• Step 2: Find a supervisor and obtain a Letter of Invitation (LOI)
• Step 3: Submit the IVGS approval documents
• Step 4: Apply?online
• Step 5: Final IVGS approval
• Step 6: Letter of Acceptance (LOA)
• Step 7:?Before arrival checklist
• Step 8: Arrival to campus
• Terms of visit

Step 1: Determine your eligibility

In order to be an International Visiting Graduate Student, you must:

• Be actively pursuing a full-time master’s or doctoral degree program at a university outside of Canada for the duration of the placement at Waterloo (diploma, certificate programs are not eligible).
• Be in good standing at your home university.
• Be an international student (i.e. not have Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status) who is eligible to enter Canada.
• Review Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) processing times to ensure that you apply early enough to secure the appropriate immigration permission to enter Canada (work permit, electronic travel authorization or other immigration permission) as issued by IRCC from a Canadian visa office serving your country of residence.
• Intend on pursuing research that is related to your home institution graduate degree program while at Waterloo.
• Have received permission from your home institution to conduct research at Waterloo.
• Have received a written offer from a Waterloo faculty member who has agreed to serve as your supervisor for the duration of your visit.
• Have adequate funding for the duration of your visit.see scholarship?opportunities that you may be eligible for.
• Intend to visit for a period of 3 weeks to 24 months (the total cumulative visit is not to exceed a maximum of 24 months).? IVGS may be given a one-time opportunity to extend the visit if approved, and depending on visa restrictions.
• Review the IVGS terms of visit.

Step 2: Find a supervisor and obtain a Letter of Invitation (LOI)

We encourage you to begin your visit at the start of an academic term if possible (winter term - January to April; spring term - May to August; fall term - September to December).??

• A request to participate in the IVGS program may be initiated by a faculty member or student. ?
• Identify a potential supervisor at Waterloo that closely pairs with your area of research and academic background.
• Prepare and submit a clear objective for your visit, including a timeline, research plan, list of required resources and expectations of your host supervisor.
• The prospective supervisor will assess your eligibility to determine if you qualify as a prospective IVGS through discussion with your home supervisor and yourself.? It is the responsibility of the Waterloo supervisor to evaluate your level of English language skills and academic research background.? Additional information may be requested by the host supervisor (i.e. CV).

Once a Waterloo faculty member has agreed to serve as your host supervisor, approval for the arrangements of your visit may begin.

• A formal Letter of Invitation (LOI) will be issued and signed by the Waterloo supervisor confirming their willingness to supervise and outlining terms of the visit, including start and end dates, purpose of visit, access to equipment, supplies, research ethics and space, and intellectual property rights etc.? The Waterloo supervisor or delegate will then make arrangements to obtain the approval on the LOI of?the department chair of the host academic unit.
• The LOI is forwarded to you for mutual approval and agreement of the terms of the visit. The letter must be counter-signed by you, your home supervisor and the department head/chair/director of your home university.
• The LOI must accompany the International Visiting Graduate Student Form A: Student Request?form (see Step 3 below).

Step 3: Submit the IVGS approval documents

• Complete the International Visiting Graduate Student (IVGS) Form A: Student Request? and have it signed by the required parties of your home university as indicated.
• Attach a signed copy of your Letter of Invitation (LOI).
• Include official proof of sponsorship/scholarship (if in a language other than English, provide a certified English translation).
• Send all documents as PDF?attachments via email?to your Waterloo host supervisor or delegate.
• The Waterloo host supervisor or delegate will make arrangements to obtain approval of the host department Chair.
• These will then be forwarded to Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) for review and final approval.?

Step 4: Apply?online

Once all completed and fully signed documents have been submitted to the host supervisor, you are required to apply online. A non-refundable application fee of $125 CAD is required as part of the application process.

To help walk you through the steps in applying to the International Visiting Graduate Student (IVGS) program review the apply online instructions. Following the submission of your online application, follow these steps:

• Create your Waterloo student account (Quest)
• Upload your application documents to the University of Waterloo through Quest:A copy of your Letter of Invitation with all signatures presentA copy of your sponsorship/scholarship letterComplete the Supplementary Information Form (SIF)

Before proceeding, note that you will be using the University of Waterloo online application to graduate studies;?not all sections/questions apply to International Visiting Graduate Students.? To ensure that the completion of your online application is successful, take the following actions within the application process:

Step 5: Final IVGS approval

• Final approval for the IVGS program will only be considered if the IVGS Form A: Student Request form,?sponsorship/scholarship (if applicable), Letter of Invitation, and the online application/payment have been completed and received.
• If approved, an official Letter of Acceptance will be issued by Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA). GSPA will communicate notification of approval of the IVGS program to you?and the Waterloo host supervisor.
• Once you have received notification of approval, you will need to accept your offer of admission in Quest (see Step 6 below).?It?takes approximately 2 business days for your offer of admission?to appear on Quest.
• The Letter of Acceptance is required to apply for immigration?to enter Canada. Immigration is not guaranteed.? If you are not eligible to enter Canada, you will not be eligible for the IVGS program.
• Any changes to the start and/or end dates of your visit must be reported to the host Waterloo supervisor/department. This will permit alternate arrangements to be made for your visit and ensure that a Letter of Acceptance with revised dates has been reissued for immigration purposes.

Step 6: Letter of Acceptance (LOA)

To view your LOA and accept your offer of admission?follow these steps:

• Log in to?Quest.
• Your active application will be listed under?Admissions.?
• Select your Program Name.
• Your current program status will be listed under?Status?and?Offer.
• Select "View Letter" to view your Letter of Acceptance.
• After reviewing your Letter of?Acceptance, please accept (or?decline) your offer in Quest.
• Visit Quest graduate applicants page for information on how to accept or decline your offer.

You can view and print the electronic letter of acceptance on Quest. Note that a paper letter of acceptance will not be sent. Apply at : International Visiting Graduate Students

For more details and specific application instructions, visit the official University of Waterloo Scholarships webpage. Official Website to apply