University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship: How International Students Can Access Up to $100,000 for PhD Study

International students seeking graduate funding in Canada can apply for opportunities at the University of Manitoba, where the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF) provides up to $100,000 in funding for eligible doctoral students over four years.

The fellowship is also available to master’s students, with awards valued at $20,000 per year for up to 24 months, giving a possible total of $40,000. Doctoral awards are valued at $25,000 per year for up to 48 months, with a maximum total of $100,000.

The University of Manitoba says the UMGF is intended to recognise and support full-time graduate students who demonstrate superior intellectual ability and academic accomplishment.

University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship is open to international students

One of the important features of the UMGF is that eligibility is not restricted to Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

According to the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, students of all citizenships are eligible to apply for the fellowship, provided they meet the other eligibility requirements.

This means international applicants can be considered for the funding after gaining admission to an eligible master’s or PhD programme at the university.

However, the fellowship should not be treated as automatic funding attached to every graduate admission. Students must be recommended by their academic department or unit to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for consideration.

Minimum admission GPA for UMGF consideration is 3.0

The University of Manitoba lists a minimum admission GPA of 3.0 for students to be considered for the UMGF.

The university, however, makes an important qualification: individual departments may establish a higher GPA requirement.

This means meeting the university-wide 3.0 minimum does not necessarily mean that an applicant will meet the admission or funding requirements of a particular graduate programme.

Prospective students therefore need to check the requirements of the specific department and programme they intend to join before applying.

The fellowship also requires recipients to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 while holding the award and not receive a grade below C+, including AX courses.

PhD students can receive up to $100,000

The doctoral UMGF is structured to provide $25,000 per year, with funding available for up to four years.

A newly admitted PhD student who receives the maximum four-year support could therefore receive up to $100,000 in total UMGF funding.

The university’s eligibility table states that students beginning their PhD programme can be eligible for 48 months of UMGF support. Students who have already spent between one and 12 months in the programme can receive up to 36 months, while those who have completed between 13 and 24 months can receive up to 24 months.

Students who have completed between 25 and 36 months can receive up to 12 months. Those who have completed 37 months or more are not eligible under the stated UMGF support schedule.

For master’s students, those beginning their programme can receive up to 24 months of support. Students who have already completed between one and 12 months may receive up to 12 months, while those who have completed 13 months or more are not eligible.

There is no single UMGF application deadline

One of the most important details for prospective applicants is that the University of Manitoba does not list one university-wide UMGF application deadline.

Instead, applicants are directed to contact their department or academic unit for information about the application process and deadline.

The department or unit determines its selection and recommends successful candidates to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The faculty then reviews the recommendations before officially notifying award recipients by email.

This makes early communication with the intended department particularly important for students who want to be considered for the fellowship.

Simply submitting an application for graduate admission and waiting for the university to automatically attach funding may therefore not be sufficient. Prospective students need to establish what their specific department requires for UMGF consideration.

Students must first be admitted to an eligible graduate programme

The UMGF is available to students who have been admitted to a graduate programme at the University of Manitoba as a master’s or PhD student.

Pre-master’s and occasional students are not eligible for the award.

Recipients must also be registered full-time in the graduate programme of the unit that recommends them and must be making satisfactory progress in the programme for which they receive funding.

The university also requires recipients to demonstrate strong potential as researchers and graduate students.

Eligibility

• Academic Standing: Students must have achieved a minimum admission GPA of 3.0, to be considered for this award. Please contact your department as they may have a higher GPA requirement.
• Citizenship: All students regardless of citizenship are eligible to apply.
• Fields of study: Students in all fields of graduate study are eligible to apply provided their program is eligible for Tri-Agency funding.

To hold a UMGF award, recipients must also:

• Have been admitted to a graduate program at the University of Manitoba as a Master’s or Ph.D. student. Pre-master’s and Occasional students are not eligible.
• Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0, and not receive a grade lower than C+ (including AX courses).
• Show great promise as researchers and graduate students.
• Not have an active, admission‐related hold on their student account during their provisional admission period.
• Be registered full‐time in a graduate program of study in the unit that recommends them for a UMGF, and be progressing satisfactorily in the program for which they are funded.
• Not have held UMGF support for more than 4 years in total.
• Not be receiving a singular award or scholarship that is of equal or greater monetary value than the annual value of the UMGF. Students offered an award that is equal to, or exceeds, the value of the UMGF can no longer hold the UMGF and must notify FGPS Awards Office at Graduate.Awards@umanitoba.ca to terminate their award.
• Not change programs, route, or departments/units while receiving the UMGF award.
• The above is not a complete list of conditions. Please refer to the University of Manitoba Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies FGPS Award Holder’s Guide for additional conditions and other information for award holders.

Application and process

Please consult your department or unit for their UMGF application process and deadline. Once the department/unit determines their selection, students are recommended to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. FGPS will review the recommendations and notify award recipients with an official letter via email.

What students should do before applying

Prospective international students should begin by identifying the University of Manitoba graduate programme that matches their academic background and research interests.

They should then contact the relevant department to confirm the programme’s admission requirements, GPA expectations, UMGF application or nomination procedure and departmental deadline.

This step is important because the university specifically states that departments may have higher GPA requirements than the 3.0 minimum stated for UMGF consideration.

Students should also establish whether their intended programme is eligible for Tri-Agency funding, since the UMGF eligibility information states that students in eligible fields of graduate study can apply where the programme qualifies under the relevant funding requirements.

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UMGF funding comes with conditions

Receiving the fellowship also comes with continuing conditions.

Recipients must remain full-time graduate students and maintain satisfactory academic progress. They must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and must not receive a grade below C+.

The university also states that students cannot hold UMGF support for more than four years in total. In addition, a recipient cannot hold another singular award or scholarship that is equal to or greater in monetary value than the annual UMGF amount.

Students are also required to remain in the programme, route and department or unit under which they receive the fellowship.

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The university notes that the conditions listed on its UMGF page are not exhaustive and directs award holders to its Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Award Holder’s Guide for additional conditions.

The key step is to contact the department early

For students considering graduate study at the University of Manitoba, the UMGF provides a substantial funding opportunity, particularly at the doctoral level where the stated maximum reaches $100,000 over four years.

But the funding process is department-driven. The university does not provide one common application deadline for the fellowship, and departments determine their own UMGF application processes and deadlines.

International applicants should therefore investigate their intended programme early, confirm the department’s specific requirements and ask how students are considered or nominated for UMGF funding.

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The final award decision follows departmental recommendations and review by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, after which successful students receive an official notification by email.