Tuition
For current fee schedules, please visit the Student Accounts Website.
Living in Toronto
The University of Toronto’s Housing Services office offers useful breakdowns of the cost of living in Toronto, in terms of living, studying and housing costs. Information on locating housing in Toronto is available from the Housing Services website.
For more information about living in Toronto, see our Welcome to Toronto page.
Funding
The Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, provides funding for all admitted full-time students. Funding typically combines a fellowship with teaching and research assistantships.
Base Funding FAQ
Funding is provided to support graduate students in the full-time pursuit of their graduate degree. Therefore, this funding is subject to certain terms and conditions. Please note that part-time students are not eligible for inclusion in the funded cohort.
In addition to the details about funding in Anthropology, please also review the Graduate Funding in Arts and Science which includes information about the Arts and Science funding increase and the terms and conditions of this funding. There is also information on the School of Graduate Studies website about understanding the funding.
Who Gets Funding and for How Long?
The funding package is provided for the first year of the full-time Master’s program or four years in the PhD program (five years for PhD students admitted directly from bachelor’s degrees), with the provision that the student makes satisfactory progress through the program. These students are referred to as those in the funded cohort.
In addition, PhD students will be assured at least the same number of Teaching Assistantship hours in their fifth and sixth years of TA work as they get in their first appointment (or second appointment) – if their studies continue beyond four years. (Note: in some cases the year of employment is not the same as the year of enrolment in the PhD program. For more information, see the collective agreement between the university and CUPE representing the teaching assistants.)
How Much Is the Base Funding?
The 2024-25 base funding for all full-time graduate students in the funded cohort in Anthropology, domestic or international, will be $21,750 plus tuition and incidental fees and health insurance (if applicable).
That is, all students are assured enough money to pay their fees and incidentals, and end up with at least the base funding to spend for their living expenses.
In addition to the funding described above, Anthropology PhD students can also expect to receive funding to help with pilot research to assist with preliminary fieldwork (usually between $2,000 – $4,000) and may receive funds for conference and research travel. The Faculty of Arts and Science also provides funds for travel to study less commonly taught languages and students can avail themselves of many in-house and inter-university awards. Please see funding opportunities at the School of Graduate Studies.
Students Who Have an External Fellowship or Scholarship
Examples are SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, and OGS scholarships.
If the scholarship is less than the base funding then the student gets the difference from the department.
Effective September 2020, the following top up funds will be provided for students in the funded cohort who hold an external award:
- $3,000.00 for Tri-Agency doctoral awards (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC)
- $2,500.00 for Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s awards
- $1,500 for Ontario Graduate Scholarships
Exception: Wenner-Gren Foundation grants
The Wenner-Gren Foundation grant is for research expenses and does not include living expenses for the students. Therefore, students with a Wenner-Gren grant receive the full base funding via the department, in the same manner as students without a grant.
International Students
While all international students are assured of the base funding, a few international students may, after they are offered admission, be nominated for and receive one of the following scholarships, administered internally by the university:
These are very competitive. Nomination is made by the department during the admissions process but the awards are decided by committees above the level of the department.
For more details about these and other international student awards, visit the School of Graduate Studies.
Are TA-ships and RA-ships a Component of Base Funding?
The base funding may come from any combination of teaching assistantship, research assistantship, and outright scholarship.
Research Assistantships
In 2024-25, the typical Research Assistantship will be $1,000.
Teaching Assistantships
All students without external funding MUST apply for TAships. Starting September 2018 a maximum value of TA work per academic year will count toward each student’s base funding package. The TA Maximum in 2024-25 is $7,500. The department runs undergraduate courses on three campuses, and Anthropology graduate students serve as teaching assistants on all three of the campuses. We will advise you by email how to submit your application, so please check your email frequently and advise us in advance if you will be out of email contact during the summer.
Can Students Without an External Grant Get More Than the Base Funding?
Yes, but this is not assured. Students may apply for additional research or teaching assistantships (see the previous section). For example, students can apply for more than the maximum value of teaching assistantship work that is standard for those without external funding. The additional hours, if granted, will not count towards their base funding package.
Further Information
The Graduate Office is happy to provide further clarification. Please email anthropology.graduate@utoronto.ca with your questions.
Fellowships, Scholarships and Awards
Detailed information about further financial aid can be found at Fellowships, Scholarships, and Awards.