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Graduate Studies

Ontario Graduate Scholarship and The Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and The Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) programs provide funding to full-time students at the master’s and doctoral levels. They are merit-based scholarships for students with an A- or above average.

Value and duration

The value of the OGS and QEII-GSST awards is $5,000 per term. Thus, awardees may receive $10,000 for two consecutive terms or $15,000 for three consecutive terms. You must hold the award for a minimum of 2 consecutive terms. Each scholarship is tenable for a one academic year.

Minimum academic requirements

An applicant must, at minimum, meet the following academic requirements:

  • Students entering the first or second year of graduate studies at the time of the application deadline: must have achieved a first-class average, as determined by the host institution, in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent). 2019-20 and 2020-21 grades are considered.
  • Students entering the third year or beyond of graduate studies at the time of the application deadline must have an overall average of at least A- (or equivalent) on all graduate courses completed.

How to apply

  • CGS-M  Students who apply for a CGS-M at McMaster University through the central Master’s competition will automatically be considered for an OGS or QEII-GSST. For incoming Master’s students who apply for a CGS-M, please remember to choose McMaster as one of the three universities to where you would like to submit your CGS-M application.
  • CGS-D  Students who apply for a CGS-D at McMaster are not automatically considered for  an OGS or QEII-GSS. They must reach out to their program to be considered in their Faculty OGS Allocation.
  •  All other students who are interested in the OGS and QEII-GSST awards must reach out to their program to be considered in their Faculty OGS Allocation.

Maximum support

Students are limited in the number of years that they may hold an OGS or QEII-GSST.

Master’s students may receive the scholarship for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may receive the scholarship for a maximum of four years. Both are subject to a lifetime maximum of six years per student.

In addition, OGS and QEII-GSST guidelines restrict students to a lifetime maximum of six years of government-funded awards and prohibit students from holding an OGS or QEII-GSST or another government-funded award concurrently.

Awards under the following programs are included in these restrictions:

  • Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program (OGS)
  • Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology(QEII-GSST) (formerly OGSST)
  • Ontario Trillium Scholarships (OTS)
  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
  • Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)

Eligibility to hold an OGS and QEII-GSST

To hold an OGS or QEII-GSST award, recipients:

  • must register and remain enrolled as a full-time student at McMaster University in an eligible graduate program.
  • have achieved at least an A- average (or equivalent) in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent); or if the student has competed two years of graduate studies at the time of application, the student must only demonstrate an overall average of at least A- (or equivalent) on all graduate courses completed.
  • who withdraw, transfer to part-time status, complete degree requirements prior to the end of their award, or fail to complete the full session will be required to repay the funds received for the incomplete months of study.
  • cannot hold an OGS award at the same time (or during any session) as a scholarship from SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, QEII-GSST from any given year.
  • may accept research assistantships, part-time teaching positions, or other paid employment that does not affect their status as a full-time graduate student at McMaster Univeristy.
  • must be in good standing with the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). Applicants who have defaulted on a Canada or Ontario Student Loan or have failed to make satisfactory
  • repayment on a loan overpayment are ineligible. Students who have never applied for OSAP are in good standing.

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship or the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) will not be awarded to students after their fourth year of doctoral study.