The McGill School of Information Studies offers a range of scholarships and awards to incoming and current students. Students are also encouraged to seek and apply for external scholarships and awards available to students in library and information studies.
PhD students: visit the McGill Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) Student and Postdoctoral funding opportunities page for detailed PhD funding information.
Application process
Incoming MISt students: To be considered for scholarships, the extended offer must be accepted and a deposit paid. Unless otherwise indicated, applications for SIS scholarships for incoming MISt students are not required: all new students to the program are automatically considered for scholarships based on academic merit and other considerations. Entrance scholarship results will be announced after the admissions cycle has completed. These scholarships are non-renewable. In addition, there are other student funding resources available as described at: https://www.mcgill.ca/sis/resources/students/funding.
Current MISt students: MISt students entering their second year may make an application for the MISt Completion Award (as available) before June 1 of each year; an application form is available on the Forms page. A limited number of awards will be given each year, based on academic merit and other considerations. A number of scholarships and prizes may be awarded during the course of the program for exceptional scholarship. See details below for SIS Awards.
Bursaries require application through McGill Scholarships & Student Aid Office (SSAO).
SIS scholarships & awards
Visit the Awards Calendar for a comprehensive list of scholarships and awards made available through the McGill School of Information Studies. Note: Not all scholarships, awards, and bursaries may be offered or awarded every year.
> Graduate Fellowships & Awards Calendar, School of Information Studies
MISt bursaries
School of Information Studies bursaries for MISt students are based on demonstrated financial need and are disbursed through the McGill Scholarships & Student Aid Office. For more information and to apply, please contact the McGill Scholarships & Student Aid Office directly.
McGill awards & links
- Faculty of Arts awards & grants
- McGill GPS Student & Postdoctoral funding opportunities
- Funding opportunities for McGill students travelling abroad
- McGill Scholarships & Student Aid
- McGill Career Planning Services (CaPS) Financing your Studies page.
External awards
Prospective and current students are encouraged to investigate and apply for additional external sources of awards and funding. A small selection of LIS-related awards of particular interest is listed below for reference purposes.
Dates and details of awards may change; as such, please confirm all details, including current deadlines and eligibility, with the awarding bodies.
Find more awards in the McGill CaPS External Awards database
PhD
Eugene Garfield Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, Beta Phi Mu (candidates only). $3,000. Link
Deadline: March 15
Thomson Reuters Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Scholarship (candidates only). $1,500 and $500 towards travel or other expenses to the grant recipient, contingent upon the recipient's attending the ASIS&T annual meeting, and $250 to ASIS&T Headquarters towards administrative fees. Link
Deadline: July 1
Master's
Fall Application
Maureen Woods Education Bursary. $5,000. This bursary is open to all students enrolled in or accepted in an ALA-accredited graduate degree program at the time of the award (usually November of the award year) in library and information science or equivalent. Applicants must be willing to take up residence and employment in Saskatchewan for a period of at least one year following completion of their MLIS program. Visit https://saskla.ca/continuing-education/bursary-and-award for more information.
Deadline: October 30
Medical Library Association (MLA) Scholarship. The applicant must be a citizen of or have permanent residence in either the United States or Canada. Up to $5,000. Visit https://www.mlanet.org/p/cm/ld/fid=303 for more information.
Deadline: December 1
Medical Library Association (MLA) Scholarship for Minority Students. For student entering a master's program. Up to $5,000. Visit https://www.mlanet.org/p/cm/ld/fid=304 for more information.
Deadline: December 1
Winter Application
E.J. Josey Scholarship Award. The E. J. Josey Scholarships are unrestricted grants of $2,000 awarded annually to African American students enrolled in or accepted by ALA accredited programs who are citizens of the US or Canada. https://www.bcala.org/2149-2/
Deadline: early Winter
Diana M. Priestly Memorial Scholarship. $2,500. Awarded to an individual needing to enhance qualifications for law librarianship. See site for eligibility details. http://www.callacbd.ca/Awards/
Deadline: February 1
ABQLA Student Scholarship. $750 and conference registration. This award recognizes and rewards an outstanding current or new ABQLA (L'Association des bibliothécaires du Québec - Quebec Library Association) student member completing a Master's or DEC-level program who has completed at least one semester of study. https://abqla.qc.ca/en/awards/student-scholarship/
Deadline: February 1
Society of American Archivists (SAA) Student Scholarships. Visit the SAA website (https://www2.archivists.org/awards/scholarships) for information about the Mosaic Scholarship (for Canadian or US citizens or permanent residents) and Josephine Forman Scholarship (for US citizens or permanent residents).
Deadline: February 28
BAnQ Master's Awards. One year; two $9,500 awards; possibility of a third award of equal value (additional doctoral or master's award). View details and eligibility criteria at: http://www.banq.qc.ca/a_propos_banq/bourses_recherche/bourses_maitrise/i....
Deadline: March 1
McGill MAUT Librarian's Section Award. Established by the McGill Association of University Teachers (MAUT) Librarians' Section. Eligibility: To be granted to a student admitted to the first year program of the School of Information Studies. Applicants must be presently employed full-time library assistants who will have completed two years' continuous full-time employment with the McGill University Library System. Value: $300.
Deadline: Mar. 1
Beta Phi Mu Scholarships, Awards, and Fellowships. Four scholarships and the Eugene Garfield Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship are awarded annually by Beta Phi Mu. Value: Varies. Application: Forms and information are available at https://www.betaphimu.org/scholarships.html.
Deadline: Mar. 15
Spring Application
Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA) Scholarships. The CALA Scholarship of Library and Information Science: awards $1000 to a full-time student at an ALA-accredited library school. The Sheila Suen Lai Scholarship: awards $500 to a full-time student at an ALA-accredited library school. See site for additional awards. Open to full-time students of Chinese heritage who are currently enrolled in an ALA-accredited master's or doctoral program of library and information science at an institution of higher education in North America. The recipient must be enrolled as a full-time student at the time the scholarship is awarded. View details at http://cala-web.org/awards/cala_scholarships
Deadline: April 30
Canadian Library Association (CLA) Scholarships. The H. W. Wilson Scholarship and CLA/ACB Dafoe Scholarship are available to students commencing studies in accredited library schools. Value: Varies. Application: Information and application forms are available at http://cla.ca/cla-at-work/scholarships/
Deadline: May 1
Various Application Dates
American Library Association (ALA). See the Awards, Grants and Scholarships section of the American Library Association website (http://www.ala.org/) for information on financial assistance for Library and Information Studies education.
Special Libraries Association (SLA). Visit the SLA website (https://www.sla.org/) for information about scholarships available through the SLA parent organization, and through SLA divisions and chapters.
Donations
Many of the McGill University School of Information Studies awards are made possible through generous donations from School alumni and community members. Interested in founding or contributing to a scholarship or award for School of Information Studies?