Funding and Entrance Fellowships

Support for incoming graduate students comes in various forms: Faculty Fellowships, awards established by alumni, Graduate Excellence Fellowships, major competitive fellowships, awards to reduce international fees (differential fee waivers), and research assistantships with professors and research centres.

Funding guidelines for incoming DCL and LLM students

DCL candidates

Our package for students entering in 2023 to 2024 guarantees DCL students four years of tuition payments. We will also provide $20,000 of guaranteed funding for living expenses ($5,000 per year for four years), plus a potential $39,000 of supplemental funding spread across a four-year period (payable if students do not have external grant support). Students are expected to apply for federal and provincial grants for which they are eligible; the Graduate Programs Office assists students with their applications. Please note that students are responsible for paying all other student fees besides tuition (student society fees, student services charges, copyright fee, dental insurance, health insurance, etc.). Funding and its renewal beyond 2023-2024 are conditional upon maintaining satisfactory standing in the DCL program. Funding amounts are based on annual budgets and funding package amounts for future incoming students may vary.

LLM candidates

We have very limited internal funding for LLM students aside from a few special fellowships (e.g. Research Group on Health and Law and O’Brien Fellowships). Most LLM students will receive no funding from the Faculty. You should plan your affairs on the basis that you will not receive funding.

Master's students should also look into the McCall MacBain Scholarships, which are destined for Master's Programs at McGill University.

External funding

All graduate students are encouraged and expected to apply for all external scholarships and fellowships for which they are eligible. For a list of graduate student funding opportunities, consult McGill University's Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website. Eligible LLM students are encouraged to apply for external McCall MacBain Scholarships.

Important: The funding packages of students receiving external awards (SSHRC, FQRSC, Vanier, etc.) may be reduced in order to distribute financial support more widely to the graduate student community, all while recognizing the effort undertaken to obtain external funding.

Law entrance fellowships with a competitive selection process

Research Group on Health and Law Graduate Research Fellowship

The RGHL invites applications for its graduate fellowships from LLM (with thesis) and DCL applicants (2023–2024 academic year) planning to write a thesis on topics associated with the RGHL’s research interests.

Application deadline

January 31 (questions may be addressed to rghl.law [at] mcgill.ca)

Interdisciplinary work on health-related topics

The RGHL is a research network that seeks to foster the sharing of scholarship and ideas among professors and students and encourages collaborative work on health-related issues. It also seeks to build interdisciplinary bridges across the University with colleagues working on health-related topics. Finally, it aims to provide students with a breadth of opportunities for pursuing intellectual endeavors in the field of health law through course work, independent research, graduate studies, or extracurricular engagements.

Learn more about our members’ research interests.

Stipend

LLM (with thesis) candidates: $2,500. DCL candidates: $5,000.

Requirements

• Admission to the LLM (with thesis) or DCL program at the Faculty of Law of McGill University
• Completion of undergraduate-level studies in law
• LLM or DCL research project with a focus on law and health or health policy

Application process

Candidates must apply to the above programs through the regular McGill LLM and DCL graduate application process. In addition, candidates must fill out the “RGHL Graduate Fellowship” application form. Successful applicants will be notified following their admission to their chosen graduate program.

O’Brien Fellowships for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism

The O'Brien Fellowships were established in 2005 through a very generous gift from David O’Brien (BCL’65), for outstanding graduate students studying in the area of human rights and legal pluralism in the Faculty of Law.

These renewable entrance fellowships are awarded annually by the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies upon recommendation of the Faculty of Law. Fellows become members of the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism.

Application deadline

January 1st, 2024

Eligibility

• Candidates must be registered in the LLM or DCL program in the Faculty of Law of McGill University in the academic year.
• Only candidates with an outstanding academic record will be considered.
• There is no restriction based on citizenship or age.

Selection criteria

• Academic excellence.
• Originality of the proposed research in the field of human rights and legal pluralism.
• Availability of supervision in the Faculty of Law.
• Diversity of candidates and topics.

Application procedure

Applicants must submit an O’Brien Fellowship application by email (grad.law [at] mcgill.ca) to the Graduate Studies Office of the Faculty of Law by the deadline for application for admission to the LLM or DCL program.

Call for Applications
O'Brien Fellowship Application Form [.docx]

Value and tenure

Value: maximum of $35,000 per annum for DCL students, renewable twice (if eligibility is maintained); maximum of $25,000 per annum for LLM students, tenable for 1 year.

Renewal

Renewal for doctoral students is subject to both maintaining good standing in the program and providing a satisfactory tracking report.