New Faculty of Science scholarship to accelerate careers, opportunities in digital technology grad programs

Science offers three professional graduate programs in data science and analytics, information security, and privacy, and most recently, quantum computing. The Be the First scholarship offers up to $12,000 toward tuition for Canadian students pursuing those programs through the Faculty of Science.

The programs are designed for working professionals and recent graduates, and can each be taken as one-year course-based master’s, graduate diplomas, and graduate certificates. In recognition of the importance of Alberta’s growing quantum ecosystem, students in that program will be eligible for an additional $2,500 scholarship, for a total of $14,500.

“The Faculty of Science is pleased to offer this scholarship,” says Dr. Kristin Baetz, dean of science at UCalgary. “We work closely with partners throughout Calgary’s high-tech ecosystem, and these three areas— data science, cybersecurity, and quantum computing — have a massive demand for talent. 

“These scholarships will support our industry partners with highly trained graduates while further cementing UCalgary as one of Canada’s leading providers of graduate-level digital training… it’s a win-win.”

Scholarship offered over the course of laddered program

The full $12,000 Be the First scholarship will be paid out to master’s students over the course of their training. This will see them follow a laddered pathway beginning with the graduate certificate, then the graduate diploma, and finally the master’s. Students will receive a portion of the scholarship during the certificate and diploma even if they don’t pursue the full master’s.

The Be the First scholarship will apply to students beginning in the Fall 2024 and Winter 2025 cohorts, and the Faculty of Science hopes to be able to extend it for an additional year as well. Registration for these terms is now open.

The scholarship reflects the various “firsts” students can achieve with this kind of training, says Dr. Justin MacCallum, dean of graduate scholars in the Faculty of Science. 

“They might be the first one to bring this type of training to their company. They might be first to address a problem in a certain way, or to create a digital system that leads to better security, insight, or efficiency,” he explains. 

“We want to help make these firsts possible for them, which is what the scholarship is all about.”

Learn more at upcoming highlight week events March 11-15

These exciting graduate programs will be on full display during the upcoming Spotlight Week, running from March 11 to 15. Current UCalgary students can register for Pizza, Pop, and Professional Graduate Programs event on Tuesday, March 12. Doors open at 4:45 p.m. in Science Theatres 143. The event will feature presentations about the programs and scholarships, as well as free food and beverages for all attendees.

“These programs are an excellent way for current students to add a major credential in just one year after graduating,” says MacCallum. “They are pointed directly at areas of significant industry need, and the curricula are closely aligned with leading theory and practice in these fields.”

MacCallum also notes that because the programs are industry oriented, they’re open to a wide variety of backgrounds. “Even though these are programs in digital technology, you don’t necessarily need a computer science background to get in,” he says. 

“Applicants from any science background, engineering, or business will be well positioned to succeed in these courses if they have some basic experience with computer programming.”

Students are invited to learn more by registering to attend the March 12 event.