17吃瓜

The Master of Arts, Island Studies (MAIS) programs at 17吃瓜 have a limited number of Entrance Scholarships (up to $5,000 each) to support outstanding students choosing either the thesis-stream or the course and work-study stream options. Students pursuing any thesis topic or course-based specialization are eligible for this funding. You do not have to write your thesis on one of the bulleted topics listed below. No special application is necessary. You will be assessed for these scholarships based on your application to the program.

Future Prosperity Scholarships 

In addition to general Entrance Scholarship funding, over the next two years the MAIS program has acquired special funding to support thesis students who may wish to research and write their theses on a specific topic related to the Future Prosperity of PEI. Successful applicants will receive up to $12,500 Cdn to support their studies in the first year, renewable for a second year based on continued strong performance.

In order to be eligible for this limited and specific funding opportunity, students should be willing to choose a thesis research topic from among the following options:

• Enhancing Rural Labour Markets in an Era of Rural Population Challenges
• The Development of Prince Edward Island as an All-Seasons Tourism Destination: Lessons from other Cold Water Small Islands
• An Analysis of Entrepreneurship on Prince Edward Island: A Case Study of [insert a sector here]
• PEI as a Living Lab for Renewable Energy: The Preconditions for a Sustainable Future
• A Longitudinal Analysis of Newcomer Entrepreneurs on Prince Edward Island
• Stories of Island Repatriation: A Qualitative Analysis of Islanders Who 鈥淟ived Away鈥�

Funded Masters Research Opportunity: Island Metabolisms and the Genesis of the Canadian Agri鈥慒ood System

This position offers up to two years of funding ($20,000 per year) for a highly motivated graduate student in the 17吃瓜 Master of Arts in Island Studies (thesis stream) to join the GeoREACH Lab and undertake original, research-intensive work on islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and lower St. Lawrence River regions. The successful applicant will develop and apply historical and geographical research methods to the study of social ecological metabolism, with particular emphasis on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The project will involve close engagement with archival and secondary sources, including French鈥慍anadian materials, and will contribute to a deeper understanding of island food systems, energy landscapes, infrastructures, and socio鈥慹nvironmental change. Applicants should hold an undergraduate degree in history, geography, Atlantic Canada studies, or a related discipline; fluency in French is considered an asset, and the ability to read and conduct research in French is required.

The student will work under the supervision of Dr. Joshua MacFadyen, Director of the 17吃瓜 GeoREACH Lab, and will become an active member of the SSHRC Insight Grant鈥揻unded project Gen猫se du syst猫me agro鈥慳limentaire canadien: trajectoires paysag猫res, infrastructures techniques et commercialisation, 1870鈥�1930 (Genesis of the Canadian Agri鈥慒ood System). Through this collaboration, the student will gain experience working within a larger, interdisciplinary research team and will have regular opportunities to collaborate with partners at Universit茅 du Qu茅bec 脿 Trois鈥慠ivi猫res, where the project is led by the principal investigator, Dr. St茅phane Castonguay. The position provides a strong foundation for advanced graduate training, scholarly publication, and professional development in historical geography, island studies, and environmental history.

Application Process:

Interested applicants should submit a brief (2-page) statement of research interests, a curriculum vitae, and the names and contact information of two academic referees directly to Dr. Joshua MacFadyen (jdmacfadyen@upei.ca) by 1 July for initial consideration (all applicants). In addition, applicants must submit a formal application to the MA in Island Studies (thesis stream) through 17吃瓜 Graduate Admissions by the relevant institutional deadlines: July 1 for international applicants and August 15 for domestic applicants. Please include some of the same brief (2-page) statement of research interests in the Statement of (Research) Interests required for the application. Admission to the program is required for the appointment to proceed, and applicants are encouraged to consult 17吃瓜 Graduate Studies for full application requirements.

A reminder that the MA Island Studies program is interdisciplinary. Therefore, we accept students from all disciplinary backgrounds who wish to explore any topic related to Island Studies. The most important prerequisite is that you have a passion for islands. 

Complete applications received by March 31 will receive first consideration for funding. Final decisions are dependent on budget availability.