Make the most of the financial resources available to you as a UBC student.
Essays and Competitions
F.H. Soward Prizes
Two prizes of $100 each for the best two essays on any historical topic submitted by first year students enrolled in first year courses. Topics must be approved in advance by course instructors, and submitted to the scholarship committee in typewritten form. This competition is not running in the History Department for the 2023W year. Please contact the Political Science department for information about the Frederic H. Soward Memorial Fellowship.
Francis V. Lumb Prize
$1300 for best essay incorporating a critique of modern capitalism.
William G. Black Memorial Prize
$4,000 for the best essay on Canadian citizenship. Please send in submissions prior to May 2024.
The following prizes are adjudicated by the International Relations Committee.
Gerald N. Savory Memorial Prize ($250)
Mack Eastman United Nations Prize ($400)
The United Nations Prize ($175)
Scholarships and Prizes
Arts Undergraduate Society Bursary
$150 for an undergraduate student majoring in French, English, or History requiring financial assistance.
B.C. 1958 Centennial Scholarship
$1650 for a student entering third year in humanities or social sciences with an outstanding academic record.
Conway Summer Travel Scholarship in German History
A $5,950 summer travel scholarship has been endowed by Professor John Conway to commemorate thirty-eight years of teaching in the History Department. The award is offered to Honours or Graduate students in History or International Relations. Click the link for application details.
Edward and Marie Cook Memorial Prize
Prize of $200 awarded to an undergraduate student who has achieved a high academic standing in courses in Canadian History.
Jack Diamond Scholarship
$800 for a student in liberal arts.
Kathleen and Hugh Keenleyside Prize
Prize of $300 awarded to an outstanding graduating student specializing in Canadian History.
August Larson Memorial Prize
$100 for a first or second year student writing the best essay on an aspect of South Asian history or culture.
Fritz Lehmann Memorial Prize in History
Prize of $450 awarded to an undergraduate student for outstanding achievement in any third or fourth year course offered by the History Department which deals primarily with the history of Asia, Africa, or Latin America.
Eberts Mills McKechnie Scholarship
This scholarship of $700, established through a bequest from the late Chancellor R. E. McKechnie, is awarded on the recommendation of the Department of History to the undergraduate entering the final year who is considered to be the most deserving and meritorious student in the field of History.
Hector Gordon Munro Scholarship
A scholarship of $1,200 has been endowed by the late Blanche Bailey, B.A. '27, in memory of her husband, Hector Gordon Munro, B.A. '27, President of Arts '27, who died in 1957. In her freshman year, Blanche Bailey was Vice-President of Arts '27. The award is made on the recommendation of the Department, to a student in History, entering his or her final year in the B.A. program.
Native Daughters of British Columbia Scholarship
A scholarship of $1,450 has been endowed by the Native Daughters of British Columbia to a Canadian born graduate or undergraduate student doing research on the early history of British Columbia. The award is made on the recommendation of the Department of History.
J.H. Stewart Reid Medal and Prize in Honours History
In memory of J. H. Stewart Reid, B.A., M.A. (Brit. Col.), Ph.D. (Toronto), LL.D. (Manitoba), and in tribute to his fine personal qualities, his academic excellence, especially in the field of history, and his services as Executive Secretary of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, Ottawa, a gold medal is offered by his sister, Colina Stewart Reid. They are awarded to the student graduating with the most outstanding record in honours history.
John and Annie Southcott Prize
Prize of $300 normally awarded to a fourth year student or to a graduate proceeding to a higher degree, but may be awarded to a third year student, possessing exceptional aptitude for research and pursuing some approved investigation in B.C. history.
Gilbert Tucker Memorial Prize
Prize of $125 awarded to the leading student in the field of the French in North America, enrolled in History 307 or 401.
Gilbert N. Tucker Memorial Scholarship
Scholarships totaling $7,000 have been endowed through a bequest by Gordon R. Elliott in memory of Gilbert N. Tucker (1898-1955), who served this University as scholar, historian and teacher. The awards are made on the recommendation of the Department of History to students majoring or honouring in History.
Leslie Upton Memorial Prize
$300 for a third or fourth year student majoring in History, Medieval Studies, or International Relations who has written the best essay in a competitive examination organized by History.
Women’s Canadian Club of Vancouver Scholarship in Canadian History
A scholarship of $350, endowed by the Women's Canadian Club of Vancouver, is awarded to the undergraduate student entering fourth year, who earned the highest standing among students enrolled in courses in Canadian History, in the preceding Winter Session.
Margaret A. Ormsby Memorial Scholarship
Scholarships totalling $4,300 have been endowed through a bequest by Gordon R. Elliott in memory of Dr. Margaret Anchoretta Ormsby, C.M., O.B.C. (1909-1996) for students in the Department of History. A distinguished B.C. historian, Dr. Ormsby began her teaching career at UBC in 1943 and served as Head of the Department of History from 1965 to 1974. The awards are made on the recommendation of the Department.
Alice H. Sorila Memorial Scholarship
A scholarship of $1,750 has been endowed by Eero Antero Sorila (B.A. History '86) in memory of his mother. The award is offered to a student in History and is made on the recommendation of the Department of History, and in the case of graduate students, in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Orville Lloyd Wilmot Memorial Scholarship
Scholarships totalling $10,950 have been endowed by the Estate of Orville Lloyd Wilmot. The awards are made on the recommendation of the Department of History and in the case of graduate students, in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
BC Jewish History Research Prize
Scholarship of $500 for works of scholarship and public history projects making substantial use of the BC Jewish Community Archives. Such works can include but are not limited to: a published or unpublished essay of up to 10,000 words, an exhibit (either online or physical), or a documentary film.
For further inquiries on funding opportunities, please contact your student services and your Enrollment Services Advisor.