Ontario to create 3,300 new graduate spaces

Ontario says it’s committing $51.6 million to add some 3,300 graduate spaces at its universities over the next few years.

The government says the investment will enable more students to study in high-demand sectors such as engineering and environmental studies.

The money, from the $6.2-billion Reaching Higher program, will create 1,925 new master’s spaces and 1,373 new PhD spaces.

Ontario’s seven largest research universities will receive about 75 per cent of the new spots.

The University of Toronto will get the most with 588, followed by the University of Western Ontario with 504.

According to government estimates, seven out of 10 new jobs created in Ontario over the next decade will require post-secondary education or training.

“Ontario’s highly skilled workforce is our province’s greatest asset,” Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities John Milloy said in a release.

“By helping more Ontarians pursue higher education, we can strengthen our economy and attract the kind of jobs and investment that will build prosperity for all Ontario families.”

Here is a list of universities slated to receive the spaces and the allotments:

University of Toronto – 588

University of Western Ontario – 504

University of Waterloo – 461

McMaster University – 338

University of Ottawa – 277

Ryerson University – 289

University of Guelph – 232

York University – 168

Queen’s University – 97

University of Ontario Institute of Technology – 97

Wilfrid Laurier University – 68

Carleton University – 67

Lakehead University – 49

Laurentian University – 33

Trent University – 26

Ontario College of Art and Design – 6

University of Windsor – 4

– The Canadian Press