The PhD program in the Applied Health Sciences is a four-year (12 terms) research-based graduate program. Our students gain in-depth training, knowledge, and research experience through their thesis work, while also benefiting from the broad, cross-disciplinary approach followed in coursework and the scope and diversity of the research options available.
The PhD program is centered in the development of knowledge through the discovery and evaluation of evidence related to the health and well-being of individuals and groups.
The overall goals of the program are to develop well-trained individuals who think creatively, are able to evaluate critically (both their own work and that of others), and are capable of conducting research and scholarship at the forefront of their chosen field.
Students participate in an individualized program of study, including mentorship-style learning and concentrated inquiry in an area of interest.
Coursework emphasizes a broad approach to the subject area, with particular attention to research techniques and the application of research methodology, current paradigms, and related conceptual, philosophical, and theoretical issues in health science research.
Specializations:
- Behavioural and Population Health
- Health Biosciences
- Social and Cultural Health Studies
To be eligible for admission, applicants must have completed a thesis-oriented master’s degree or equivalent with at least a B+ standing from a recognized university in a discipline appropriate to the intended field of doctoral study.
Applicants whose primary language is not English, or who have not completed three or more years of post-secondary work at a Canadian institution, at which English is the primary language of instruction, must provide certification of English language proficiency. For further information, please refer to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs website.
The Faculty of Applied Health Sciences normally accepts only full-time degree students.
Our funding packages consist of a combination of various sources of funding. All doctoral students are provided with a graduate fellowship, research fellowship and a teaching/research assistantship in one of the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences’ five departments at entry.
More information on graduate scholarship and award opportunities is available on the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs website.
Applications for the September 2024 intake will be accepted beginning October 2023. Applications are due on February 15, 2024.
All parts of the application must be completed by the application deadline date to be considered in the first round of offers.
There is no January intake.
Before you apply,
- Please review our faculty directory to learn which of our faculty researchers shares your research interests. The asterisk beside each faculty name denotes the graduate degree program they supervise.
- Contact possible supervisors to discuss mutual research interests.
- Please review the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs website for instructions to submit your application and required documentation. An application to the PhD program is a multi-step process.
Success in achieving the program goals is evaluated through:
- a completion of course requirements
- a comprehensive examination (including both written and oral components) of a defined area of knowledge within the first 15 to 18 months of enrollment in the program
- a formal thesis proposal defence to the student’s Supervisory Committee
- a Faculty oral defence conducted by the student’s Supervisory Committee, and
- a final University oral defence, which includes both an Internal and an External Examiner.
- Academic career
- Health analyst
- Health and Sport Administrator
- Health professional
- Positions in hospitals and clinics
- Research career