Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Recreation and Leisure Studies

The program information below was valid for the spring 2017 term (May 1, 2017 - August 31, 2017). This is the archived version; the most up-to-date program information is available through the current Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

The Graduate Studies Academic Calendar is updated 3 times per year, at the start of each academic term (January 1, May 1, September 1). Graduate Studies Academic Calendars from previous terms can be found in the archives.

• Admit term(s) 
  • Fall
• Delivery mode 
  • On-campus
• Length of program 
  • Normally the doctoral program will be three-four years (9-12 terms), which is consistent with other PhD programs in the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. The University time limit for completion is four years (12 terms). Students must obtain permission from the Department Graduate Committee and the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, to continue registration beyond this 12 term limit.
• Program type 
  • Doctoral
  • Research
• Registration option(s) 
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
• Study option(s) 
  • Thesis

• Minimum requirements 
  • A Master of Arts (MA) degree, (or its equivalent) in Recreation and Leisure Studies or related field, with a minimum 75% average in master's level coursework.
  • Completion of an MA thesis.
  • Each applicant must submit a written statement outlining their research interests.
  • Students seeking admission to the PhD program should indicate in the letter of application who would be appropriate as a faculty advisor. Based on student and faculty research interests and availability, each student will be assigned an interim advisor when first admitted. This interim advisor, in consultation with the Graduate Officer, will assist in determining an individualized program of study for the student. The interim advisor may become the supervisor for the comprehensive examination and for the doctoral thesis.
• Application materials 
  • Résumé/Curriculum vitae
    • Indicating past academic and professional experience.
  • Supplementary information form
  • Transcript(s)
  • Writing sample
    • Students must submit a copy of previous academic work, such as a term paper, published manuscript or master's thesis.
• References 
  • Number of references:  3
  • Type of references: 

    academic

• English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Thesis option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Doctoral students are required to take a minimum of 9 graduate courses (0.50 unit weight) beyond the Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) level. These must include:
  • At least 1 course in each of the three areas of research (Administration and Management Services, Leisure Behaviour and Cultural Resources, and Recreation and Leisure Resources).
  • REC 792 Advanced Research Methods.
  • The doctoral seminar REC 700 (The Interplay of Behaviour, Resources, and Policy in Leisure Studies).
• Students entering the PhD program following completion of the MA degree in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo, or its equivalent, will usually have already completed 6 of the 9 required courses, and therefore will need a minimum of 4 additional (0.50 unit weight) graduate courses. Elective courses can be taken either within or outside the Department, and can be at either the 600 or 700 level.

Link(s) to courses

• Recreation and Leisure Studies (REC) courses

Academic Integrity Workshop

PhD Comprehensive Examination

• The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to ensure that doctoral students have a broad and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the field of Recreation and Leisure Studies, including: (1) different epistemological, methodological, and analytical approaches used within the field, and (2) one or more of the broad substantive areas of leisure studies. The process is designed to enable candidates to develop/acquire a solid grounding in and understanding of leisure studies. This process then provides a foundation for the critical analysis demanded by the dissertation proposal and final defence.
• The comprehensive examination process normally will be completed over a period of six months. It involves both a written and an oral component. The comprehensive examination cannot be taken until all of the course requirements have been satisfied. The initiation of this examination is required normally within 16 months (4 terms) of admission and must be completed before submitting a thesis proposal. A comprehensive examination committee is comprised of at least three faculty members selected by the Departmental Graduate Studies Committee in consultation with the candidate.

PhD Thesis

• A PhD thesis proposal is required of all PhD students after passing the comprehensive examinations, and before proceeding to data collection. The proposal should contain a detailed statement of the research problem and its significance for a body of leisure-related theory, a precise account of the methodology or research techniques to be employed, plus a detailed outline of the proposed data analyzes. The candidate will be required to present and defend this proposal before the thesis committee. The final thesis report based on the completed research must also be successfully defended to satisfy the thesis requirement. The PhD thesis advisory committee is comprised of the supervisor and two committee members who normally will be drawn from faculty members of the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies. The proposal will be defended before the thesis committee; however, upon completion of the thesis, the final document will be defended before a five person Examination Board made up of the supervisor, three other members of the University community (two of whom are normally the advisory committee members and one other individual from outside the home department), and an external examiner.

Other requirements 

• Student evaluation: a review of each student's progress takes place during the month of May each year. Students are evaluated on several criteria, i.e., coursework and resulting grades, progress with regard to the comprehensive examination and thesis work and, where appropriate, reports submitted by the students regarding their research and teaching assistantship activity. A grade average of at least 75% must be maintained.