Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Health and Health Systems - Aging, Health and Well-Being

The program information below was valid for the winter 2022 term (January 1, 2022 - April 30, 2022). 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
• Program type 
  • Collaborative
  • Doctoral
  • Research
• Registration option(s) 
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
• Study option(s) 
  • Thesis

• Minimum requirements 
  • Normally a Master’s degree with a minimum 75% average in a field that is relevant to the area of aging, health and well-being (normally kinesiology, recreation and leisure studies or health studies and gerontology, but other degrees in life and social sciences could be suitable as well).
  • Submit a letter indicating reasons for pursuing graduate studies and a written statement outlining research interests.
• Application materials 
  • Résumé/Curriculum vitae
  • Supplementary information form
  • Transcript(s)
  • Writing sample
    • Students must submit a copy of previous academic work, such as copies of preprints, reprints, or master's thesis, or other evidence of written scholarly work.
• References 
  • Number of references:  3
  • Type of references: 

    academic

• English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Thesis option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Students must fulfill the minimum requirements of the PhD program in the School of Public Health Sciences (SPHS) and will normally complete a minimum of 9 one‐term (0.50 unit) graduate courses beyond an Honours Bachelor degree, including at least 4 courses beyond the Master’s degree. Course requirements are as follows:

  • HLTH 750 Fundamentals of Aging, Health and Well‐Being

  • 1 graduate level statistics/research methods course (1 of HLTH 704, HLTH 705, HLTH 706, or HLTH 719) with assignments and major projects focused on aging

  • HLTH 701 Interdisciplinary Seminar in Public Health and Health Systems with assignments and major projects focused on aging

  • 1 additional elective methods course related to aging, health, and well‐being

• At a minimum, students must obtain an average of 75% or higher in aggregate on the courses presented in fulfilment of the degree requirements. Grades on all courses presented to fulfill the degree requirements must be 70% or higher. A grade below 70% in any course or failing to maintain an average of 75% will necessitate a review of the student's status by the School and may result in a student being required to complete additional coursework or being required to withdraw from the program. The School reserves the right to stipulate additional coursework if it is necessary for the student's preparation.

Link(s) to courses

• Health Studies (HLTH) courses

Collaborative Research Seminar in Aging

• This seminar is a forum for student presentations about results of, or proposals for research. Invited speakers will also present results of research from time to time. Attendance at the seminar is required for two terms (i.e., during the candidates' first two years in the program). The range of topics that will be addressed in the seminar crosses all areas of investigation in the collaborative program. Grading will be on a credit/no credit basis.

PhD Comprehensive Examination

• Students are required to meet the University-level PhD Comprehensive Examination minimum requirements outlined in the “Minimum requirements for the PhD degree” section of the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar (GSAC), with certain noted differences that are specific to the Faculty of Health Comprehensive Examination minimum requirements:
  • Comprehensive examination purpose: Consistent with University-level minimum requirements. Note: In the Faculty of Health, the novel research topic is tested through a separate thesis proposal process.
  • Timing: Consistent with University-level minimum requirements.
  • Committee: Consistent with University-level minimum requirements with the exception that in the Faculty of Health, the composition of the comprehensive examining committee will be approved by the Associate Chair or Director, Graduate Studies for the student’s Department/School, as delegated by the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies. 
  • Who Chairs an examination: Consistent with University-level minimum requirements.
  • Format / Content: Consistent with University-level minimum requirements.
  • Academic integrity: Consistent with University-level minimum requirements.

• In addition to the University-level and Faculty-level PhD Comprehensive Examination minimum requirements, students in the PhD in Public Health and Health Systems - Aging, Health and Well-Being program must also note the following:
  • The purpose of the comprehensive examination is to test the breadth and depth of the candidate’s comprehension of the methodological and theoretical aspects of their field of study. The process is designed to enable candidates to acquire a solid grounding in their core area of public health research that will provide a foundation for undertaking dissertation research. The examination will also test the candidate’s ability to critically evaluate the literature and synthesize information from sources to identify knowledge gaps and recommend solutions.
  • The comprehensive examination consists of three written questions followed by an oral examination. The written questions must be completed within eight weeks from the start date and the oral defence should be completed within four weeks of submission of the written examination.

PhD Thesis

• A PhD thesis on an approved topic is required, which is to be defended in an oral examination. The research is to be conducted under the supervision of the student's supervisor and the advisory committee. The PhD thesis advisory committee consists of at least three members, with the supervisor and at least one other committee member being faculty from within the School of Public Health Sciences. 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.
• The thesis will be on a topic in an area relevant to aging, health, and well-being.

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, including performance in courses, 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.