Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Kinesiology and Health Sciences

The program information below was valid for the winter 2023 term (January 1, 2023 - April 30, 2023). 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
  • Winter
  • Spring
• Delivery mode 
  • On-campus
• Length of program 
  • Must be completed within 12 terms (full time) from completion of the Master’s degree.
  • Students must have permission of the Department Graduate Committee to continue enrolment beyond term limits.
  • Students are expected to devote as much time as is necessary to complete their thesis within this timeline.
  • Students must be continuously enrolled at the University to the end of the term in which they complete the degree requirements.
• Program type 
  • Doctoral
  • Research
• Registration option(s) 
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
• Study option(s) 
  • Thesis

• Minimum requirements 
  • A Master's degree with a minimum 75% average in a relevant field (normally Kinesiology or a discipline related to their area of concentration).
  • Letter stating research interests and why the student wishes to pursue graduate studies.
• Application materials 
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Supplementary information form
  • Transcript(s)
  • Writing sample
    • Submit one copy of a term paper, research project, or thesis written during the students last year of Master's studies.
• References 
  • Number of references:  3
  • Type of references: 

    from faculty members who taught the student while in a Master's program. Normally, 1 must be from the Master’s supervisor.

• English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Thesis option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Since students' backgrounds are expected to differ considerably, course requirements will vary. However, a minimum of 3.00 units of graduate courses (e.g., 6 courses each at a 0.50 unit weight) beyond an Honours Bachelor degree is required. Of these, at least 0.50 units must be related to quantitative or qualitative analysis, such as research methods, modelling, mathematics, or statistics.
• The course requirements will be determined in consultation with the candidate's supervisor and Advisory Committee. Students pursuing one of the program's Graduate Research Fields, should inform their supervisor(s) of their chosen field to ensure appropriate course selection.
• All graduate courses must be assigned a numerical grade. Students must obtain an average of at least 75% in the set of courses which they present in fulfilment of course requirements. A grade below 70% on any individual course or an average below 75% on the set of courses for the degree will result in a review of the student’s status by the Department Graduate Committee. If a student receives a grade in any individual course below 60%, the Department Graduate Committee review may result in the requirement to withdraw from the program. If the student is permitted to proceed, any course with a grade below 60% will not be eligible towards the degree requirements, thus requiring the course to be repeated or additional course work to be completed.

Link(s) to courses

• Kinesiology (KIN) courses

PhD Seminar

• Students are required to complete a series of academic and discipline-specific seminars throughout their program of study.

PhD Professional Development Seminar

• Students are required to complete a series of professional development seminars and workshops throughout their program of study.

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.

PhD Thesis

• Thesis Proposal: Following successful completion of the comprehensive exam, each student will be required to compete a PhD thesis proposal. The proposal involves a written document related to the student’s thesis area. The thesis project and proposal are developed in consultation with the supervisor. Each student must orally defend the thesis proposal to the Advisory Committee consisting of the supervisor (or co-supervisors), and two other members (one of which must be from the home Department). A chair to oversee the oral thesis proposal defense will be appointed by the Department.
• Thesis Defence: Each student is required to submit a thesis embodying the results of original research carried out under the direction of an Advisory Committee headed by the supervisor. The candidate defends the thesis before an Examining Committee approved by the Department Graduate Committee. The Examining Board should consist of the Advisory Committee (see thesis proposal above), an additional member that is external to the Department (referred to as the internal-external), and finally an additional member that is external to the University (referred to as the external examiner).
• Students may also wish to pursue one of the following Graduate Research Fields:
  • Biomechanics
  • Neuroscience
  • Physiology and Nutrition
• A Graduate Research Field is a University credential that is recognized on the student’s transcript and is intended to reflect that a student has successfully completed research concentrated in the area of the Graduate Research Field. For the Graduate Research Field in Biomechanics, KIN 713 is a required course. The Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences (e.g., student’s supervisor(s) and Examining Committee, the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies) must assess whether a student’s completed research warrants the field designation at the time of degree completion. To obtain the Graduate Research Field, students must also complete the requirements associated with the PhD degree. Students will be limited to one Graduate Research Field designation for their PhD in Kinesiology and Health Sciences degree.

Other requirements 

• Student evaluation: A review of each student's progress by both the supervisor and Department Graduate Committee takes place each year. Students are evaluated on several criteria, including performance in courses, progress towards course and milestone completion, thesis progress, scholarly activity, and research and teaching assistantship activity.