Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Geography - Water

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
• Delivery mode 
  • On-campus
• Program type 
  • Collaborative
  • Doctoral
  • Research
• Registration option(s) 
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
• Study option(s) 
  • Thesis

• Minimum requirements 
  • A Master's degree in geography or equivalent, with at least an 80% average in all graduate work.
  • Exceptional students may be allowed to enter the PhD program directly from the Master's program. Such students must have completed all Master of Arts (MA)/Master of Environmental Studies (MES)/Master of Science (MSc) requirements except the thesis, have demonstrated a superior academic record and satisfied other conditions (details of which can be obtained from the Director of the Program).
• Application materials 
  • Résumé
  • Supplementary information form
  • Transcript(s)
• References 
  • Number of references:  3
  • Type of references: 

    academic references are required unless a professional reference is specified.

• English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Thesis option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Students must successfully complete the following graduate level courses (0.50 unit weight per course):
  • GEOG 800 Professional Skills Development for Doctoral Students
  • Water core courses:
    • WATER 601 Integrated Water Management
    • WATER 602 Integrated Water Management Project
• This degree is offered through the Collaborative Water Program. This program, jointly offered by a range of departments across several academic faculties, promotes the development of interdisciplinary perspectives on water. Collaborative Water Program students complete their specialist training in their respective home departments, while working with colleagues from a variety of other departments in core interdisciplinary courses (WATER 601 and WATER 602).
• Students who have already completed WATER 601 and WATER 602 as part of their Masters Water degree, must complete the following course requirement:
  • 1 graduate level water course from outside the student’s home Faculty agreed to by the student’s Supervisor and the Collaborative Water Program Director.
• Additional coursework may be assigned subject to the needs of individual students.
• Failure to obtain a final grade of at least 77% in each course will result in an automatic review of the student’s status in the program, which may require that the student withdraw from the program.

Link(s) to courses

• Geography (GEOG) courses
• Water (WATER) courses

Collaborative Research Seminar I

• Students are required to present a seminar on their thesis or major paper research proposal and, if appropriate, early stage results to current and past Water students and Water Institute faculty members. Seminars will normally occur following the completion of WATER 601 and WATER 602. Seminars will provide the opportunity for students to discuss how learnings from Water courses were applied in, or influenced, research proposals or research work in the student’s home department. Seminars will normally be poster presentations at Water Institute organized events. The seminar is not an oral examination of the thesis or paper; rather, its purpose is to develop the student's ability to communicate their research in an organized and informative manner.

Collaborative Research Seminar II

• Students who have completed the Collaborative Research Seminar 1 as part of their Masters Water degree, must complete the Collaborative Research Seminar 2.

• Students are required to present a seminar on their PhD thesis proposal to current and past water students and Water Institute faculty members. Seminars will normally occur following the completion of required courses and the comprehensive exam. Seminars should present how learnings from the Collaborative Water Program were applied in, or influenced, thesis proposals. Seminars will normally be poster presentations or talks at Water Institute organized events. The seminar is not an oral examination of the thesis proposal; rather, its purpose is to develop the student's ability to communicate their research in an organized and informative manner.

Collaborative Academic Contribution

• Students who have completed the Collaborative Water Program Research Seminar 1 as part of their Masters Water degree, must complete the Collaborative Academic Contribution milestone.

• Students are required to make an academic contribution to the Collaborative Water Program. The proposed contribution will be documented by the student and approved by the student’s Supervisor and the Collaborative Water Program Director. Potential contributions may include, but not be limited to:

  • Development of new or improved curricula or course content;

  • Delivery of a lecture(s);

  • Preparation of a publication;

  • Preparation of a case study;

  • Mentorship of a group of students.

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).

• In addition to the University-level PhD Comprehensive Examination minimum requirements, students in the PhD in Geography - Water program are also required to meet the following requirements:

  • The Comprehensive Examination includes both a written and an oral component. Normally the Examination involves the student writing answers to a question or questions over a period of three weeks. The answer(s) will not exceed 10,000 words, excluding the bibliography, abstract, figures and tables. In the oral component of the Examination, which normally lasts no longer than three hours, the student defends the written document. The topics to be covered and the format of the Examination are determined by the student’s Comprehensive Examination Committee, in consultation with the student. With the approval of the Waterloo-Laurier Graduate Program in Geography Committee, alternative formats for the Comprehensive Examination process may be permitted, provided they meet the objectives of the Comprehensive Examination.

  • The Comprehensive Examining Committee will consist of the student’s Advisor and three additional Examiners, one of whom will be from outside the Waterloo-Laurier Graduate Program in Geography (normally, this person will be internal to the University of Waterloo). The committee must contain at least two members of the Waterloo-Laurier Graduate Program in Geography. At least one member of the committee must be from the Geography Department at the University of Waterloo or Wilfred Laurier University.

PhD Thesis Proposal

• Students develop a thesis proposal that will be approved by their Supervisor and Comprehensive Examining Committee, normally before the end of the second year.

PhD Thesis

• Upon approval of the thesis proposal, students will then proceed to the research and writing of the thesis. Normally, students should complete and defend the thesis within four years of starting the program.