If you want to pursue research in an area not formally approved as a UVic graduate degree program, it's possible to have a unique and individual program approved for interdisciplinary study (INTD).

The INTD graduate adviser will be your key contact in Graduate Studies for the duration of your program. Be sure to contact them at intdadv@uvic.ca before you start the process of applying for an INTD graduate program.

Admission requirements

• GPA of 7.0/A-
• Must meet the minimum admission requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies

Admission deadlines

• May 15 for September entry
• September 30 for January entry
• January 31 for May entry

All four parts must be complete and submitted by the application deadline.

The application procedure is also available as a pdf.

Student application procedure:

Program outline and requirements 

(a) Changes to your program

The coursework, candidacy and thesis or dissertation as outlined in the individual INTD program proposal and approved by the INTD admissions committee serves as the contractual agreement between you and the university designating the degree requirements. Therefore, any changes to a degree program or supervisory committee following admission must be formally approved by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies. 

(b) Required and elective courses

The program may include a combination of required and elective courses. All required and elective courses must be specified on the program form. Courses may be listed as a choice or several options (e.g. one of PSYC 517, BIOL 550E or ANTH 500: 1.5 units).

Your official record will indicate the program as interdisciplinary (INTD). Any project, comprehensive examinations, thesis or dissertation will carry the prefix INTD.

The degree program can consist of appropriate INTD courses as listed below as well as regular courses from other departments:

• INTD 580 Directed Studies
• INTD 599 Master's Thesis
• INTD 680 Directed Studies (PhD)
• INTD 693 Candidacy Examination
• INTD 699 PhD Dissertation

(c) Directed readings courses (INTD 580 for master's level and INTD 680 for PhD level)

On your application, directed readings or individual study courses must be outlined with a course title and course description (as found in the calendar for regular courses). Directed readings require a pro forma form for registration.  

(d) Western dean’s agreement

The primary purpose of this agreement is the reciprocal enrichment of graduate programs throughout Western Canada. Under its terms, graduate students of member universities may take courses at another member institution—which are not available at their home institution—for credit in their graduate programs.

• Application form
• Application procedures

(d) Transfer credit

On the recommendation of the supervisory committee and the INTD admissions committee, the Faculty of Graduate Studies may accept courses for which credit has been granted at other accredited and recognized post-secondary institutions. However, at least half of the program units must be completed as a degree candidate in the Faculty of Graduate Studies at UVic.

Eligible transfer credit will normally be assigned as part of the admission process. There is no reduction in the minimum program fee or number of fee instalments required for students who are granted transfer fee credit.

PhD individual INTD programs:

• Programs must consist of a minimum of 30 units if you have a master’s degree, 45 units if you do not a have a master’s degree.
• No more than 3.0 units of work at the senior baccalaureate level may be taken for credit.
• Total credits include credit unit values of coursework, candidacy and dissertation combined.
• The PhD thesis (INTD 699) must count for between 15.0 and 30.0 units.
• The program must include INTD 693 (candidacy examination): 3.0 units.

(a) Supervisory committee

• Faculty members from two academic units must be designated as academic co-supervisors.
• In addition to the co-supervisors, the supervisory committee must also include at least one other member from a relevant field of study.
• Any changes to a supervisory committee must be made in writing and approved by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.

(b) Candidacy examinations (INTD 693)

The candidacy exam is intended to demonstrate a student’s knowledge of their field of study and their ability to undertake the research.

A description of the specific candidacy plan for the proposed program must be included in the program proposal. It must be successfully completed within the first three years of your registration.

The candidacy exam includes both a written and oral component. The format of the examination may vary based on the specific circumstances.

About the written component:

• It is intended to provide a foundation for the future research project.
• The format will normally include two or more papers outlining the scholarly context and relevant research methodology or a plan outlining the proposed research for the PhD dissertation that includes a summary of relevant existing research and literature and a bibliography.
• Alternative models, if deemed necessary, will be decided upon during the first semester of the student’s registration.
• A copy is distributed to the supervisory committee for approval prior to the oral exam.

About the oral examination:

• The exam begins with a presentation of the research topic, including its relevance to the current scholarly context.
• The presentation is followed with questions related to the written submission and planned research.

(c) The dissertation (INTD 699):

• The dissertation must embody original work and constitute a significant contribution to knowledge in the candidate’s field of study.
• It should contain evidence of broad knowledge of the relevant literature, and demonstrate a critical understanding of the works of scholars closely related to the subject of the dissertation.
• Material embodied in the dissertation should, in the opinion of scholars in the field, merit publication.
• The general form and style may vary but all dissertations shall be presented in a form which constitutes an integrated submission.
• It may include materials already published by the candidate, whether alone or in conjunction with others.
• Previously published materials must be integrated into the dissertation, while at the same time distinguish the student’s own work from the work of other researchers.

(d) Time allowed

An INTD PhD is normally completed in three to five years and must be completed within seven years.

MA or MSc individual INTD programs

• Master’s degrees must consist of a minimum of 15 units, 12 of which must be at graduate level.
• Courses numbered at the 100 and 200 level may be included in the program as prerequisites but will be indicated on the student's record as FNC (For No Credit on a graduate program).
• Any senior undergraduate courses (courses numbered 300-499) included must be pertinent to the program. They must be in addition to the minimum 12 units of graduate credits required in all master's degree programs.
• The master’s thesis (INTD 599) must count for between 4.5 and 12.0 units.

(a) Supervisory committee

• Supervisory committee members from two academic units must be designated as academic co-supervisors.
• In addition to the co-supervisors, the supervisory committee must also include at least one other member from a relevant field of study.
• Any changes to a degree program or supervisory committee must be made in writing and approved by the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.

(b) Thesis (INTD 599)

• The thesis is an original piece of work that demonstrates a student’s understanding of, and capacity to, employ research methods appropriate to their field of study.
• It should normally include a general overview of relevant literature in the field of study, be well organized and academically written.
• It may be based on a body of original data produced by the student or an original research exercise conducted using scholarly literature or data produced and made available by others.
• Guidelines for master’s thesis preparation and completion and submission can be found here (document requirements) and here (submission guidelines).

(c) Time allowed

An INTD master's degree is normally completed in two years and must be completed in five years.

You may be interested in undertaking interdisciplinary studies as part of a regular existing program that is interdisciplinary in nature. These programs include:

• Dispute resolution
• Indigenous governance
• Studies in policy and practice
• Programs in cultural, social, and political thought (specifically English, history, political science or sociology)
• Social dimensions of health

You might want to enroll in a program within a regular academic unit and engage in interdisciplinary research supervised by a faculty member associated with a research centre.

These UVic research centres include:

• British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies
• Centre for Addiction Research
• Centre for Advanced Materials and Related Technology
• Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives
• Centre for Biomedical Research
• Centre for Earth and Ocean Research
• Centre for Global Studies
• Centre for Forest Biology
• Centre for Health Promotion
• Centre for Studies in Religion and Society
• Centre for Youth and Society
• Centre on Aging

What support is available?

UVic Co-op and Career can support you through every stage of your career development, through:

• One-on-one career guidance
• Career development programs and workshops
• On-campus networking opportunities with employers
• Online work search resources
• Competency development and assessment

Looking for work?

Apply for all types of job opportunities at learninginmotion.uvic.ca.