PhD in Child, Youth, Family & Community Studies

Are you ready to lead research that transforms the field of Child & Youth Care? In this program, you will engage deeply with critical theory and interdisciplinary knowledge to drive systemic improvements in the lives of children, youth, families and communities.

This program will prepare you to be a scholar and leader in your field. Our graduates are researchers, educators, and system-level change-makers—driving innovation in policy, advocacy, human services and academia.

Academic calendar

Admission requirements

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How to apply

Justice-oriented scholarship

Upholding decolonial ethics
As a PhD student, you’ll advance scholarship that prioritizes responsibilities to local First Peoples while contributing to the wellbeing, resurgence and self-determination of Indigenous nations globally.

Applying critical theory in action
You’ll engage deeply with frameworks such as intersectionality, critical race theory, Indigenous studies, and critical disability studies—building research that challenges exclusion and promotes equity across diverse identities.

Interdisciplinary knowledge & impact

Engaging across disciplines
Expand beyond traditional boundaries by integrating decolonial, critical, and justice-focused perspectives into interdisciplinary research. Your work will address local, national, and global issues affecting children, youth, families and communities.

Mobilizing knowledge for change
Transform research into action through innovative knowledge mobilization strategies. You’ll develop the skills to connect research, policy and practice in ways that lead to meaningful, lasting social impact.

Leadership for systems change

Leading with responsiveness and collaboration
Develop the capacity to lead within complex human service systems, academia, government, and community organizations. Your scholarship will prepare you to guide responsive, relational and collaborative change.

Driving advocacy and innovation
Graduates are equipped to influence systemic transformation—whether in education, research, or policy—bringing forward ethical, strengths-based approaches that center children, youth, families and communities.

Courses

The PhD in Child and Youth Care offers a curriculum designed to prepare you for transformative scholarship and leadership in contexts where children, youth, families and communities experience complex challenges. Courses combine rigorous academic foundations with critical, justice-oriented practice.

Core Courses (7.5 units)

You’ll complete a set of doctoral-level courses that ground you in advanced theory, interdisciplinary research design and applied practice:

CYC 641 - Generating Critical, Interdisciplinary Knowledge in CYFCS (1.5 units)
CYC 644 - Research Design and Knowledge Mobilization in CYFCS (1.5 units)
CYC 682B - Applied Internship in CYFCS (3.0 units)
CYC 680 - Doctoral Seminar in CYFCS (1.5 units)

Candidacy (3.0 units)

Before beginning dissertation research, you’ll demonstrate mastery of your field through candidacy examinations:

CYC 693 - Candidacy Exams (3.0 units)
Two written papers—one focused on your substantive research area, the other on methodology—are followed by an oral examination. Successful completion confirms your readiness to advance to independent doctoral research.

Dissertation (18.0–19.5 units)

The culmination of the program is an original dissertation that makes a significant scholarly contribution to the field:

CYC 699 - PhD Dissertation (18.0–19.5 units)
Your dissertation should demonstrate broad knowledge of the literature, a critical understanding of related scholarship, and the capacity to generate original, publishable work. The process concludes with a final oral examination.

Visit the academic calendar to see the full course listing for this program.

Find a supervisor

From the start of your program, you’ll be matched with a supervisor who shares your research interests and goals. Your supervisor will be your mentor and collaborator, helping you sharpen your topic, choose the right methods and build a strong supervisory committee.

Together, you’ll design a clear path forward: setting timelines, planning regular check-ins and feedback cycles, and preparing for key milestones such as ethics review (if needed), your proposal and your defense.

Find a supervisor

Program costs & funding

Use the UVic Tuition Calculator to calculate a custom estimate of your program fees.

Funding & financial support

Graduate students have access to a variety of funding sources, including fellowships, scholarships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships. If you have questions or concerns, the Scholarships Office in the Faculty of Graduate Studies is your go-to resource for advice and guidance. School of Child & Youth Care students may also be eligible for additional scholarships and donor awards.

You can find details about awards, application procedures, and due dates on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website. Many students also receive support through provincial or federal student loans, the UVic Tuition Bursary Fund for those in financial difficulty, and competitive external scholarships such as the Canadian Graduate Scholarships – Master’s.

Ready to apply?

Applications for the PhD in Child, Youth, Family & Community Studies are accepted online each fall for entry the following September. To be considered, you must complete the Graduate Admissions online application and submit all required documents by December 31.

See admission requirements How to apply

Learn more

Questions? Connect with our team:

Doris Kakuru, Graduate Program Advisor
cyc.gradadvisor@uvic.ca

Caroline Green, Graduate Program Assistant
scycgrad@uvic.ca