Social Dimensions of Health admissions
If you are interested in applying to either the Social Dimensions of Health (SDH) master’s or doctoral programs, you must apply to the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS).
Applicants are selected for enrollment after a 2-step process:
- The FGS admission officer reviews your application to ensure that your GPA meets the requirements of the faculty and that your application is complete, i.e., all required documents have been submitted.
- The SDH program committee reviews your application.
Note: applications for September admission must be submitted by January 15 of that calendar year.
Admission requirements
All applicants must meet the general admission requirements set out by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Master's degree
Master’s degree applicants are required to hold a bachelor's degree in an appropriate discipline from a recognized university and have achieved a B+ average (6.0 GPA) in the last 2 years of university work.
Whether you are admitted into the MA or the MSc stream is based on the following criteria:
- your co-supervisors' research areas
- your educational and professional background
- area of research interest expressed in your letter of intent
- your methodological perspectives
This decision is made by your co-supervisors during application review and will be communicated to you at the time of your acceptance into the program. Once admitted to the program, you may apply to transfer from 1 degree designation to the other—provided this decision supports your research goals and receives the mutual agreement of the supervisory committee, graduate advisor and dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Doctoral degree
Doctoral degree applicants are required to hold a master’s degree in an appropriate discipline from a recognized university and have achieved a B+ average (6.0 GPA) in the last 2 years of university work.
Supervisory committees
The structure of a student's supervisory committee depends on the program their enrolled in (master’s or PhD) and must meet the requirements set out by the Faculty of Graduate Studies for interdisciplinary students. All Social Dimensions of Health (SDH) students must have at least 1 co-supervisor who is on the faculty membership list below.
- two co-supervisors, typically from 2 different disciplinary affiliations, who are both members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies
- at least 1 co-supervisor must be on the SDH faculty membership list
- at least 1 co-supervisor must have successfully supervised a graduate student previously
- one co-supervisor must accept the role of lead co-supervisor and must confirm their willingness to supervise before a student can be admitted
- two co-supervisors, typically from 2 different disciplinary affiliations, who are both members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies
- at least 1 co-supervisor must be on the SDH faculty membership list
- at least 1 co-supervisor must have successfully supervised a graduate student previously
- one co-supervisor must accept the role of lead co-supervisor and must confirm their willingness to supervise before a student can be admitted
- at least 1 additional faculty member must be added to the supervisory committee either at the time of application or following admission
While all UVic faculty members are qualified to co-supervise SDH students, the SDH program maintains the following list of affiliated faculty members officially committed to supporting the program through the supervision of SDH students and participating in SDH activities.
Learn more about researching potential supervisors.
Finding an SDH supervisor FAQs
Begin identifying potential supervisors several months before the application due date. Reaching out to potential supervisors early on will help both you and the supervisor confirm availability and research fit.
There are a few ways to see if a faculty member is accepting new graduate students for supervision:
- through postings for specific graduate research projects made through scholarly and professional associations
- on the faculty members profile page on their home department's website
- through your scholarly and professional networks, such as through a previous supervisor
You may attempt to contact potential supervisors without prior invitation (i.e., cold call), but please note that many faculty members are not receptive to this approach and may not respond.
Your initial email should be a letter of interest, outlining your previous study, professional and research experience, your motivations for pursuing a graduate degree and rationale for choosing the SDH program.
You should also communicate the alignments between your training objectives and your prospective supervisor’s area of expertise by demonstrating your specific knowledge of their publications, research projects and, if applicable, lab mandates.
Master’s students
You should be able to communicate general research areas of interest and why your previous studies have led you to pursue continuing studying those areas at the graduate level.
PhD students
You should be able to communicate a specific research plan that you intend to pursue as your dissertation project. Your project will typically align with your potential supervisor’s current research. It is common for your potential supervisor to co-conceive ideas for the project you propose in your application materials.
Look for common research interests and disciplinary alignments. You should be able to communicate, in specific terms, how your potential supervisor's research has informed your studies, such as a past major project or thesis.
You should also ask about preferred working styles and funding opportunities once you've made initial contact with them.
It's normal that some of your research interests will fall outside your co-supervisors' areas of expertise in an interdisciplinary program.
If one of your main research areas is not represented by either of your co-supervisors, you should consider an appropriate third committee member (optional at master’s level, compulsory at PhD level) who can round out your committee's expertise as early as possible.
You can find a co-supervisor outside of the SDH faculty membership list if that faculty member is willing to join the SDH faculty membership list by the time you reach your thesis proposal (master’s) or candidacy exam (PhD) stage.
Interested faculty members should reach out to the SDH graduate adviser as soon as possible for guidance on how to be added to the SDH faculty membership list.
Your statement of intent should include a rationale for choosing your co-supervisors, specifically how their expertise and alignments with your research will support your success in the program.
If you are not getting any responses, you should move on to other possible faculty members at the University of Victoria or elsewhere.
Required documents
The application deadline is January 15 of the year of intended September entry.
Assessment reports and letters of reference must be uploaded no later than 1 week after the application deadline.
The following documents should be included in your application package:
- transcripts
- letter of intent
- sample of written work
- assessment reports/reference
- curriculum vitae (CV)
- proof of supervisory support
- proof of english language proficiency (see conditions)
Visit the Graduate Studies website for more information about submitting documents.
Transcripts
The university requires copies of unofficial transcripts from each institution you’ve previously attended as part of your application package. Unofficial transcripts include:
- photocopies which have not been endorsed as true copies by the issuing institution
- transcripts which have been opened or which arrive without a sealed envelope
- transcripts which have not been endorsed by the issuing institution
- transcripts received electronically from the student (including screenshots)
Include with your application a list of any courses that are currently in progress (or for which you’re registered in the future) and their credit weight.
Upon an offer of admission, you will be required to provide official transcripts.
Visit the Graduate Studies website for more information about submitting transcripts.
GPA considerations
A B+ average (6.0 GPA) in the last 2 years of university work is typically a minimum requirement for admission to both the master’s and doctoral programs. If you do not meet this requirement but feel you are a strong candidate for the program, you may request consideration based on life or work experience equivalency.
Letter of intent
Your letter of intent is an opportunity to show us how you stand out among other applicants. Make sure the letter covers the following points:
- your program choice (MA, MSc or PhD)
- your research interests and proposed master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation plan (this can change once accepted to the program)
- your reasons for choosing the program
- how the degree relates to your experience, future goals and career plans
- the name and email address for each of your confirmed supervisors and your rationale for selecting them based on their expertise and research experience
Letters must not exceed 2 pages in length, single-spaced with standard 12-point font and 1-inch margins.
Sample of written work
You must include a recent sample of your written academic work in your application package. Examples include:
- research paper
- essay
- published article
- thesis chapter
Assessment reports/references
Assessment reports (references) are required from 2 objective referees who are familiar with your ability to conduct academic research within an interdisciplinary environment. When possible, both references should be from former academic supervisors, course instructors or other research mentors.
Letters from your proposed supervisors are acceptable, so long as you have a substantive history of academic mentorship and/or collaboration.
When you submit your application, you will be asked to enter your referee's information, including their names and email addresses. Once you have submitted your referees’ contact information, they will receive an email invitation asking them to complete an assessment report and attach a supplementary letter to substantiate their assessment.
Contact your referees before entering their information to confirm their willingness to provide you with an assessment.
It is up to you to remind your referees to submit their references by the deadline. They will not receive a reminder from UVic.
Curriculum vitae (CV)
Your CV should include relevant information under these headings:
- education (previous degrees, supervisors and project titles, if applicable)
- fellowships, honours and awards (applied and awarded)
- indicate any monetary value received
- presentations and publications (academic and non-academic)
- other scholarly activities (e.g., relationship/partnership building, capacity-building efforts, unpublished reports)
- professional and leadership activities (e.g. peer-reviewing, service/administrative activities, training/supervising/mentoring activities, workshops attended, conference organization, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, community volunteer positions)
Proof of supervisory support
When you apply, you are required to have confirmed and written (email) support of at least 1 SDH faculty member (preferably 2) to be uploaded at the time of application. We encourage you to consult the SDH faculty members list and the SDH handbook as the first step in your application process.
Proof of English language proficiency
If your first language is not English, and you have not lived in a designated English-speaking country for 3 years or more immediately prior to the entry point applied for, you must provide proof of English language proficiency.
Visit the Graduate Studies website for more information about demonstrating English language proficiency.
If you hold a recognized degree from a designated English-speaking country, you are exempt from this requirement.
Applying online
When you are ready, you can apply through My UVic application. Once you’ve completed your application, you will be able to track its progress through all stages of the review process and see when a decision has been made.
Need help?
If you have any questions about the program and application requirements, please email the SDH program assistant.
Questions about general admissions process for graduate studies at UVic should be directed to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.