PhD program

The Department of History offers doctoral instruction and supervision in a wide range of fields. Admission to the doctoral program normally requires a Master’s degree with a minimum average of A- in all graduate courses.

Admission Requirements

In addition to reference letters and transcripts required by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, students must submit a letter of intent outlining their particular area of interest within the field of History and their proposed dissertation topic (see below for information about the letter of intent). This document will assist the department in determining whether or not it can provide appropriate supervision.

If a student's research program requires reading knowledge of a language other than English, individual supervisors may require proof of competency in that language in order for the candidate to be considered for admission to the doctoral program.

Students whose first language or language of instruction is not English will need to demonstrate a high level of competency in English.

  • IELTS (International English Language Testing System) - A minimum Overall Band Score of 7.0, with no score of less than 6.5 on each individual component on the Academic IELTS is required or equivalents. 

Admission to the PhD program normally requires a master’s degree with a minimum average of A- in graduate courses.

Deadlines

Normally, students are admitted in September although in certain cases, it may be possible to enter the program in January. Most courses run from September to December and from January to April. It is not currently possible to take doctoral courses during the summer months.

Students who wish to be considered for scholarships must submit their applications by January 15. Other students should conform to the deadlines set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Late applications may be considered if space is available. Admission is on a competitive basis.

Completion time

The PhD program may be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. The PhD degree normally takes a minimum of four years to complete, but must be completed within seven years.