Doctorate
Cultural, Social and Political Thought (CSPT) is a concentration rather than a free-standing program. Students are enrolled in a home department and complete extra requirements to graduate with a CSPT concentration.
CSPT students must meet the core graduating requirements of their own department, as well as the specific requirements of the CSPT program.
Admissions
You have 2 options for applying to the CSPT program, depending on your graduate program.
Acceptance into a particular department does not guarantee entry into the CSPT program. The CSPT admissions committee looks for students:
- with a strong interest in and aptitude for theoretical work within their own disciplines
- who want to reach out beyond those disciplines to make better sense of the world
The CSPT admissions committee usually reviews applications in April. The committee will contact you as soon as they make their decision. Official university notification will arrive shortly afterwards.
If you are applying to a graduate program with a participating department, you’ll apply for the CSPT program at the same time. The option to apply for the CSPT concentration is available when you submit the online application for your home department. Deadlines vary by department.
You must be accepted by one of the participating programs before being considered for admission to the CSPT program.
Participating doctoral programs
If your proposed field of research falls entirely outside of the areas covered by CSPT home departments, apply directly to the Faculty of Graduate Studies as an individual interdisciplinary student.
You must be accepted into an individual interdisciplinary program before being considered for admission to the CSPT program.
Required documents
Your application must contain the following documents in addition to the requirements of your home department:
- a 2-page statement of intent, indicating your specific interests and prospective dissertation topic
- a sample of academic writing in English demonstrating your ability to produce high-quality theoretical work and reach beyond the limits of your own discipline
Current UVic students
If you’re a current UVic student interested in the CSPT program, make an appointment to see the CSPT director. Only students in participating units or an individual interdisciplinary program can qualify.
Program requirements
You must meet the core requirements of your own department, as well as the specific requirements of the CSPT program.
CSPT students must have a CSPT faculty member as (co-)supervisor and at least 2 CSPT faculty in their supervisory committee. At least 1 CSPT faculty member in the supervisory committee must be from outside your home department.
The topic of your dissertation must be within the field of cultural, social and political thought.
CSPT requirements
- 1.5 units of CSPT 601
- 1.5 units of either CSPT 600 or CSPT 690
- note: With permission of the CSPT director, credit may be granted for a graduate theory seminar taught by a CSPT faculty member in a department different from the student's own
- completion of a candidacy exam set by the CSPT program as one of the comprehensive exams.
- a written dissertation that meets the requirements of both the home department and the CSPT program, with the topic in the field of CSPT
Find current course offerings and timetable information in the Academic Calendar.
Individual department requirements
Funding
Every year, UVic awards $12 million to help fund graduate students through a combination of:
- UVic fellowships and awards
- teaching assistantships
- research assistantships
Most of our students also receive external awards and scholarships, and financial aid and bursaries. Consideration for funding is automatic. A funding offer is normally included with an offer of admission.