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Indigenous Governance

PhD in Indigenous Governance

Gain advanced research and leadership skills through our PhD in Indigenous Governance program. This interdisciplinary degree supports original research grounded in Indigenous governance, nationhood and self-determination.

Students are normally in residence for the first 2 years of the program. During this time, they complete coursework, meet language requirements and prepare for candidacy through a comprehensive exam and research proposal.

Through PhD research, students advance the field of Indigenous governance and nationhood by:

  • developing and applying theory
  • conducting original community-engaged research
  • sharing knowledge with academic, community and professional audiences

Program requirements

Our curriculum combines coursework, mentorship and original research.

For a full list of courses and degree requirements, see our program requirements.

Language requirement

Students complete a language requirement that explores the relationship among Indigenous languages, knowledges and governance.

Students can meet this requirement through 1 of 3 options:

  1. Coursework: complete undergraduate or graduate Indigenous language courses.
  2. Translation exam: demonstrate Indigenous language proficiency through an approved exam.
  3. Language exposure: complete language learning through guided language exposure.

Candidacy

Students prepare for candidacy by working with their supervisory committee and completing written and oral examinations.

The candidacy exam focuses on:

  1. Indigenous ways of knowing and Indigenous research methods.
  2. Ideas, debates, theory and practice in Indigenous governance.
  3. A field of specialization.

Dissertation proposal

Following candidacy, students prepare and defend a dissertation proposal that outlines their research project.

Dissertation

Students complete and defend an original research project that contributes to Indigenous governance and nationhood scholarship.

For full details about program requirements, language requirements, candidacy, dissertation milestones and graduation, refer to the IGOV Student Handbook.

Research strengths

Our faculty members are engaged in diverse areas of Indigenous governance research. Students benefit from opportunities to learn, collaborate and contribute to community-engaged research that supports Indigenous communities and nations.

Learn about our faculty members’ research.

Admissions

Applicants who have not completed the Indigenous Governance MA (or an equivalent degree) may still be admitted to the PhD program. Students may be required to complete core courses from the MA program to address gaps in their graduate training.

Applicants do not need to identify a supervisor when applying. Students are assigned a temporary supervisor before being matched with a permanent supervisor after 2 terms.

Learn about admissions and how to apply.

Funding

Graduate students may be eligible for:

Learn about graduate student funding.

Questions

Have questions about our program? Contact our graduate secretary at igov@uvic.ca.