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Candidates must satisfy the general requirements for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. In addition to these, the program has the following requirements:

Students will be accepted into the PhD program only after completion of a master’s degree from an accredited program. Applicants who have completed a research (thesis-based) master’s degree are eligible for the two-year residency PhD program and those who have completed a non-thesis master’s degree are eligible for the three-year residency PhD program. Enrollment must be on a full-time basis and there is no distance learning option.

FGS minimum requirements:

• Minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B average) in the last 60 credit hours of study
• For International applicants, a minimum English Language Competency score of TOEFL 92 (Internet) or IELTS 7.

Applicants should note that meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission; admission to the PhD Health program is competitive and applicants are advised to review the criteria by which applications are assessed and in turn how admissions are determined.

Supplemental Documents for PhD Health Application

The PhD Health program strongly encourages students to complete their application together with their proposed supervisor.

Academic Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Applicants must provide an academic CV outlining educational and professional experience and/or community/leadership experience. For example, you might include publications or presentations, relevant projects, awards, knowledge translation activities, creative works, community involvement, and relevant employment.

Proposed Supervisor: Letter of Support and Commitment

To be accepted into the program you must have secured a supervisor who confirms this commitment in a letter of support. Proposed supervisors are asked to comment on the candidate’s research potential as demonstrated by their research history, contributions to communities, interest in discovery, and the proposed research and its potential contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the field. Proposed supervisors are also asked to explain how the match between supervisor and applicant is a promising one and outline a mentorship plan that includes a description of the training environment, communication expectations, necessary supports, and funding commitment for the applicant. Please note that supervisors are required to provide minimum funding of $5000/year for four years.

In addition, per the Faculty of Graduate Studies online application process, two reference letters are required. For details on reference letter requirements, please review the Faculty of Graduate Studies criteria.

Proposed Research and Support Plan

Students are strongly encouraged to meet with proposed supervisor(s) about the proposed research, support plan, and seek feedback on a draft before submitting their application. The proposed research and support plan should include the following:

1.      Description of the Proposed Research (1000 words/2 pages):

Describe your proposed research and demonstrate how you plan to complete your research project from start to finish. Please include:

• Background/context, which positions your research within the field
• Research aims/objectives and research question(s)
• Description of proposed methodology and methods
• Significance and anticipated impact
• Reference list (not included in the 1000 words/2 page limit)

Please note that reviewers may not be technical experts in your field. Write in clear, plain language. Avoid the use of jargon and highlight the impact and importance of the proposed research.

2.      Research Experience and Suitability for the Proposed Research (500 words)

Briefly describe how previous academic, research or leadership/extra-professional activities have prepared you for conducting the proposed research.

3.      Funding Plan

The yearly minimum funding expectation for PhD in Health students is $12,000 plus fees and tuition each year for the duration of the program. Applicants are responsible for seeking to secure scholarship funding prior to admission to the program. Applicants should provide a list of doctoral scholarships which includes the name, amount, and duration of each award received and applied for (with decisions pending).

4.      Evidence of Independent Research (non-thesis master’s degree applicants only) (500 words)

Those applying with a non-thesis master’s degree who wish to be considered for the two-year residency program are required to demonstrate evidence of independent research. Following the guidelines provided by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, evidence of independent research can include a combination of: major research paper or treatise, publications in journals, presentations at scholarly conferences, and research-based practice programming and guidelines where the applicants' contributions are clearly defined. These applicants should include a letter requesting admission to the two-year program and provide a list of contributions and documents of support as appropriate.

5.      Training Expectations and Mentorship Plan (500 words)

Describe agreed upon expectations, supports, and resources necessary to facilitate the applicant’s program trajectory, research and/or leadership development. What plans do you have in place to foster a generative student-supervisor relationship? What does the applicant need to be successful? How will you meet those needs?

At Dalhousie, you can find many opportunities to fund your graduate education. Students are generally supported financially by a combination of scholarships, supervisor research funds and teaching assistantships. The yearly minimum funding expectation is $12,000 plus tuition and fees for the duration the student's program. Please note that PhD in Health students pay program fees as opposed to per course fees.

Applicants to the PhD in Health program are eligible and strongly to encouraged to apply for funding opportunities even before receiving acceptance into the program. In the case of the Nova Scotia Graduate Scholarship students who are already enrolled in the program are no longer eligible to apply for this scholarship so we recommend you be proactive. The Faculty of Grad Studies has harmonized the process for these applications.  

Please note that the Harmonized Scholarship deadline for students is January 16, so early submission of application materials to the program is highly recommended for those who wish to be considered eligible.

Scholarship application forms and all supporting documents must be submitted to the Program Administrator by the indicated deadlines to be considered for nomination to the university-level competitions.  

Additional Provincial and National level funding opportunities typically available for PhD in Health students include:

• Tri-Council CGS-D Awards
• Vanier/Trudeau Scholarships

Students who are accepted into the PhD in Health program will also be considered for internal funding packages which include scholarship funding and opportunities for employment as Teaching Assistants. Please contact us at phdhealth@dal.ca for more information.

Step 1 - Determine eligibility

Contact the Program Administrator at phdhealth@dal.ca to determine eligibility based on GPA. Please provide electronic copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts at this time. Transcripts should include a grading legend (often found of the back page of official transcripts).  You will be contacted directly with the results well before the application deadline.  If deemed eligible, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2 - Apply online

Visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies' website and follow the Graduate Studies application process.

Step 3 - Submit required supplemental documents

Please refer to the for details and submission instructions.  

IMPORTANT NOTE: The program application requirements are being reviewed and updated. Please check back for updates before submitting the application.

The Governance Council of the PhD in Health Program will be responsible for making recommendations regarding admissions, including whether a two or three year residency is required.  Recommendations for admission will be made to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Final admission decisions are made by the Faculty of Graduate Studies who will provide official letters of admission.

The evaluation of PhD Health program applicants will draw on the criteria used for CGS D applications in addition to an overall applicant score. Examples of indicators are provided.