Program Overview

Public Health Sciences (Water) - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The PhD in Science Public Health Sciences – Collaborative Water program is designed to tackle some of the biggest health concerns and global water challenges of today’s world. This program provides access to more than 140 faculty members involved in water research across Waterloo's campus, encouraging students to push the boundaries of their research. Along with developing expertise in public health and health systems, two interdisciplinary courses will capture both theoretical and practical components.

Program Overview

• Department/School: School of Public Health Sciences
• Faculty: Faculty of Health
• Admit term(s): Fall (September - December)
• Delivery mode: On-campus
• Program type: Collaborative, Doctoral, Research
• Length of program: 48 months (full-time)
• Registration option(s): Full-time, Part-time
• Study option(s): Thesis

Research Project Opportunities

• Human Biomonitoring of Environmental Chemicals in Northern First Nations: A Masters or PhD student is being recruited to analyze the levels and determinants of these chemicals among participating communities.
• Exploring the Impact of Finite Sample Size and Missing Data on Statistical Modeling Decisions: Statistical models play a critical role in data applications for explanatory and predictive purposes.

Application Deadlines

• February 1 (for admission in September)

Admission Requirements

• Students applying to the program are required to complete a Master of Science (MSc) degree (or its equivalent) with content related to health, public health, health systems, or areas relevant to the impacts of water on human health with a minimum 75% average in master's level coursework.
• Completion of a master's thesis.
• Submit a letter indicating reasons for pursuing graduate studies and a written statement outlining research interests.

Degree Requirements

• Review the degree requirements on the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar, including the courses that you can anticipate taking as part of completing the degree.
• Check out Waterloo's institutional thesis repository to see recent submissions from the School of Public Health Sciences graduate students.

Application Materials

• Resume/Curriculum vitae
• Program-specific questions (PSQ)
  • These are questions specific to the program you’re applying to.
• Transcript(s)
• Writing sample
  • Students must submit a copy of previous academic work, such as copies of preprints, reprints, or master's thesis, or other evidence of written scholarly work.
• References
  • Three academic references are required.
• Proof of English language proficiency, if applicable
  • TOEFL 100 (writing 26, speaking 26), IELTS 7.5 (writing 7.0, speaking 7.0)

Tuition and Fees

• Visit the graduate program tuition page to determine the tuition and incidental fees per term for your program.
• Review living costs and housing.
  • Learn about the PhD housing guarantee program for admitted students.