Program Overview

Introduction to the Interdisciplinary PhD Program

The Interdisciplinary PhD Program (IDPhD) at Dalhousie University is a unique doctoral program that requires exceptional focus, hard work, and self-discipline. Unlike traditional PhD programs, the IDPhD does not have a home department, and students must be self-directed and self-reliant.

Program Details

The IDPhD program is highly individualized, and the student experience is heavily influenced by the culture of the disciplines involved. Students may be part of a large and active lab culture or work in a fairly solitary way, with support from a supervisor.

Program Structure

The typical program structure is as follows:

• Year 1: Courses (4-6 half-credit courses)
• Year 2: Comprehensive Exams, Thesis Proposal Preparation
• Year 3: Thesis Proposal Defence, Research & Analysis/Thesis Preparation
• Year 4: Thesis Completion, Thesis Defence

Program Components

Credit Courses

During the first two years, students take four-to-six courses in different departments, as decided on by the student and their supervisory committee. These courses provide methodological and background preparation for the project.

Comprehensive Exams

Toward the end of the courses, students embark on one to three comprehensive examinations. These examinations differ according to the requirements of the project and the procedures most familiar to the committee. Often, there are three examinations consisting of:

1. A review of the literature for the project
2. A review of methodological practices for the project
3. An oral exam that reviews the written results of the first two projects

Thesis Proposal

Following completion of the examinations, students proceed to the examination of their proposal, which is normally a half-hour presentation of the proposed project, followed by a detailed discussion with the committee.

Thesis Defence

Many students begin work on their dissertation, a document of 150 to 400 pages, in year three of the program, with the thesis being completed and defended in year four. The defence itself is a 20-minute presentation by the candidate, followed by detailed questions on the thesis by the committee and the external examiner.

Student Records and Responsibilities

Students are responsible for ensuring that their program of studies and committee members are kept up to date and accurate. This is done through the Graduate Student Record Systems (GSIS), via DalOnline. Students must submit a Program Update Form to IDPhD, and the record is updated accordingly.

Regulations and Processes

The IDPhD program is governed by the Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations and processes, including submission of required forms by the deadlines. Students must be aware of the deadlines for submission of the completed thesis each term to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.