Human Kinetics (PhD)

Applications must fulfill both the General Requirements for Graduate Applications and the Specific Requirement for School of Human Kinetics PhD Applications. All of the information must be compiled and submitted to the Laurentian University Admissions Office.

Applicants will typically have completed a Masters degree, or equivalent, from a recognized university with a minimum grade of B+(75%). Applicants must provide evidence of suitable educational background and potential for advanced research in their selected field of study (i.e., Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellness; Multi-cultural Physical Activity and Sport).

Documentation will include a completed application form, official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended by the applicant, curriculum vitae, a two-page ‘Statement of Interest’, three letters of recommendation as well as a form confirming the supervisor. A student applying to the program must have a supervisor confirmed.

Master of Human Kinetics/Maîtrise en kinésie humaine students or those in an equivalent Masters degree program at a post-secondary institution wishing to transfer to the PhD program without completing their program must first obtain a recommendation from their Supervisory Committee (if at Laurentian University). The PhD Program Advisory Committee will evaluate each application on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the performance of the student in undergraduate and/or graduate courses and research, and potential for advanced research.

Applicants will be evaluated on the following criteria for entry into the PhD program:

1.A strong academic record: Prospective students will have typically completed a Masters degree, or equivalent, from a recognized university with a minimum of a B+ (75%) average

2.Excellent fit with the program based on interests and background (e.g., education, work experiences and/or research experience)

3.Publication record and other evidence of scholarly work (e.g., conference participation, scholarships and funding) will also be taken into consideration.

4.Confirmation of support from an appropriate supervisor 

5.Consideration will be given to the applicant’s background to ensure that each cohort of students is offered an interdisciplinary education. These criteria are intended to ensure that only students of high caliber are accepted into the program, that their research goals and interests are consistent with those of the faculty, and that there is a clear linkage with a specific member of the faculty.

The deadline for applications is ongoing

Application Process

Step 1. Contact the Graduate Coordinator and/or individual faculty member about the possibility of becoming a student. Consult the faculty list on the Faculty Members tab in order to identify a potential supervisor (i.e. a faculty member they would like to work with).  

Step 2.  Click here to submit the online application. Once students have applied, they will receive instructions (typically within 48 hours) from the Office of Admissions leading them to the MyLaurentian portal. Students can access the portal at my.laurentian.ca; sign-in credentials will be provided in the correspondence received from the Office of Admissions upon successful completion of an application. The following documents will be required in order to complete an application.

Required Documents:

• Three Reference Forms - 1 letter may be from an  employment/professional referee and the other 2 letters should be academic references (to begin the process at my.laurentian.ca click on "Reference Submission" on the left-hand navigation menu)
• Personal Statement (to be uploaded via MyLaurentian)
  • Summarize previous academic training and work experience, provide a justification enrolling in this PhD program, explain the choice of supervisor and program stream (Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness or Multi-Cultural Physical Activity and Sport), and future career path (Must not exceed 2 pages).
  • The 2 page personal statement must be typed in 12 point times font, with 1” page margins.. Citations may be added to and are not counted in the page limit.
• Proposed Research Program Description (to be uploaded via MyLaurentian)
  • Outline proposed area(s) of research for their thesis
  • Must not exceed 1,000 words, double-spaced, typed in 12 point times font, with 1” page margins, and be double spaced. References may be added to these documents and are not counted in the word limits.
• One publication or sample of other written work on which the applicant was the principal author (to be uploaded via MyLaurentian)
• Supplementary Application Form signed by a potential supervisor indicating a commitment to supervise (form found in MyLaurentian)
• Curriculum Vitae/Resume : academic training/previous degrees, honors and awards, publications, grants (if applicable), relevant employment experience, languages written/spoken/understood, professional/community services (to be uploaded via MyLaurentian)
• Official Academic Transcript(s) from all post secondary studies* (Please note that current or prior Laurentian University students do not need to request transcripts)  

*Please note that official transcripts or WES course-by-course (for institutions attended outside of North America) must come directly to the Office of Admissions from the previous post secondary institution by requesting at the time of your application or by contacting the institution's Registrar's Office.

Step 3. Once the Admissions Office receives all information and the application is deemed complete, the application will be forwarded to the department. An Admissions Committee meets to review the applications.

Step 4.  The Admissions Committee will review all applications on file and make a decision regarding the suitability of each applicant. The Admissions Committee will then make a recommendation to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Laurentian University. The Graduate Studies office will verify the dossier and if satisfactory, the Dean of Graduate Studies will forward the recommendation to the Office of Admissions for admission. 

Step 5: If approved for admission, the Office of Admissions will send the student an Offer of Admission via MyLaurentian. Applicants wishing to accept the offer of admission must indicate their response on MyLaurentian within 3 weeks of receiving the offer. Once the student has accepted the offer, a transition to the registration process occurs.

1. Check your program requirements

You can find your program requirements on this page, under admission requirements. For some Graduate programs you will need to secure a supervisor as part of your application process. You can find if you need to contact a supervisor on the how to apply to graduate programs page.

2. Complete your Application

Once you have reviewed your program requirements you can apply through the graduate application portal. This will take you to an external site, hosted by OUAC. Within 48 business hours of submitting your application you will receive an email with further instructions.

3. Setup your myLaurentian account and upload your documentation

Once your application has been received by Laurentian University, you will receive an email that contains information on accessing your myLaurentian Portal where you will continue the application process. To activate your account, visit the myLaurentian Portal and click the yellow bar "New to Laurentian".

Please note that the submission of items on the “My Checklist” is solely the obligation of the applicant. Please review this list carefully in order to complete your application.

Learn more on our how to apply to graduate programs page.

The degree options listed below are for the upcoming academic year, not the current academic year. If you are a current student looking for which courses to take in order to complete your degree options from a previous academic year's curriculum, please consult with an academic advisor.

PhD in Human Kinetics

Required courses:

PHED 6506E     Professional Development and Research in Human Kinetics

PHED 6456E     Independent Study in Human Kinetics

PHED 6000E     PhD Thesis

Must complete one from:

PHED 6116E     Seminar in Multi-Cultural Physical Activity and Sport

PHED 6216E     Seminar in Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness

The PhD HK/KH program requires students to complete graduate-level courses and specialized research seminars, complete a comprehensive examination, conduct original research, and complete a written dissertation and defend it orally in one of the broad fields of either Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellness or Multi-cultural Physical Activity and Sport.

Courses and Approximate Program Time-Lines

Year One - Fall and Winter Terms -- Complete course work 

All Students must take:

PHED 6506 Professional Development and Research in Human Kinetics: The course will addresses topics such as research ethics, grant writing, preparation of articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals, processes to review journal articles, principles of teaching excellence, university governance, and building your brand profile. (Lec. 3) 3 cr.

PHED 6456 - Independent Study in Human Kinetics  (Could also be completed in Year 2):  This course presents an in-depth individual study of how to identify a scientific problem of relevance to the topic and/or gain practical experience with that problem in a clinical, community or practice setting. (exp. 3) 3 cr.

Students must complete one from:

PHED 6216 Seminar in Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness: This course explores advanced topics in the field of occupational health, safety and wellness. The course allows students to identify gaps in the occupational health, safety and wellness scientific literature, critiques research articles, and identify future research required to advance study in the field (exp./sem. 3) 3 cr.

or

PHED 6116 Seminar in Multi-Cultural Physical Activity and Sport: This course presents an overview of the emerging area of cultural sport psychology and the broader cultural scholarship found within the sport sciences, with a particular focus primarily on physical culture, cultural studies as well as cultural diversity. (exp./sem. 3) 3 cr.

Year One - Summer Term

Prepare for Comprehensive Examination and begin research proposal with Supervisor’s guidance

Year Two

• Initiate Comprehensive Examination between the 15th and 18th month from the start of the program and complete within approximately 10 weeks from time of initiation.*
• Complete any course remediation as required (extra seminars in topic area)
• Approval of dissertation proposal by supervisory committee
• Ethics approval (if required) (by end of 24 month period)
• Begin research

*Note: When recommended by the student’s thesis committee the Written Proposal portion of the comprehensive exam process can be evaluated apart from the oral question portion of the comprehensive exams. However, the proposal portion must be reviewed within 3-months of when the student initiates the comprehensive exam process.

Year Three

PHED 6000- PhD Thesis: This course requires the completion of a dissertation that that is based on a comprehensive research project in Human Kinetics, including description of the theoretical framework, experimental design, results, outcomes, and research limitations (exp. 3) 6 cr.

• Continue research
• Begin writing sections (papers) of dissertation
• Submit components for publication if applicable
• Explore options to present at conferences (on-going throughout of the program)

Year Four

PHED 6000- PhD Thesis: This course requires the completion of a dissertation that that is based on a comprehensive research project in Human Kinetics, including description of the theoretical framework, experimental design, results, outcomes, and research limitations (exp. 3) 6 cr.

• Complete all data collection and analysis
• Finish writing dissertation
• Present at conferences; prepare publications
• Prepare for and complete oral dissertation