A PhD program at SPPH takes an average of four years of full-time study to complete and must be finished within six years. If you have questions about extensions or leaves, please click here (Extensions) or here (Leaves of Absence).

Students are generally admitted to candidacy within two years of enrolling in the degree, and must be admitted within three years. If you are a student who has transferred from a Masters program, then this means within three years of enrolling in the Masters.

Sample PhD Timeline:

Prior to Admission
Meet with individual faculty members & identify potential supervisor.

Identify research topic area.

Apply for graduate fellowships, if eligible.
Year 1 Term 1 (Sept to Dec)
Complete Coursework:

SPPH 400 Statistics for Health Research

SPPH 502 Epidemiological Methods 1

SPPH 607 Research in Progress

SPPH 621 Approaches to Enquiry
Electives

Meet with Supervisor
Apply for Awards
Year 1 Term 2 (Jan to Apr)
Complete Coursework:

SPPH 500 Analytic Methods in Epidemiological Research

One of the following:

SPPH 503

SPPH 506

SPPH 519

SPPH 530

Electives (if needed)

Begin Defining Thesis Topic
Year 1, Summer Term (May to Aug)
Complete Coursework

Electives (if needed)

Continue to define thesis topic

Begin preliminary work for thesis preparation (ethics applications, data requests)
Year 2, Term 1(Sept to Apr)
Complete Coursework:

SPPH 604 Advanced Epidemiological Methods

Begin Preparing Thesis Proposal

Begin to seek additional committee members
Year 2, Term 1(Jan to Apr)
Complete Coursework

Electives (if needed)

Study for Comprehensive Exam

Prepare Thesis Proposal

Formalize Supervisory Committee
Year 2, Summer Term(May to Aug)
Pass Comprehensive Exam

Present to Thesis Screening Panel
Years 3-6
Advance to Candidacy

Continue & Complete Research

Write & Revise Dissertation with assistance from Supervisory Committee

Complete Final Oral Examination

Submit Dissertation to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Apply to Graduate