Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Kinesiology
Faculty of Health and Social Development, School of Health and Exercise Sciences
| Program | Components | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) | Research dissertation | 48 months |
Why study a PhD in Kinesiology at UBC Okanagan?
With access to state-of-the-art labs, close mentorship from leading scholars, and interdisciplinary collaboration across health sciences, UBCO offers the ideal environment to advance your knowledge in human health.
The PhD in Kinesiology is a research-intensive program that does not have mandatory coursework. However, a student may elect to take courses or the student’s supervisor/supervisory committee may require that some coursework be completed.
Formal milestones for the program include establishing a supervisory committee; preparing, presenting, and defending a dissertation research proposal; passing written and oral candidacy exams; writing the dissertation; and defending the completed work.
Prior to starting an application, interested students are strongly urged to identify and contact a potential research supervisor. See full list of Graduate supervisors below.
Visit the UBC Okanagan Academic Calendar for full information on admission and program requirements. The calendar is a comprehensive guide to all programs, courses, services and academic policies at UBCO.
Research and Supervisors
Research Areas
Graduate students can pursue these and other faculty research and teaching interests:
- Neuromuscular physiology and fatigue
- Health behaviour change
- Cardiorespiratory and cerebrovascular physiology
- Metabolism, nutrition and immunology
Supervisors
Our research faculty investigate a diverse range of topics related to health and exercise. They are happy to share with you their excitement about what they study so, after reading their profiles, we invite you to contact relevant supervisors to discuss your research interests.
Graduate student supervisor
Graduate student supervisor
Graduate student supervisor
Graduate student supervisor
Graduate student supervisor
Graduate student supervisor
Graduate student supervisor
Graduate student supervisor
Graduate student supervisor
Graduate student supervisor
Graduate student supervisor
Graduate student supervisor
Graduate student supervisor
Graduate student supervisor
Centres and Labs
- Behaviour Change Lab (Heather Gainforth)
- Brain Injury Lab (Paul Van Donkelaar)
- CardioPulmonary Laboratory for Experimental and Applied Physiology (Glen Foster)
- Centre for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health (Phil Ainslie and Neil Eves)
- Diabetes Prevention Research Group (Mary Jung)
- Exercise Metabolism and Inflammation Lab (Jonathan Little)
- Healthy Exercise and Aging Lab (Jennifer Jakobi)
- Integrative Neuromuscular Physiology Lab (Chris McNeil)
- Pediatric Inactivity Physiology Lab (Alison McManus)
- SCI Action Canada (Kathleen Martin Ginis)
- Sensorimotor Physiology and Integrative Neuromechanics Lab (Brian Dalton)
Tuition and Funding
Tuition
For official tuition and fee information, scroll to the bottom of the academic calendar page for master’s programs and look for “Standard Doctoral Degree Programs.”
Funding Opportunities
Graduate student stipends are funded through a combination of internal and external awards, teaching assistantships (TA) and research assistantships (RA). Talk to your supervisor about research grants, as well as award and scholarship opportunities.
Students are expected, whenever possible, to apply for relevant scholarships and fellowships. Funding beyond the expected completion time of 24 months is not guaranteed.
Assistantships
Teaching Assistantships (TA)
Providing financial support, TAs allow graduate students to develop skills in teaching, supervision and student assessment. As a TA, you may lead seminars, help teach undergraduate courses, and assist in student evaluations and marking, receiving mentorship from their supervisor, the course instructor. See positions currently available.
Research Assistantships (RA)
As a paid RA, students assist their supervisor or other researchers in conducting high-level research, which often contributes to the student’s thesis. See positions currently available.
Scholarships and Awards
UBC Awards
UBC Okanagan’s College of Graduate Studies administers a variety of merit-based graduate awards. The College manages a number of award competitions each year and administers payment of all internal and selected external awards.
External Awards
All prospective graduate students should explore and apply for external awards and fellowships, including in the case of domestic students, scholarships offered by Canada’s three research councils: CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC.
Graduate scholarships and awards may also be available from foundations, private companies or foreign governments (check with your country’s education authority).
Global and Close-Knit
At UBC Okanagan, you gain all the benefits of attending a globally ranked, top 5% university while studying in a close-knit learning community. 50% of graduates, from all across the globe, choose to stay in the region.
Discover the Okanagan
A diverse natural region with sandy beaches, beautiful farms, vineyards, orchards and snow-capped mountains, the Okanagan is an inspirational landscape perfect for those seeking leisure or outdoor adventure.
UBC's Okanagan campus borders the dynamic city of Kelowna, a hub of economic development with a population of more than 150,000 people— the fourth fastest-growing population in Canada.