Recreation and Leisure Studies - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

B.C Matthews Hall (BMH)

B.C Matthews Hall (BMH) on Waterloo's Campus, across Columbia St W.

Turn your passion for recreation and leisure into a research or teaching career.

The PhD in Recreation and Leisure Studies program will provide you with the training you need to be a scholar, researcher, or a policy analyst across the public and private sectors, while contributing to the growing body of knowledge in the field.  

Develop your ability to conduct high-quality independent research, analyze and evaluate programs, policies, and organizational structures that aim to improve quality of life, and apply and disseminate this knowledge to practitioners, policy makers and managers. Meaningfully contribute to knowledge in areas such as sport, therapeutic recreation, tourism and events through completion of a doctoral thesis, while having the opportunity for teaching and research assistantships.  

Research areas

  • Leisure, health and well-being
  • Leisure and community
  • Leisure, space and place
  • Leisure and social justice
  • Leisure organizations, services and policy

Program overview

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

Application deadlines

  •  February 1 (for admission in September)

Note: Applications submitted after this date will be considered on a rolling basis until all available spots are filled.

Key contacts

Ibelemari Kio
iokio@uwaterloo.ca

Considerations for international students before submitting an application:

While the Faculty of Health at the University of Waterloo values international students in our graduate programs, we can only accept a small proportion of these students. 

Guaranteed funding packages may not be able to cover all tuition and living expenses incurred during a graduate program and students are encouraged to understand more about the cost of completing their graduate program before applying.

Your requested supervisor may also be required to fund your studies for your application to be successful.

Giana Tomas

I think it's really this community of care in Recreation and Leisure. It’s pretty small maybe compared to other departments at Waterloo, but we’re all looking out for each other in both professional and personal ways.

Giana Tomas, Recreation and Leisure Studies, PhD

Supervisors

  • Review finding a supervisor resources to learn how to reach out to potential supervisors. While it is not required to reach out to potential supervisors prior to applying, it is strongly recommended to ensure that the faculty member you are interested in working with is accepting new students and your research interests align.

Admission requirements

  • A Master of Arts (MA) degree, (or its equivalent) in Recreation and Leisure Studies or related field, with a minimum 75% average in master's level coursework.
  • Completion of an MA thesis.
  • Each applicant must submit a written statement outlining their research interests.
  • Students seeking admission to the PhD program should indicate in the letter of application who would be appropriate as a faculty advisor. Based on student and faculty research interests and availability, each student will be assigned an interim advisor when first admitted. This interim advisor, in consultation with the Graduate Officer, will assist in determining an individualized program of study for the student. The interim advisor may become the supervisor for the comprehensive examination and for the doctoral thesis.

Degree requirements

Application materials

  • Resume/Curriculum vitae
    • Indicating past academic and professional experience
  • Supplementary information form (SIF)
    • The SIF contains questions specific to your program, typically about why you want to enrol and your experience in that field. Review the application documents web page for more information about this requirement
    • If a statement or letter is required by your program, review the writing your personal statement resources for helpful tips and tricks on completion
  • Transcript(s)
  • Writing sample
    • Students must submit a copy of previous academic work, such as a term paper, published manuscript or master's thesis
  • References
  • 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