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History - PhD at Waterloo

Program information

Department/School History 
Faculty Faculty of Arts
Admit term(s)

Fall (September - December)

Application and document submission deadline(s)

February 1 (for admission in September)

Delivery mode On-campus
Program type Doctoral, Joint, Research
Length of program 48 months (full-time)
Registration option(s) Full-time, Part-time
Study option(s) Thesis
Research field(s) - Graduate research fields are used to better define a student’s research concentration

Canadian History

Cold War Era History

Early Modern European History

Indigenous History

Medieval History

Modern European History

Race, Imperialism and Slavery

Scottish History

War and Society

World History

Watch the How to apply to Waterloo graduate studies video

Due to funding restrictions, the Faculty of Arts is currently limiting the number of international students we can admit. Please contact the department's Associate Chair, Graduate Studies prior to applying to discuss your interest in this program.

What does it take to get in?

Minimum admission requirements

  • Students will be admitted only after they have obtained a Master of Arts (MA) degree in which they have received at least an 83% standing. Only students who are graduates of accredited Universities and Colleges are eligible for admission. Since not all applicants can be admitted, close attention is paid to samples of applicants' written work, to applicants' transcripts and past record as a whole, and to their statement of research interests. Applications are considered by the Coordinating Committee of the Tri-University Graduate Program.
  • Students will not be accepted into the program without the agreement of the Coordinating Committee, the local Graduate Committee and the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the university at which they must register. No student will be assigned to a doctoral supervisor without approval from the supervisor.
  • Statement of the applicant's research interests.

Supervisors

Application material

  • 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 (Sample of the student's scholarly writing)
  • References
  • Proof of English language proficiency, if applicable
    • TOEFL 100 (writing 26, speaking 26), IELTS 7.5 (writing 7.0, speaking 7.0)

How much will it cost?

What can you expect at Waterloo?


This program page is effective September 2023; it will be updated annually.  Any changes to the program page following this date will be indicated with a notation. 

We strive to provide you with the necessary information on each of our program pages.  Was there something you found helpful?  Was there anything missing?  Share your thoughts.

Program Contact

Susan King at s2king@uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567, ext. 32297