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The Admission Process

Home 9 Future Students 9 Qualifying for Admission 9 The Admission Process

Applications for the 2024 Academic Year will open in August 2023. 

  • The deadline date for applying to the program is November 15th  annually – complete application packages must be submitted on or before that date.
  • The selection process for admission is highly competitive, and applicants are required to have a confirmed supervisor at the time of application at Lakehead University and University of Windsor, and are strongly encouraged to have a confirmed supervisor at the time of application at Brock University.

Approaching a Potential Supervisor –While there is no one correct way to approach a potential PhD Supervisor, we recommend that you send an email to your prospective supervisor that includes the following:

  • a brief description of who you are and your background
  • a brief description of your proposed dissertation research, including a proposed research question
  • a request to meet in-person, by phone or by videoconferencing to discuss possible supervision
  • Before sending an email, we recommend visiting the Designated Faculty List to explore faculty research interests and to see who may supervise.

Applications are completed online with all supporting materials uploaded directly to the electronic Graduate Application System (eGAS) account.

Typically in January the Program Committee sends out letters recommending positions for successful applicants

Please refer to the Program Handbook for more detailed information on the process. If you are offered a place in the program you must be prepared to start coursework in July 2024.

The Doctoral Seminars rotate annually to different home universities. The 2024 academic year is scheduled to take place at Lakehead University’s Orillia Campus in July 2024 and Brock University in July 2025.

The Joint PhD Program will not grant deferrals to successful applicants who are unable to begin their studies the year they first applied.

Admission to the Program is considered complete when the following take place:

  1. The Plan of Study form is completed and signed by all parties.
  2. A formal Offer of Admission is received by the student from Faculty of Graduate Studies at the home university.
  3. The Offer of Admission is accepted by the student in writing, with copies sent to the Office of the Secretariat and home university.
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