The minimum admissions criteria is a Master’s degree or Professional degree, with minimum A- average AND demonstrable evidence of capacity to undertake research at the doctoral level AND demonstrable experience (minimum 3 years) working or studying in a context relevant to global health. See Admission Requirements for more information.
Applicants are required to submit academic transcripts, a statement of interest, a writing sample, two reference letters, a curriculum vitae, and supplementary materials. See Admission Requirements for more information.
Applicants are invited to explore the research interests and disciplines of diverse Faculty at the School of Global Health and communicate with them directly regarding potential PhD supervision.
While it is recommended, applicants are not required to have received confirmation of support from a faculty member at the time of application.
Final decisions on supervision are made after applicants are admitted into the program based on the strength of their entire application package, and those decisions are made by a larger Admissions Committee (in other words, applicants are not granted admission by individual faculty members).
The PhD in Global Health is designed to be 4 years (12 terms) long and taken on a full-time basis. A typical pathway is depicted in the table below. The timeline is subject to students’ progress in their Independent Learning Plan (ILP). Please also review the Degree Requirements.
1 All students will develop an ILP with their PhD supervisor to guide their pathway to the dissertation. The ILP includes individualized learning objectives, courses, and other training to acquire the interdisciplinary knowledge and skills required for a PhD project. A suitable PhD advisory committee will also be identified.
2 All students are required to take the following two courses at the School of Global Health:
GH 6000 6.0 credits - Fostering Transformative Change in Global Health
GH 6100 6.0 credits - Critical Perspectives in Global Health Seminar
GH 6000 meets in person for 3 weeks over the course of Year 1 under a year-specific schedule. GH 6100 meets 12 times a year over the course of Years 1 to 3. Meetings for Year 1 are in person and required, whereas Years 2 and 3 may be in person or online.
3 Other courses and course formats are guided by the student’s individualized ILP. Students will be aided in accessing courses within other programs at York University to support their interdisciplinary learning. All courses are to be completed prior to the milestone examination.
4 All students are expected to complete a milestone examination, also known as a comprehensive examination, by the end of Year 2. The exam will include a critical analysis of the literature related to their PhD project, a proposal to execute the project, and evidence of their passage through their ILP.
5 All students are expected to focus on their PhD project and dissertation output(s) in Years 3 and 4. The output(s) may be in the form of a monograph, manuscript-based, draft agreement or guideline, or multimodal to support a professional portfolio, depending on criteria for excellence in selected discipline(s) and nature of the PhD project. Planning for the project including partnership building and ethics/permissions may begin earlier.
The program is designed to be in person with the flexibility to enable online presence in Years 2-4 depending on the student’s Independent Learning Plan (ILP) and conditional upon approval by the PhD supervisor.
All students are required to attend GH 6000 and GH 6100 in person in Year 1. They are also required to adhere to the schedules and formats of other courses and training stated in their individualized ILP, whether they be in person or online.
Further, students may be required to deliver and defend their milestone examination in Year 2 and dissertation product in Year 4, in person.
Students admitted into the PhD program in Global Health will need to cover their program fees (tuition and related fees) as well as living and personal expenses.
Program fees for domestic students are approximately $5,190 per year. Program fees apply for every year enrolled in the PhD regardless of course load (i.e., student may be enrolled in one course, many courses, or no course). The Funding Package from the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) that is offered alongside offers of admission to domestic students will cover this fee.
Living and personal expenses whilst in Toronto are estimated to be $20,000–30,000 per year depending on student needs. Please also review the General budgeting resources available for Future Students.
Full-time domestic students admitted to the PhD program in Global Health are eligible for a Funding Package from the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) of $24,455 per year. This includes a PhD fellowship, health benefits, and a stipend that is attached to a required Teaching Assistantship (up to two half courses or one full course per academic year to a maximum of 135 hours per term). The exact amount may vary slightly by year and hours worked as a Teaching Assistant.
The PhD program fee ($5,190 per year) is deducted from this package, leaving the student with approximately $19,265 per year. Please explore Graduate Funding for more information.
Admitted students are also encouraged to browse Internal and External Scholarship and Awards, staying attentive to the distinct criteria and deadlines. We especially cast attention to the Dahdaleh Institute Graduate Scholarships at York University.
Part-time students are not eligible for a Funding Package from FGS.
The PhD program in Global Health seeks to welcome international students. However, at this time, full-time international students are not eligible for a Funding Package from FGS.
International students who are extended an offer of admission based on strength of their applications are encouraged to correspond with potential supervisors to identify external funding opportunities to offset expenses, apply for funding within their countries where available, and review the opportunities suggested below.
- Scholarship and Awards—please review links to opportunities for international students such as Dahdaleh Institute Graduate Scholarships at York University.
- York International—please review general information to support international students at York University, including immigration and visa information and budgeting for your education.
The PhD Program in Global Health website contains the most up-to-date information about the PhD program in Global Health. Please bookmark it to keep abreast of updates.
For specific queries, please email the Graduate Program Assistant at sgh_phd@yorku.ca or the Graduate Program Director at gh_gpd@yorku.ca
Learn More
The Graduate Program in Global Health at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.