Doctorate (PhD)

Program Overview

The PhD in Aging and Health has been designed to be completed at a distance by working professionals. The program is offered full-time (48 months), through a blended format of online learning and short in-person intensives in Kingston. The blended format of in-person intensives and online components couples networking and experiential opportunities with the flexibility of distance learning.

Program Learning Outcomes

PhD in Aging and Health graduates will be able to:

Compare and contrast research methodologies and methods in Aging and Health
Design and carry out independent research in Aging and Health
Understand general and specialized discipline specific knowledge of Aging and Health in Canadian society
Develop the knowledge base of Aging and Health across multiple academic discipline

Program Requirements

PhD in Aging and Health students are required to take 2 core courses (6 credits), 2 elective courses (6 credits), a comprehensive examination and a written thesis with an oral defense over 48 months (4 years). The program schedule is mapped out in the graphic above. The elective pattern that appears is one stuggestion of how a student may complete the 2 electives. Depending on elective availability students may consider an alternative sequence.

The core course are (all courses are 3-credit-unit courses):

AGHE 901 – Knowledge Translation and Uptake
AGHE 903 – Critical Analysis of Theories of Aging

The 900 level elective courses are (all courses are 3.0 credit-unit courses):

AGHE 900 – Qualitative Research Methods
AGHE 902 – Statistical Methods for Aging Research
AGHE 904 – Foundations of Quantitative Research

PhD in Aging and Health students are also able to take 800 level Aging and Health elective courses. Names of these electives are available in the Course Description section.

Course Descriptions

Courses listed in the Aging and Health Graduate Calendar represent the range of Aging and Health (AGHE) graduate course offerings in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy.

Program Delivery

The PhD in Aging and Health program is unique in that it is truly multi-disciplinary and offered in a blended in-person/on-line learning format. There are two in-person sessions annually (3-4 days each) and the remainder of the program is completed through online coursework and interaction with the professors and fellow students. Registered students are not required to actually live in Kingston. In-person session attendance is mandatory for PhD in Aging and Health students.

In-person intensive in August
In-person intensive in late March/early April

All other learning throughout the PhD in Aging and Health Program is online, mostly asynchronous. In addition, students are in regular contact with their faculty supervisor(s), especially in the later part of the program when they are conducting their research for their dissertation.

Participation in the in-person intensives is mandatory, other than in cases of exceptional extenuating circumstances. Aging and Health PhD students pay to cover the costs of accommodations and meals during the in-person intensives. Students are required to fund their travel to and from Kingston.

These in-person intensives are held at the Donald Gordon Conference Centre, a conference facility on the Queen’s University Campus.

Comprehensive Examination

PhD in Aging and Health students are expected to successfully complete their comprehensive examination prior to the fourth term of study in the program.

The examination will be composed of a written examination that evaluates the student’s knowledge of the broad field of aging and health, and interdisciplinary perspectives on a particular topic relevant to the student’s research focus.

Thesis

The thesis will be publicly defended. The final thesis will consist of a scholarly document that complies with the Queen’s School of Graduate Studies regulations.

To learn more about the thesis topics our students and alumni are doing, go to Our Community.

Admission & Fees

The application portal for Fall 2025 entry is now closed. The deadline to apply was February 15, 2025.

Please contact the Graduate Assistant (caitlin.macdonald@queensu.ca) if you have any questions

For admission to the Aging and Health PhD program, applicants must have a master's degree in a related discipline. Admission standards will be upper second-class standing (B+) or above for previous degree(s). Please be aware that official transcripts from each university previously attended are required.

1. Official transcripts from all current and previous universities attended:

At the time of application, official transcripts for all current and previous universities attended can be uploaded to the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (SGSPA) online application site.

Note: If you receive and accept an offer of admission to the program, we will require you to make arrangements for us to receive an official hard copy transcript that shows that the degree has been granted and the date of graduation, for each degree completed, from the university’s Registrar’s Office (or equivalent).

The transcripts should be mailed directly from the issuing institution to the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (SGSPA), Queen’s University, Gordon Hall Room 425, 74 Union Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L 3N6.

2. Two references (submitted via the online application portal):

Two reference letters are required. At least one of these reference must be an academic reference for applicants who have graduated from university less than five years prior to application. Applicants who have graduated from their most recent degree more than five years prior may submit exclusively professional references if they wish. Referees should be either previous or current supervisors of the applicant's work (professional or academic). An applicant's relationship to a professional referee could be collaborative in nature (e.g., having worked on a project or team together); however, the relationship should not be personal in nature (e.g., a family member, friend, or any other conflict of interest).

Your referees will be contacted by the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs via email, and asked to provide their reference using an online reference form. The referees listed will NOT be contacted until your application has been successfully submitted and the application fee has been received.

3. Resume - submitted to Graduate Assistant

Applicants are required to send their resume to the Graduate Assistant (caitlin.macdonald@queensu.ca).

Please include any skills and abilities that you feel are relevant to your area of study, as well as any leadership experience, continuing education, community involvement, etc.

Additionally, applicants can provide employment information in order of relevance to your area of study.

4. Statement of Interest – maximum 4000 characters (submitted via the online application system):

The statement of interest should outline career goals, how a PhD in Aging and Health will help achieve those goals, and general area of research interest. If an applicant has reached out to a faculty member in the department for potential supervision, this information should be included.

5. For international applicants, proof of acceptable competency in English is required:

Satisfactory results in an accepted English language proficiency test must be confirmed as part of the application process. The list of accepted tests of English language proficiency and the minimum score(s) required for admission into graduate programs can be found on the Queen's School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs web site.

Tuition and Fees

PhD in Aging and Health students will pay to cover the costs of accommodation and meals during the in-person intensives. Students are required to fund their travel to and from Kingston.

Information on tuition and other fees are available through Queen’s University Office of the University Registrar website.

How to Apply?

Applications to all graduate programs are made through the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.

Please note, only complete applications will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee in the School of Rehabilitation Therapy.

To continue your application process please proceed to
» School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs website.

Doctorate

Program Overview

Admission & Fees

Supervision & Funding

AGHE PhD Community

Program Overview

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Requirements

Course Descriptions

Program Delivery

Comprehensive Examination

Thesis

Admission & Fees

1. Official transcripts from all current and previous universities attended:

2. Two references (submitted via the online application portal):

3. Resume - submitted to Graduate Assistant

4. Statement of Interest – maximum 4000 characters (submitted via the online application system):

5. For international applicants, proof of acceptable competency in English is required:

Tuition and Fees

How to Apply?