History - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Frequently asked questions

• How much does History - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) cost?

  CAD 22,188 / year.

• What English score does it need?

  IELTS 7.5 overall is the score listed for this programme.

• How long is it?

  4 years, as listed by the university.

• What are the entry requirements?

  • Students will be admitted only after they have obtained a Master of Arts (MA) degree or equivalent in which they have received at least an 83% standing. Direct admission following a Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree is permissible only rarely, and for outstanding applicants. 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 applicant’s written work, to applicant’s transcripts and past record as a whole, and to their statement of research interests. || • Applications are considered by the History program at the University of Waterloo and the Coordinating Committee of the Tri-University Graduate Program. || • Students in the program are governed by the general regulations of the university in which they are registered and their degree is granted by that university. || • No student will be assigned to a doctoral supervisor without approval from the supervisor. || • Statement of the applicant's research interests. || • Statement of interest || • Uploaded as a supporting document in the online application. Review the writing your personal statement resources for helpful tips and tricks on completion. || • Please provide a statement of academic interest (also called a research proposal) laying out your principal research question and its potential contribution to scholarship (max. 500 words). || • Program-specific questions (PSQ) || • These are questions specific to the program you’re applying to. They can be viewed once you’ve started an application and are completed through a form in the online application. || • Transcript(s) || • Writing sample || • Sample of the student's scholarly writing. || • References || • Three academic references are required. || • Proof of English language proficiency, if applicable || • || TOEFL 5 (writing 5, speaking 5), IELTS 7.5 (writing 7.0, speaking 7.0) · English: IELTS 7.5 (no band below 7.0) · English test waiver: Exempt from submitting an ELP test score if any one applies: three or more years of post-secondary education at a Canadian institution or university; a completed graduate degree at a Canadian university; three or more years of post-secondary education or a completed graduate degree in an exempt country (list includes Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, UK, USA and others); at least three years' employment in a position where English was the language of business in a listed country; or three or more years of post-secondary education / a graduate degree at a university where English is the only language of instruction per the IAU WHED (this WHED exemption expires two years after graduation). Letters from a university stating the medium of instruction is English do NOT satisfy the requirement. Source: https://uwaterloo.ca/future-graduate-students/admissions/admission-and-english-language-proficiency-requirements · Application fee: CAD 150.00 per program, non-refundable (Graduate Studies Applicant Portal)

• Is there a scholarship?

  Waterloo publishes guaranteed minimum funding for research-based programs: full-time research-based master's students (domestic and international) often receive minimum funding of CAD 12,000 for one year; full-time doctoral students receive minimum funding of CAD 29,145 per year (effective 1 May 2026) for up to four years. Minimum funding can come from scholarships, awards and graduate teaching/research assistantships. Source View scholarship page