Offered by The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, Kinesiology: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - UBCV is a doctorate in Sport and Exercise Science programme. The programme is delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 10,082 per year (CAD 5,739 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Doctorate
Field:Sport and Exercise Science
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 5,739 / year
International tuition: CAD 10,082 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
UBC Vancouver's PhD in Kinesiology, offered by the School of Kinesiology in the Faculty of Education, is a research-oriented thesis degree. Research covers physiological, biomechanical, behavioural and psychosocial influences on human movement, together with the study of social and cultural change in the role of physical activity. Students are typically drawn to the School to work with particular faculty members and are trained under a mentorship model with focused individual supervision in a multidisciplinary setting. The program is dissertation-based and delivered in person on the Vancouver campus; applicants need a firm commitment from a supervisor before applying.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:76.00 / %
Admission Requirements: The School of Kinesiology normally requires a thesis-based master's degree in Human Kinetics, Physical Education, Kinesiology or another related field. The Faculty's minimum standard is an overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC), and the program may set higher requirements. Applicants from institutions outside Canada where English is not the primary language of instruction must meet, within the past 24 months, IELTS Academic 7.0 overall, TOEFL iBT 96 overall on the legacy 120-point scale (or 5.0 on the newer six-point band scale), or Duolingo English Test 130 overall. The GRE is not required. Every applicant must have a firm supervisor commitment before applying, and must submit two letters of reference, a statement of interest and transcripts from all post-secondary institutions; permanent residents must also provide a copy of their PR card. For the September 2027 intake, applications open September 1, 2026, close January 10, 2027, with transcripts and references due January 24, 2027.
Application Details
Start Date:September 2027
Application Deadline:Domestic and international undergraduate applicants both apply through EducationPlannerBC for Winter Session 2027/28 (September 2027 entry) and Summer 2027: applications open in early October 2026 and the equal-consideration deadline is 15 January 2027, 11:59 p.m. PST, the same date for both groups; a few programs keep reviewing late applications on a space-available basis afterwards. Earlier dates apply only to entrance-award consideration -- 15 November 2026 for the International Scholars Program and 1 December 2026 for Presidential/Centennial/Beyond Tomorrow scholars. Several limited-entry programmes -- Law, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing (advanced entry), Occupational/Physical Therapy, Social Work and Teacher Education -- set their own earlier deadlines from October 2026 through February 2027. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
