PhD in Regional and Territorial Development is a doctorate in Development Studies programme taught at Université du Québec à Rimouski in Rimouski, Canada. The programme runs for 4 years, delivered on campus. Tuition for international students is CAD 22,459 per year (CAD 4,408 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Doctorate
Field:Development Studies
Duration: 4 years
Delivery: On Campus
Local tuition: CAD 4,408 / year
International tuition: CAD 22,459 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This Doctor of Philosophy in Regional and Territorial Development takes an interdisciplinary approach to how regions and territories evolve, organized around three areas: the sociohistorical dynamics of regional spaces, social movements and regionalism, and processes of resource and environmental management. Of the 90-credit program, 12 credits cover coursework, 15 credits cover thesis-related activities including a comprehensive exam and two project stages, and 63 credits are devoted to the dissertation itself. Instruction is delivered full-time, in person, at the Rimouski campus, with a single annual intake in the fall term. Applicants must hold a research-based master's degree in a field such as regional development, anthropology, economics, geography, history, sociology, urban studies, or management, and must submit a five-to-ten-page research proposal while identifying a thesis supervisor by their third term of study. The program suits researchers and practitioners interested in the historical, social, and environmental forces shaping regions outside major metropolitan centres, including rural and resource-dependent territories. Its staged structure - coursework, a comprehensive exam, and two project milestones ahead of the dissertation - gives students defined checkpoints as they move from broad regional-development theory toward an independent research contribution.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:3.20 / 4.3
Admission Requirements: The program admits only for the fall term. Applicants must hold a master's degree in regional development, regional studies, the humanities, urban sciences, management or a related field, with a cumulative average of at least 3.2/4.3 or equivalent; candidates from other disciplines may be required to take qualifying or preparatory coursework. The application must include a research text of at least 5 pages presenting the doctoral research project or the candidate's research interests and motivations. A research supervisor does not need to be identified before admission, but full-time students must secure one before the end of their second term. As with all UQAR programs, applicants must meet the French Language Mastery Policy, providing an accepted French test (TEF 460, TCF 460 or Bright Language 3.5 across written comprehension, oral comprehension and written expression) where their diploma does not exempt them, or sitting the institutional French exam on arrival, with mandatory French coursework required on failure.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:UQAR divides its academic year into fall, winter and summer trimesters; most programmes admit for fall and several also for winter or summer, and for non-contingented programmes an application can be filed at any time up to the start of term, making admission effectively rolling, while contingented (quota) programmes each carry their own fixed deadline published on that programme's own page rather than centrally. UQAR applies this same timeline to Canadian and international applicants and does not publish a separate blanket international closing date; international candidates must still secure a Certificat d'acceptation du Quebec and a study permit before arriving, and must upload supporting documents within six weeks of starting an application or the file is closed, so early application is strongly recommended. Admission is therefore rolling except where a specific programme is contingented. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
