At University of Calgary in Calgary, Canada, PhD in Community Health Sciences is offered as a doctorate in Public Health programme. The programme runs for 4.5 years. Tuition for international students is CAD 2,859 per semester (CAD 1,225 per semester for local students).
This is a thesis-based Doctor of Philosophy in Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary, focused on individual, family, and population health across healthcare, education, and community settings. Seven specializations are offered: Biostatistics, Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, Epidemiology, Health Economics, Health Services Research, Medical Education, and Population and Public Health. Coursework requirements vary by specialization and background, with two or more courses typically required, alongside candidacy exams with oral and written components, a submitted research proposal, mandatory seminar attendance, and attendance at Research Integrity Day sessions in the first year. Students conclude the program with an original thesis that is submitted and defended. Full-time completion is expected within four to five years, with six years as the maximum. The program is based at the Health Sciences Centre building on the Foothills Campus. The page describes the degree as usually considered a final degree, with graduates going on to roles such as analyst, researcher, academic, rehabilitation, case, or respite worker, and consultant. It suits health professionals and researchers seeking doctoral-level training across population and community health disciplines rather than a single narrow specialty.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:3.30 / 4.0
Admission Requirements: Admission requires an MSc or equivalent master's degree from a recognised institution, and a minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale over the past two years of full-time study. Before admission, applicants need a letter from a faculty member confirming interest in supervising them, plus a statement of interests and reasons for choosing the programme, and two reference letters, preferably from people outside the prospective supervisor. Related work or research experience is recommended but not mandatory. The programme page defers language testing to the Faculty of Graduate Studies' general standard: IELTS Academic 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0), TOEFL iBT 86 overall (no section below 20), PTE Academic 59, or Duolingo English Test 125 (no sub-score below 105); a degree taught in English at a recognised institution may exempt applicants. The application deadline is December 1 for September admission.
Application Details
Start Date:September
Application Deadline:For Fall 2027 entry, the University of Calgary opens undergraduate applications for domestic applicants on 1 October 2026 and for international applicants on 15 August 2026, both closing on the same firm application deadline of 1 March 2027, with supporting documents due by 15 March 2027 and offers accepted by 1 May 2027. International applicants follow the identical March 1 deadline; the university publishes no separate, later international closing date. Applications are not accepted on a rolling basis after the deadline for most direct-entry programmes, though a small number of programmes (e.g. Nursing) run further selection rounds into the summer while space remains. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
