Human Studies and Interdisciplinarity (PhD)
Examine human social and physical development over a lifetime.
Academic Advisor
Ali Reguigui
Telephone: 705.675.1151 ext 4313
Email: AReguigui@laurentian.ca
Office: Eileen Connolly Administrative Assistant 705 675 1151 ext 4487 EConnolly@laurentian.ca Office A-322

Program Requirements
All admitted applicants, in consultation with their Principal Advisor, shall develop their program of study within the first semester of their residency by evaluating their academic strengths and weaknesses using the stated competencies of the program.
Students may be required to undertake coursework to develop areas of competency. Areas of competency that may be required are, for example, second-language competency or reading competency in languages other than the language of instruction, or statistical or quantitative analysis competencies. In accordance with their former background and preparation, students may take elective coursework at the Master’s level (5000 or above). Students who wish to take a limited amount of coursework at another university may do so in accordance with the Graduate Calendar regulations.
The main components of the program shall be as follows:
- Two core seminars worth 3 credits each (HUST 6126 EL – Interdisciplinary Research Methods and HUST 6156 EL – Theories in Interdisciplinarity);
- Three elective seminars worth 3 credits each. The placement (HUST 6906 EL- Field Based Research Placement) can be substituted for one of these seminars;
- A Comprehensive General Examination; See past successful comprehensive examinations
- A Thesis, See past successful theses
Human Studies Students Association (HUSSA)
The purpose of the Human Studies Students Association is:
- To foster unity among the students in the Human Studies PhD program
- To provide forums for the students to express concerns or suggestions for the program, and
- To organize social events which give students the chance to meet and share goals and issues with each other.
Application Process
Step 1. Contact the Graduate Coordinator and/or individual faculty member about the possibility of becoming a student. Students are encouraged to consult the faculty list on the Faculty Members tab in order to identify a potential supervisor (i.e. a faculty member they would like to work with).
Step 2. Click here to submit the online application. Once students have applied, they will receive instructions (typically within 48 hours) from the Office of Admissions leading them to the MyLaurentian portal. Students can access the portal at my.laurentian.ca; sign in credentials will be provided in the correspondence received from the Office of Admissions upon successful completion of an application. The following documents will be required in order to complete an application.
Documents:
- Three Reference Forms (to begin the process at my.laurentian.ca click on "Reference Submission" on the left-hand navigation menu)
- The “Information about the candidate, achievements and projects” form (found in MyLaurentian)
- The “letter of Intent” form from a member of our program attesting his/her commitment to supervise your thesis research (found in MyLaurentian)
- Curriculum Vitae/Resume (to be uploaded via MyLaurentian)
- Official Academic Transcript(s) from all post secondary studies* (Please note that current or prior Laurentian University students do not need to request transcripts)
*Please note that official transcripts or WES course-by-course (for institutions attended outside of North America) must come directly to the Office of Admissions from the previous post secondary institution by requesting at the time of your application or by contacting the institution's Registrar's Office.
Step 3. Once the Admissions Office receives all information and the application is deemed complete, the application will be forwarded to the department. An Admissions Committee meets to review the applications.
Step 4. The Admissions Committee will review all applications on file and make a decision regarding the suitability of each applicant. The Admissions Committee will then make a recommendation to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Laurentian University. The Graduate Studies office will verify the dossier and if satisfactory, the Dean of Graduate Studies will forward the recommendation to the Office of Admissions at Laurentian University for admission.
Step 5: If approved for admission, the Office of Admissions will send the student an Offer of Admission via MyLaurentian. Applicants wishing to accept the offer of admission must indicate their response on MyLaurentian within 3 weeks of receiving the offer. Once the student has accepted the offer, a transition to the registration process occurs.
1. Check your program requirements
You can find your program requirements on this page, under admission requirements. For some Graduate programs you will need to secure a supervisor as part of your application process. You can find if you need to contact a supervisor on the how to apply to graduate programs page.
2. Complete your Application
Once you have reviewed your program requirements you can apply through the graduate application portal. This will take you to an external site, hosted by OUAC. Within 48 business hours of submitting your application you will receive an email with further instructions.
Apply Now3. Setup your myLaurentian account and upload your documentation
Once your application has been received by Laurentian University, you will receive an email that contains information on accessing your myLaurentian Portal where you will continue the application process. To activate your account, visit the myLaurentian Portal and click the yellow bar "New to Laurentian".
Please note that the submission of items on the “My Checklist” is solely the obligation of the applicant. Please review this list carefully in order to complete your application.
Learn more on our how to apply to graduate programs page.
Detailed How To ApplyFor Current Students
The degree options listed below are for the upcoming academic year, not the current academic year. If you are a current student looking for which courses to take in order to complete your degree options from a previous academic year's curriculum, please consult with an academic advisor.
Students must follow these regulations while in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Approved Fields of Study
- Interdisciplinarity, Culture, and Society
Program of Study
2 mandatory courses
HUST 6126 - Interdisciplinary Research Methods
HUST 6156 - Theories in Interdisciplinarity
3 elective seminars (3 credits each)
See past comprehensive examinations
HUST 6000 - Thesis
See past successful thesis