Prospective students
Program overview
The PhD in Humanities, based in the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture (CISSC), can be undertaken in any of the many areas of interdisciplinary expertise at Concordia. Our students enter the program with an MA or MFA and come from a variety of disciplines across the humanities, social sciences and fine arts. They benefit from a vibrant academic milieu that encourages innovative thinking and cross-disciplinary approaches to today's vital issues. Some examples of topics being looked at by students in the program include digital culture, First People's studies, globalization and women's studies. Concordia’s outstanding research centres and labs include Milieux, the Media History Research Centre, the Centre for Sensory Studies and the Centre for Expanded Poetics, among many others. Students entering with an MFA or another graduate degree can pursue research-creation projects that combine scholarly investigation with creative practice in a variety of media and platforms
Program details
- MA or MFA with high standing from a recognized university.
- Portfolio (for research-creation applicants).
- Research or research-creation proposal.
- Proficiency in English. Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate that their knowledge of English is sufficient to pursue graduate studies in their chosen field. Please refer to the Graduate Admission page for further information on the Language Proficiency requirements and exemptions.
Fully-qualified candidates are required to complete a minimum of 90 credits.
6 credits – Required Courses
HUMA 888 - Seminar in Interdisciplinary Studies I (3 credits)
HUMA 889 - Seminar in Interdisciplinary Studies II (3 credits)
12 credits – Elective Courses
Electives may be chosen from graduate courses at the 600 level or higher offered by departments in areas relevant to the student’s program of study; 3-credit directed study courses; or may also include HUMA 887 - Special Topic.
9 credits – Comprehensive Examinations
HUMA 891 - Comprehensive Examination Major Field (3 credits)
HUMA 892 - Comprehensive Examination Minor Field I (3 credits)
HUMA 893 - Comprehensive Examination Minor Field II (3 credits)
6 credits – Thesis Proposal
HUMA 894 - Thesis Proposal with Defence (6 credits)
57 credits – Thesis
HUMA 895 - Thesis (57 credits)
For information about the application process to the Humanities program, please consult the list of required documents and specific details.
We invite applications from highly qualified candidates with an MA or MFA wishing to embark on original interdisciplinary projects. We also welcome research-creation projects that combine creative practice with scholarly investigation.
| DEGREE |
FALL (September) |
WINTER (January) |
SUMMER (May/June) |
| Humanities | PhD | Jan. 15 | n/a | n/a |
Courses
Required Courses
HUMA 888 Seminar in Interdisciplinary Studies I (3 credits)
A required core seminar to be taken by all students within their first year in the program. This course engages with theories and methods of interdisciplinarity germane to the humanities, social sciences and fine arts, including those pertinent to research-creation. Its objectives include enhancing awareness of the role of conceptual frameworks and institutional practices in the shaping of interdisciplinary scholarly and creative explorations, and providing students with opportunities to begin pursuing theoretical and methodological issues vital to their individual interdisciplinary projects.
HUMA 889 Seminar in Interdisciplinary Studies II (3 credits)
A required core seminar to be taken by all students within their first year in the program. Each year a different topic or approach is selected with the aim of exploring how it is pursued and challenged across disciplinary boundaries.
Elective Courses
HUMA 884 Directed Studies (3 credits)
A directed study course provides students with the opportunity to pursue advanced and focused work with individual faculty members in the fields that constitute the student's program of study. Directed study courses are designated by the course topic.
HUMA 887 Advanced Seminar in Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies (3 credits)
This seminar examines in-depth special topics in interdisciplinary studies.
Note: The content varies from term to term and from year to year. Students may reregister for this course, provided the course content has changed. Changes in content are indicated by the course topic following the HUMA 887 course title.
Comprehensive Examinations and Thesis
HUMA 891 Comprehensive Examination Major Field (3 credits)
HUMA 892 Comprehensive Examination Minor Field I (3 credits)
HUMA 893 Comprehensive Examination Minor Field II (3 credits)
HUMA 894 Thesis Proposal with Defence (6 credits)
HUMA 895 Thesis (57 credits)
Humanities PhD students are able to draw on the expertise of outstanding scholars and artists in Concordia’s Faculty of Arts and Science and Faculty of Fine Arts. Students create their own path and pursue unique projects while supported by an advisory committee of three faculty members: a Major field supervisor (usually in the same discipline as the student’s MA or MFA) and two Minor field advisors. Any full-time Concordia faculty member in departments in the Humanities, Social Sciences, or Fine Arts holding a doctorate is entitled to supervise students in the program. Arrangements can also be made to enable full-time faculty members with an MFA degree to serve on students’ advisory committees.
At admission time, applicants to the Humanities PhD program are considered for Concordia Fellowships, and international students are also considered for partial tuition remission.
In addition, a variety of funding opportunities are available to both new and current students pursuing graduate studies at Concordia. Students are urged to consult the School of Graduate Studies to keep up-to-date with all funding initiatives from internal (Concordia University and its donors) and external (government and industry) sources.
Teaching and research assistantships
Humanities PhD students find opportunities to teach at Concordia through the home departments of their supervisors, and may also be eligible to teach writing and language courses. Students are strongly encouraged to take the free Graduate Seminar in University Teaching, offered by Concordia’s Centre for Teaching and Learning several times per term, since some departments demand it as a prerequisite for teaching.
Students are also advised to discuss opportunities for Research Assistantship with their advisors.
Consult Humanities funding for further information.
See a sampling of current Humanities students’ profiles and find out about the provocative and inspiring projects they are working on.
See examples of Humanities students’ daring and innovative research-creation projects that combine scholarly exploration with creative practice in a wide variety of media. Research Creation.
Browse the Humanities PhD theses database for stellar dissertations that exemplify the Humanities program’s great interdisciplinary breadth and depth.
Read about recent award-winning Humanities doctoral dissertations
- Iona Radu, “Miyupimaatisiiun in Eeyou Istchee: Healing and Decolonization in Chisasibi” (2015)
- Mona Tajali, “Demanding a Seat at the Table: Iranian and Turkish Women’s Organizing for Political Representation” (2014)
- Myriam Suchet, “Textes hétérolingues et textes traduits : de ‘la langue’ aux figures de l’énonciation. Pour une littérature comparée différentielle” (2010)
Our graduates have gone on to pursue fulfilling and successful careers in education, the arts, various levels of government, community organizations, and research in the private and public sectors. Browse a sampling of Humanities Alumni Profiles, with more profiles to come!
