The School of Kinesiology and Health Studies is now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year! This webpage should be read in conversation with the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs Application Guideline.
Steps to Apply
Deadlines
The deadline to apply for early consideration, and to be eligible for major scholarships and awards, is February 16, 2025, at 11:59pm EST.
Please note that in order to be considered for scholarships and awards, applicants must submit both an application to our graduate program AND an application for awards through the Ontario Graduate Scholarship competition. The application deadline for awards is March 1, 2025, at 11:59pm EST.
All other applications to our graduate program are due March 1, 2025.
Entrance Requirements
Please review our Entrance Requirements.
If you have any questions about your eligibility, please reach out to the SKHS Graduate Coordinator, Clara Langley, at skhs.grad@queensu.ca. You are also encouraged to discuss your eligibility with potential supervisors.
SGSPA Application Guideline
The School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (SGSPA) oversees all applications to our program. Before starting your application, please review their application guideline How to Apply.
Entrance Requirements
Please review our Entrance Requirements.
If you have any questions about your eligibility, please reach out to the SKHS Graduate Coordinator, Clara Langley, at skhs.grad@queensu.ca. You are also encouraged to discuss your eligibility with potential supervisors.
SKHS admits graduate students on a one-to-one basis with faculty supervisors. To be admitted to our program, you must be accepted by a faculty member who agrees to be your supervisor for the duration of your studies. As such, you are required to identify potential supervisors on your application.
Making Initial Contact
The first step is to review our faculty complement in your area of interest. When reviewing their faculty profiles, you can follow links to their research lab websites where current projects are outlined in more detail and where current graduate students are highlighted.
Email each faculty member who you are interested in working with to determine whether they are accepted students for the upcoming academic year. In this initial email, you should provide a brief description of your research interests and your academic background.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Supervisor
The relationship you build with your supervisor will be an integral part of your graduate studies in SKHS. After making initial contact with a potential supervisor, we recommend that you meet with them to get a better sense of your compatibility.
As well, we encourage you to reach out to current graduate students to ask them about their experiences working with the supervisor. You can find information about current grads on the research lab websites.
Some topics that you might consider discussing with a potential supervisor include:
- Academic fit - Does their research align with your interests? Are current graduate students working on projects that are compelling for you?
- Communication - What are the supervisor's communication preferences? How are expectations communicated and reviewed? Do current students have any trouble navigating communication with their supervisor?
- Funding - Does the supervisor provide direct funding from their research grants to graduate students? How is work in the lab compensated? Does the supervisor help with graduate student grant applications?
- Research Output - Does the supervisor provide opportunities and guidance for publishing and presenting research?
The Online Application will take you step by step through the process. First, you will create an account using your email address and by creating a password.
As you click through the pages, remember to save your responses before continuing.
You will be guided to submit supporting documents directly to your online application, including unofficial transcripts, research statement, curriculum vitae, and writing sample. You will also be prompted to provide the names, emails, and telephone numbers of two academic references.
When you have completed all sections of the application, you can submit. At this point, you will be asked to pay a non-refundable application fee of $110 CDN. You must pay the application fee online.
Your application is considered complete when all documentation (including academic references) is received. You can check on your status by logging into the online portal with your email and password.
When your application is complete and all documentation is received, it will be provided to the first faculty member listed on your application as potential supervisor. If the faculty member would like to offer you admission, you will receive a letter outlining your guaranteed funding package. If they forego making an offer, your application will be forwarded to the next faculty member listed.
Accepting your offer
If you have been offered admission, you will be asked to sign and return your funding letter. You will then be provided with an official offer of admission from the School of Graduate Studies through the online application.
Required Documents
A complete application must include official, up-to-date transcripts for all current and previous study the applicant has listed in the Academic Background section of the application. Acceptable methods for submitting transcripts:
- Transcripts can be uploaded to the online application, as PDF files. The transcripts must be scanned (black and white recommended) and saved as a PDF file, and uploaded successfully. Complete instructions are available to applicants on the Transcript Upload section of the online application.
- If a transcript or transcripts cannot be successfully uploaded to the online application, applicants are responsible for ensuring that an official transcript or transcripts of all current and previous university-level studies are sent to the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs by all universities previously attended. All hard copy transcripts received as part of an application for admission must be received in sealed envelopes.
Official Transcripts
Hard copy original official transcript showing degree completion and conferral, will be required from all applicants who accept an offer of admission to graduate studies at Queen's University. These final transcripts are to be sent directly from the issuing institutions to the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, in sealed envelopes.
Transcripts sent from the issuing university should be sent to:
School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs
Queen's University
Gordon Hall Room 425
74 Union Street
Kingston, Ontario
Canada K7L 3N6
Official transcripts are not required for any study of any kind carried out at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. The School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs will access the student record directly for applicants who have attended or are currently attending Queen's University.
Other Transcript Notes
- Transcripts in languages other than English or French must be accompanied by an English or French translation provided by the institution issuing the transcript.
- Photocopied transcripts or those printed from a university website are not permitted.
- Degree and graduation certificates must be included if the transcript does not indicate the type of degree and date granted.
- Transcripts are to be sent directly from the issuing institutions to the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, in sealed envelopes.
- All hard copy transcripts received as part of an application for admission must be received in sealed envelopes.
- Transcripts submitted with applications become the property of Queen's University, are subject to verification, are not available for copying, and will not be returned to the applicant.
For our graduate programs, two current academic recommendations are required from professors under whom the applicant has recently studied. The information in recommendations should relate to your ability to undertake the work in the program.
After submitting your application, your academic referees will be provided with a secure online reference form to submit their letters of recommendation. Letters of reference sent as attachments via email are unacceptable substitutes for this secure online reference form.
Proficiency in English is a prerequisite for admission to graduate programs at Queen's University. Those applicants whose native languages do not include English will need to earn satisfactory standing in an English Language Proficiency Test as part of the application process, and before final acceptance is granted.
Any applicant whose first language is not English but who, within the 12 month period prior to the month of application, has studied for at least one complete year at a post-secondary institution where English is the official language of instruction, may submit with their application a request to be exempted from the English Language Proficiency test requirement.
English Language Proficiency Tests and Acceptable Scores
For up-to-date information about acceptable tests and minimum score requirements, please see Step 4 of the SGSPA How to Apply Guide.
These documents are to be submitted directly to your online application.
Research Proposal or Statement of Interest
A research proposal is a concise summary of your proposed research project that outlines the objectives, methods, and potential outcomes of your research. Maximum two pages.
If you do not have a research proposal, you are welcome to submit a Statement of Interest instead. This statement should outline your research interests, your academic qualifications, and other information that may help faculty determine your fit for our program. Maximum two pages.
Writing Sample
A writing sample is a piece of your work that demonstrates your preparedness for graduate-level studies. This document may showcase your ability to conduct research, to analyze information, and to communicate effectively. Examples of writing samples include research papers, laboratory reports, essay assignments, or excerpts from longer works like a thesis chapter.
Curriculum Vitae
A curriculum vitae (CV) is a detailed overview of your academic and professional history, accomplishments, skills and qualifications.