Doctor of Social Sciences
The Doctor of Social Sciences (DSocSci) program responds to the growing demand nationally and internationally for scholar-practitioners who can provide intellectual leadership in the workplace, and help build sustainable organizations, communities and societies in an age of global interdependence.
An alternative to traditional doctoral programs, the Doctor of Social Sciences focuses on the interdisciplinary applications of the social sciences to complex, real-world problems of direct concern to organizations, communities and society in general.
The program of study is designed to build your knowledge and understanding of a range of applied social research methodologies and their relevance to specific practical social purposes. The DSocSci program is based on the academic and professional expertise of the faculty at Royal Roads University. Doctoral programs of study should align with one of the university’s strategic research themes and be linked to the subject expertise of the university’s academic programming.
Who It's For
You are a career professional with a master’s degree in one of the social sciences or related disciplines with a minimum of 10 years work experience in a position of decision-making authority. You are also seeking to advance your applied research skills, and provide analytical leadership to solve complex real-world problems.
The program design is tailored to career professionals and speaks to recent Canadian research that shows two out of three PhD graduates will work in non-university settings, rather than as university professors.
This degree will be of particular interest to policy analysts, senior administrators or executives from the public, private or non-profit sectors who work in areas such as natural resource management, health care, global security, professional communication, disaster relief, humanitarian aid, conflict management, values-based leadership, environmental sustainability or learning and technology.
Campus Information
Hatley Park National Historic Site
located in Colwood, British Columbia
Intakes
- Jan
- July
Application Processing Time in Days: 25
Application Process
Minimum English Language Requirements
English Level Description | IELTS (1.0 -9.0) | TOEFL IBT (0-120) | TOEFL CBT (0-300) | PTE (10-90) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Expert | 9 | 120 | 297-300 | 86-90 | |
Very Good | 8.5 | 115-119 | 280-293 | 83-86 | |
Very Good | 8 | 110-114 | 270-280 | 79-83 | |
Good | 7.5 | 102-109 | 253-267 | 73-79 | |
Good | 7 | 94-101 | 240-253 | 65-73 | |
Competent | 6.5 | 79-93 | 213-233 | 58-65 | |
Competent | 6 | 60-78 | 170-210 | 50-58 | |
Modest | 5.5 | 46-59 | 133-210 | 43-50 | |
Modest | 5 | 35-45 | 107-133 | 36-43 | |
Limited | 4 | 32-34 | 97-103 | 30-36 | |
Extremely Limited | < 4 | < 31 | < 93 | < 30 |
Job Opportunity Potential
If you are wondering what to do with your career, how to excel in an interview or you are looking for resume development advice, the Career Services office supports students with non-academic, career-related questions.
Contact us to schedule an appointment with a Career Services Advisor.
Self-access Tools
- CareerRoadsis RRU’s online employer database and job board. All students are encouraged to develop their profile and begin searching future employers, volunteer opportunities and job postings.
- RRU Student Business Card Template (PDF) provides students with professional business cards that can be easily printed on a personal printer or professionally printed at any office supply store.
- Personal Assets Inventory is a self-reflective workbook that explores personal skills, experiences and preferences. The outcomes provide users with a starting point in their career planning and provide a platform to better understand personal skills and work place preferences.
- The annual Career Development Conference is hosted every February, and welcomes students to learn from employers at the many panels, sessions and key note speaker sessions
PSW Opportunity
How long is a post-graduation work permit valid?
How long your PGWP is valid for depends on the length of your study program.
If your program was less than 8 months
You aren’t eligible for a PGWP.
If your program was more than 8 months but less than 2 years
We may give you a PGWP that’s valid for up to the same length as your study program.
For example, if you completed a 9-month program, we may give you a work permit for up to 9 months.
If your program was 2 years or more
We may give you a PGWP that’s valid for 3 years.
If you completed more than 1 program
You may be able to get a PGWP that combines the length of each program.
Each of the programs you completed must be
- PGWP-eligible and
- at least 8 months in length
Psw same as course duration For all courses above 8 months (Lets say course duration is 2 year psw is 2yrs so total 4 yrs of visa)
Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria
Doctor of Social Sciences
Standard Admission
Normally, a master’s degree in one of the Social Sciences, or related field;
Evidence of experience related to the degree program;
Normally a minimum of 10 years with senior level decision-making authority;
A competitive, interdisciplinary, applied research proposal that reflects current research foci in the Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences at Royal Roads University.
Flexible Admission
No Flexible Admission process for this program. All applicants must have a recognized master's degree.
English is the primary language of instruction and communication at Royal Roads University. As part of the application process, all applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in English speaking, listening, reading and writing by one of the following means:
Submission of official English language proficiency scores
Graduation from college or university at which English was the primary language of instruction in an English-speaking country
Completion of a pathway program through the Global Learning and Language Centre (GLLC) at Royal Roads
Additional information on these options is included below.
Option 1 - Submission of an official English language proficiency score report which meets one of the following minimum standards:
Official results should be sent directly from the testing organization & should be less than 2 years old. RRU may consider other language proficiency tests on a case-by-case basis.
COVID-19 RESPONSE (UPDATED APRIL 24, 2020)
Due to the recent temporary suspension of in-person testing conducted at various IELTS and TOEFL centres, Royal Roads University will accept the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition and Duolingo English Test (DET) as evidence of language proficiency until further notice. We can also accept the IELTS Indicator test to assess your application; however, conditionally admitted students will be required to submit an official English Language test score (as listed below) to fulfill their condition before the start of their program. The IELTS Indicator test is available in most countries until test centres are able to resume in-person testing.
We strongly recommend that you submit an official IELTS, TOEFL or PTE-A test if you reside outside of any affected areas. We will be monitoring activities for IELTS, TOEFL and PTE-A centres and adjusting our requirements as necessary. For more information, visit RRU's COVID-19 page.
*FOR THE MASTER OF ARTS IN PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION, DOCTOR OF SOCIAL SCIENCE, AND DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION PROGRAMS:
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic 7.0 overall with a minimum 6.5 in writing, speaking, listening and reading
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT 100 overall with a minimum 26 in writing and 23 in listening, reading and speaking
Pearson Test of English – Academic (PTE-A): 68 overall with a minimum 60 in writing, speaking, listening and reading
- Course Type: Blended
- Course Level: Doctoral Degree/PhD
- Duration: 04 Year
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Total Tuition Fee:
87710 CAD
Annual Cost of Living: 20635 CAD
Application Fee: N/A