Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Gerontology

Simon Fraser University

Admission to the doctor of philosophy (PhD) program will require a gerontology master's degree or a master's degree from another discipline in which a significant amount of course work and/or thesis/project research deals with aging or the aged. Applicants will be evaluated on an individual basis. Those not meeting these requirements will need to complete preparatory course work that is equivalent to a master's in gerontology or aging studies. It is recommended that applicants have a minimum 3.5 grade point average (GPA). In addition, there must be supervisory capacity in the department to support the candidate's thesis research.

English Language Requirements:

Internet-based TOEFL: 93 with minimum of 20 in each category

Paper-based TOEFL: 580 and TWE 5

IELTS (academic): overall band score of 7.0 of the academic (NOT general) test with a minimum of 6.5 in each section

CAEL: overall 70; minimum 60 in each section

Pearson Academic (PTE): overall 65; minimum 60 in all of their sections

Cambridge English Qualifications: C1 Advanced - minimum score of 193; C2 Proficiency - minimum score of 200

Duolingo English Test (DET): Provisionally through the Fall 2026 admission cycle - Duolingo English Test (DET) 130 overall with a minimum of 120 in each section.