Flex-time Doctoral (PhD) Program

The Flex-time PhD option allows working professionals to pursue a doctoral degree at Western Engineering while remaining employed in their field. Approved by Western's Senate in 2023, this option offers the same rigour, learning outcomes, and credential as our full-time PhD — with a flexible completion timeline and a research program aligned with your professional practice.

Who this program is for

Practicing engineers and STEM professionals employed full-time in the public or private sector in Canada
Professionals whose work involves R&D, applied research, or technical leadership and who wish to formalize that work as doctoral research
Industry-based researchers seeking a credential that recognizes scholarly contribution emerging from their professional practice

Programs offering the Flex-time option

The Flex-time PhD option is available across all five doctoral programs in the Faculty of Engineering:

How Flex-time differs from the full-time PhD

The Flex-time PhD leads to the same degree as the full-time PhD and meets the same scholarly standards. The differences lie in delivery, timeline, location of research, and funding.

Category	Full-time PhD	Flex-time PhD
Degree credential	Doctor of Philosophy	Doctor of Philosophy (identical)
Employment status	Full-time student; external employment limited per Western policy	Full-time employment in Canada as a practicing professional is required
Primary location of research	Supervisor's lab at Western	Primarily at the employer's site, with access to Western facilities as needed
Completion timeline	Standard doctoral timeline	Flexible, designed to accommodate full-time employment
Tuition	Full-time doctoral tuition until completion	Full-time doctoral tuition for the first four years (12 terms); part-time doctoral tuition from the 13th term until completion
Funding package	Guaranteed minimum funding package for eligible students	No guaranteed funding package
Graduate Teaching Assistantship	Standard component of the funding package	Not standard; may be offered case-by-case
Coursework	8 courses (7 in BME); up to 4 exemptions for incoming master's holders	Identical
Comprehensive examination	Within 4 terms of program start (5 in BME)	Identical
Weekly graduate seminar	Required where applicable	Exempt
Employer involvement	Not applicable	MOU required between student, employer, supervisor, and graduate program

Admission requirements

Master's degree in engineering or another STEM discipline from an accredited university (minimum 78% North American equivalent), or a bachelor's degree in engineering or STEM with extensive R&D experience for Direct-Entry PhD consideration
Full-time employment in the public or private sector in Canada as a practicing professional
English language proficiency requirements may be waived if the applicant has completed at least two years of post-secondary studies in Canada or another native English-speaking country, or has at least two years of professional work experience in Canada in an English-language environment

Program structure and milestones

Coursework: Eight graduate courses (seven in Biomedical Engineering). Up to four courses may be exempted for students entering with a master's degree. Up to two courses may be taken outside the home program or at another Canadian university where relevant to the research.
Comprehensive examination: Completed within four terms of program start (five terms in Biomedical Engineering).
Supervision: Regular meetings with the faculty supervisor (at least monthly) and at least one annual meeting with the supervisory committee.
Progress reporting: Each term, via Pathfinder.
Dissertation: Original research aligned with the student's professional practice, meeting all scholarly standards of a Western PhD.

The employer partnership

Because Flex-time research typically takes place at the student's workplace, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is established between the student, the employer, the faculty supervisor, and the graduate program. The MOU outlines the academic plan, the research plan (including activities at the employer's site and on campus), any cost-sharing arrangements, and identifies a primary contact at the employer who will provide feedback on the student's research progress.