Social and Ecological Sustainability - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at University of Waterloo

Join the next generation of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary scholars and applied researchers with the PhD in Social and Ecological Sustainability program. Graduate students and research are at the core of our community, meaning that you’ll join a community that is dynamic, committed and engaged. Our faculty are internationally recognized researchers, and they serve on a wide range of local, national and international organizations and committees in support of global sustainability, and our students are recognized for their research impact.

Faculty: Faculty of Environment  |  Department: School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability  |  Duration: 48 months  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Intake: Fall (September - December); application deadlines: February 1 (for admission in September)  |  Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

What you will study

Research fields: Resource Analysis and Stewardship, Socio-Ecosystem Function and Renewal, Sustainability Policy and Governance, Research project opportunities for this program, 'Blackwards' to the Future: Past, present, and futures of the African American community of South Phoenix, AZ, Blackward to the Future is a community-led, participatory action research initiative dedicated to reclaiming the past, present, and future of the African American community in Phoenix, Arizona. The project seeks to address the erasure of Black histories from the city’s cultural landscape by documenting oral histories, preserving community archives, facilitating intergenerational dialogue, and co-creating future urban visions. Drawing on the Adinkra concept of sankofa—the principle of looking to the past to move forward—the project emphasizes joy, resistance, and self-determination over damage-centered narratives., Nature-based solutions in the context of informality, Seeking a highly motivated doctoral student to join an interdisciplinary research project examining the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in addressing climate-driven vulnerabilities in informal urban settlements in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with a primary case study in Mérida, Mexico., Informality is the dominant mode of urbanization in the Global South, where most future urban growth is projected to occur. Rapidly expanding but underserved informal settlements are disproportionately exposed to climate risks, including extreme heat, flooding, and water insecurity. Many cities in the LAC region face the triple challenge of the aftermath of rapid urbanization, climate change, and inequalities in access to services, infrastructure, and political representation., Resilient urban futures: Connecting practitioners and scholars to reimagine climate adaptation, Seeking an interdisciplinary PhD student to examine how foresight and futures thinking can support municipalities in navigating long-term, equity-oriented urban climate transitions. The student will be embedded within a collaborative research initiative based at the University of Waterloo and will work closely with five municipalities across Canada to explore how participatory and strategic foresight approaches can be used to reimagine urban futures, guide decision-making under deep uncertainty, and reduce the risk of maladaptation. This research will combine empirical investigation with conceptual development, contributing both to scholarly debates on urban climate governance and to practical tools and insights for municipal practitioners., Upcoming events, Tuesday, November 17, 2026 12:00 pm, -, 1:00 pm, EST (GMT -05:00), Graduate programs in Social and Ecological Sustainability, Join us on November 17 at 12 pm EST to learn how you can complete a Master of Environmental Studies (MES) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the Faculty of Environment, in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability., ENV;, Future students → Future graduate students. Study option(s): Thesis.

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