PhD program FAQ

The Volt-Age PhD Cohort is not a stand-alone program. Students will apply to specific programs at Concordia and will be required to meet the entrance requirements of the selected program. They will also be required to complete all of their selected program’s requirements for graduation. The Volt-Age PhD Cohort offers an opportunity to work with Volt-Age researchers and on Volt-Age projects as part of their studies.

You need to apply to a program at Concordia first and then complete the Volt-Age Co-Hort Application Form. It is not possible at this time to apply directly to Volt-Age.

We encourage you to apply early. The application deadline varies based on the program you are applying to. The Volt-Age Cohort will be accepting students on a rolling basis; however, you need to meet the entrance requirements of your selected PhD program first, which means you need to be mindful of the university’s application deadlines.

The Volt-Age Cohort program begins in the fall of 2025.

Please make sure you review the requirements for applying for the specific program you are interested in. Also, do not forget to fill in the Volt-Age Cohort Application Form to be considered for a spot in our program.

That depends on the program you are applying to. Concordia does offer some direct entry PhD programs.

Yes, absolutely!

If you are an existing PhD student, you may still be eligible to become a part of the Volt-Age Cohort under very specific circumstances. Please speak with your supervisor and have them contact us directly for more information. Additionally, for current PhD students that do not meet the eligibility requirements, we encourage you to stay in touch as we will have postdoctoral fellow opportunities for you once you have completed your PhD studies.

There will be postdoctoral opportunities available as part of the Volt-Age Cohort. Please let us know if you are interested and we will keep you up-to-date when the positions are posted.

Acceptance into the Volt-Age PhD Cohort is a two-step process. Firstly, you need to be accepted into the PhD program you have selected. The admissions requirements for each program are different, so you should look at the application page for the program you are interested in. If you meet the entrance requirements for your selected program, you could be offered a spot in the Volt-Age PhD Cohort. The researchers leading projects will work with the Volt-Age team to select students for their projects based on research experience, what they are interested in, and the needs of the researchers.

The IELTS Indicator is accepted as proof of English language proficiency, provided it meets the required score thresholds. Please ensure you take the Academic Module of the IELTS. Additionally, the IELTS One Skill Retake is also accepted if needed. Typically, the required IELTS score is an overall band score of 6.5.

For a complete list of all the English language proficiency tests we accept, please refer to the following page: English Language Proficiency Requirements. 

You can only be exempted from showing proof of proficiency in English if you have completed a minimum of three full years of study at the undergraduate or graduate level at an accredited university in one of the following countries.

It will be the same process. You will need to complete the necessary application to the university and the Volt-Age Cohort Application Form. 

For the application to a Concordia PhD program, your statement of purpose should reflect why you want to study in the particular program you have selected. For the Volt-Age PhD Cohort Application Form, you should include information specifically relating to how you see your work contributing to the mission of Volt-Age to electrify society with the aim of decarbonization. Additionally, if there are specific people you want to work with, this is where you should include that information.

You should choose the program that most closely aligns with your research interests. We are looking for a wide variety of research interests, so you do not have to pick a specific program in order to be selected by Volt-Age.

You need to make sure you complete Step Two of the Volt-Age Cohort application process once you have submitted your application to Concordia. You need to fill out the Volt-Age Cohort Application Form, which can be found here.

You do not need to secure a supervisor as one will be assigned from the team of researchers that are working on Impact Projects. For students applying to programs at the Gina Cody School of Engineering, if the program application requires supervisor selection, please select “Volt-Age Supervisor”. This will tag your application to Volt-Age.  We are working on processes within the Concordia application system to ensure that all applicants can complete their applications even if their program requires a supervisor selection. Please let us know if that is your situation and we will advise you further.

You will need to ask the department of the specific program you are applying to or contact the School of Graduate Studies for more information. The application requirements are specific to each individual program. 

Along with your application and application fee ($100.00 CAD), you’ll need to provide: 

• Transcripts of all post-secondary studies (completed and in progress)
• A CV 
• Letters of recommendation
• A statement of purpose 
• English language proficiency test results (if applicable).

Concordia University and Volt-Age will not assist with the visa application process. However, Concordia has put together resources to help students navigate this process.