School of Public Health and Health Systems

The MPH program will offer students the choice of either a full-time or part-time program of studies. Full-time students will complete their degree within 2 years (20 months). Part-time students must complete their degree within four years of initial program entry. Courses are offered in three terms of each academic year. For all, continuous registration for each term of the program is required. Students are permitted to transfer from part-time to full-time studies and vice versa with approval from the MPH Leader and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies.

The MPH curriculum will be offered through on-line learning format only, with course materials distributed over the internet and/or via CD-ROM. Attendance on-campus is required only during two 2-week block periods throughout the degree program. Students will attend once at the beginning of the program and then again at the end of the program.

Areas of Concentration

The University of Waterloo MPH program offers the opportunity to specialize in the sociobehavioural or environmental health aspects of public health, and it also offers the flexibility to pursue a general MPH degree to accommodate individual learning objectives. An environmental health sciences stream is being considered for the future. For all, best practices in public health and public health informatics will be significant underlying themes.

Specialize in the MPH sociobehavioural sciences stream:

• Preparing health professionals to plan, implement, and evaluate population health promotion and disease prevention programs.
• Increasing specialized public health knowledge and skills in areas of particular strength in the School of Public Health and Health Systems, such as smoking prevention, cancer prevention, heart health, and nutrition.

Specialize in the MPH environmental health sciences stream:

• Preparing public health professionals to assess and manage risks to public health associated with environmental exposures to physical, chemical and microbial contaminants.

Or choose the MPH general program:

• Providing opportunity for a broad understanding of public health.
• Preparing health professionals for management/leadership roles in public health settings.

Curriculum Format

The MPH program will be offered to both full-time and part-time students via distance education course delivery format combined with a brief on-campus experience to facilitate networking among students, faculty and potential employers.

• The Distance Education office at UW, with its longstanding standard of excellence and innovation, is a key partner in preparing the MPH courses for distance education.
• The Distance Education delivery format will provide opportunities for the students to interact with the content, with faculty members, and with each other. Courses will incorporate small group discussions, as well as opportunities for larger discussions. In addition, online course features may include reflective activities, animated content delivery, and self-evaluating quizzes.
• While the courses will be built and delivered using the UW online course management system, UW-ACE (Angel Computing Environment), content will also be delivered to students via CD-ROM. Although on-line activity is essential use of the CD can minimize the amount of required connection time. Students will have the option of connecting each time they access their course or only for such activities as discussions, quizzes, or assignment submission.
• UW-ACE allows faculty members to easily administer and participate in online discussions and provide other kinds of feedback to students.

Students will attend on-campus on two occasions for 2-week block courses. The first, PHS 601, will occur at the start of the program and the second, PHS 602, will bring students back together at the end of the program after completion of all coursework and the practicum.

• The objective of PHS 601, the Foundations of Public Health course is both to orient the student to the philosophical and practical bases of public health, and to kindle the student's passion for public health as a career and as a societal activity.
• PHS 602, the MPH capstone course, will provide an opportunity to apply public health tools, concepts and best practice to address current issues facing public health organizations and build relationships with front line public health practitioners.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the MPH program will be recruited as recent graduates from 4-year BSc or BA programs in Health Studies and related disciplines, or alternatively as mature students holding a 4-year degree in a related discipline with relevant work experience in population and public health. Students with advanced professional degrees in recognized health disciplines (e.g. MD, DVM) will also be eligible for admission.

• Successful completion of a four-year Honours Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with a minimum B average (75%) is required for students applying to the MPH. The Bachelor's degree will normally be in a field relevant to public health.
• Applicants must have at least one year of prior work experience in a public health setting, either through full or part-time employment or through cooperative work terms as an undergraduate (volunteer experience may be applicable).
• Although statistics is not a prerequisite for admission, students should have a suitable background in statistics to meet prerequisite standards for all graduate level courses, before beginning coursework.
• Each applicant must submit two letters of reference (one academic and one professional). In addition, applicants for the MPH degree must submit a personal essay of no more than 500 words explaining the education, work and life experiences 1) that have brought them to the decision to apply to the MPH program; and 2) how the MPH will help them in their future career.
• Provide proof of proficiency in English (if applicable); accepted examinations and required minimum scores for graduate studies are listed on the English Language Proficiency page.
• Students who do not meet admission requirements for the MPH program, but otherwise show promise for graduate work, may be admitted to a qualifying program or may be admitted on probationary status. Admission requirements for a qualifying program are listed on the Qualifying Program page. Successful completion of the qualifying program does not guarantee admission to the graduate program. Students admitted for a probationary year will be required to complete PHS 605 (Fall term) and PHS 606 (Winter term) with an average of at least 73%. If a students average on these courses falls below 73% but not below 70%, their status will be reviewed by the department graduate committee. Normally a student will not continue on probationary status for more than two terms.

Degree Requirements

Course Requirements

The minimum course requirements are 10 one-term (0.5 unit weight) graduate courses, 2 two-week block courses (0.5 total weight) and a practicum (1.5 unit weight). Courses include the required courses of Public Health Sciences (PHS) 601-609.

At a minimum, and in accordance with University policy, students must obtain an average of at least a B- (70%) in aggregate on the course presented in fulfillment of the degree requirements with an overall average of 75% in the program. A failing grade in any course will necessitate a review of the candidate's status by the department, and may result in a candidate being required to withdraw from the program.

Stream Requirements - Coursework

To graduate from the sociobehavioural sciences stream, a student is required to complete the required core courses plus two stream specific courses PHS 614 and PHS 617 and at least one elective from the listed PHS or equivalent courses.

To graduate from the environmental health sciences stream, a student is required to complete the required core courses plus two stream specific courses PHS 624 and PHS 634 and at least one elective from the listed PHS or equivalent courses.

MPH general degree students will be required to complete the required core courses as well as 3 elective PHS courses. Graduate courses from other departments may be acceptable if approved by the MPH Program Committee.

Applied Practicum Requirement

The UW MPH program includes a practicum requirement for all full and part-time students. It will provide opportunities for students to gain relevant practical experience by completing a minimum 12–week community-based Applied Practicum, working within a local public health unit, provincial and federal governmental agency, or non-governmental organization. Students with prior public health experience may take a Research Practicum in place of the Applied Practicum. The requirement to complete an Applied Practicum will be waived only if the student provides evidence of extensive prior work experience in public health. This will be assessed by the MPH Leader.

The practicum experience will provide an understanding of the practical realities of public health and expose students to other investigations and collaborative working relationships. The practicum deliverable will include a contract stipulating practicum objectives. The work to be completed to meet these objectives must be jointly approved by the student, the practicum supervisor, the academic advisor, and the practicum coordinator. A written report by the student, together with a letter from the field supervisor, will be used by the practicum coordinator to evaluate student performance. This course is graded on a Cr/NCr basis.

Practicum placements will be arranged by the individual students. A database of suitable practicum sites arranged by the department will be accessible by the students. Students can arrange a practicum at an alternate site, subject to department/MPH Program Leader approval. Students will enroll in the practicum term after completing all required course work. In some cases, with permission of the Program Leader, a student may enroll in one course while completing the practicum term.