Master of Public Health (MPH)

The program information below was valid for the fall 2020 term (September 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020). This is the archived version; the most up-to-date program information is available through the current Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

The Graduate Studies Academic Calendar is updated 3 times per year, at the start of each academic term (January 1, May 1, September 1). Graduate Studies Academic Calendars from previous terms can be found in the archives.

Students are responsible for reviewing the general information and regulations section of the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

Program information

  • Admit term(s) 
    • Fall
  • Delivery mode 
    • On-campus
    • Online
  • Delivery mode information 
    • All students must attend (two) two week on-campus courses. Courses are available either on-campus, online, or in a blended/hybrid format. Students should check the School's website for the latest information for format and timing of the courses for the most current mode of delivery and offering.
  • Length of program 
    • Full-time: two years (20 months).
    • Part-time: four years from 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.
  • Program type 
    • Master's
    • Professional
  • Registration option(s) 
    • Full-time
    • Part-time
  • Study option(s) 

Admission requirements

  • Minimum requirements 
    • Successful completion of a four-year Honours Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with a minimum 75% average. The Bachelor's degree will normally be in a field relevant to public health.
    • Students must submit a personal essay of no more than 500 words explaining the education and work 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.
    • Ideally, students will have prior work experience in a public health setting. Co-operative work terms and/or volunteer experience are acceptable.
    • Students must have a suitable background in statistics to meet prerequisite standards for all graduate level courses, before beginning coursework. An undergraduate course in statistical methods completed within the past five years with a minimum grade of 75% is required. Exceptions to this requirement may be made on occasion by admission committees considering student background and demonstrated analytic abilities.
    • Students will be recruited as recent graduates from 4-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) or Bachelor of Arts (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) are also eligible for admission.
  • Application materials 
    • Résumé
      • Indicating past academic and professional experience.
    • Supplementary information form
    • Transcript(s)
  • References 
    • Number of references:  2
    • Type of references: 
      • Academic or professional; at least 1 reference must be academic.
      • If applicants have been out of school for an extended period of time (>5 years) and are unable to supply an academic reference they may submit two professional references. Please ensure that one professional referee is able to comment on the applicants academic ability and potential.
  • English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Degree requirements

    Coursework option:

  • Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)
  • Courses 
    • The minimum course requirements are 11 one-term (0.50 unit weight) graduate courses, 2 block courses requiring two-weeks on campus (0.50 unit weight) and a practicum (1.50 unit weight).
    • Students will attend on-campus on two occasions for 2-week block courses. The first, HLTH 602A Foundations of Public Health, will occur at the start of the program and the second, HLTH 602B Capstone Integrative Seminar for Public Health, will bring students back together at the end of the program after completion of all coursework and the practicum:
      • The objective of HLTH 602A, the Foundations of Public Health course is to provide students with foundational knowledge of public health, 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.
      • HTLH 602B, the final MPH capstone course, is a culminating integrated learning experience that provides a context for students to demonstrate their achievement of the foundational knowledge and core competencies of public health. On-campus workshops and preparation and presentation of a capstone project are required for the completion of this course.
    • Additional required courses are as follows:
      • HLTH 603 Health Policy in Public Health
      • HLTH 604 Public Health and the Environment
      • One of: HLTH 605A Regression Models OR HLTH 605B Quantitative Methods and Analysis
      • One of: HLTH 606A Epidemiological Methods OR HLTH 606B Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health
      • HLTH 607 Social, Cultural and Behavioural Aspects of Public Health I
      • HLTH 608 Health and Risk Communication in Public Health
      • HLTH 609 Management and Administration of Public Health Services
      • HLTH 617 Population Intervention for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
      • HLTH 618 Research Tools for Public Health Practice
      • HLTH 640 Professional Experience Practicum
    • At a minimum, students must obtain an average of 75% or higher in aggregate on the courses presented in fulfilment of the degree requirements. Grades on all courses presented to fulfill the degree requirements must be 70% or higher. A grade below 70% in any course or failing to maintain an average of 75% will necessitate a review of the student's status by the School of Public Health and Health Systems (SPHHS) and may result in a student being required to complete additional coursework or being required to withdraw from the program. The School reserves the right to stipulate additional coursework if it is necessary for the student's preparation.
    • To graduate from the environmental health sciences concentration, a student is required to complete the required core courses plus HLTH 624 Environmental Toxicology in Public Health and HLTH 634 Environmental Epidemiology for Public Health.
    • MPH general degree students will be required to complete the required core courses as well as 2 elective HLTH courses. Graduate courses from other departments may be acceptable if approved by the SPHHS Professional Graduate Programs Committee.
    • Students admitted for a probationary year will be required to complete HLTH 605A Regression Models (on-campus only) or 605B Quantitative Methods and Analysis (online, fall term) and HLTH 606A Epidemiological Methods (on-campus only) or HLTH 606B Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health (online, winter term) with an average of at least 73%. If a student’s average on these courses falls below 73% but not below 70%, their status will be reviewed by the SPHHS Professional Graduate Programs Committee. Normally a student will not continue on probationary status for more than two terms.
  • Link(s) to courses
  • Academic Integrity Workshop
  • Midpoint Knowledge and Competency Assessment
    • In response to the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) Accreditation requirements, the MPH requires students to complete a program midpoint assessment to assess interim achievement of MPH foundational knowledge and competencies. Students will submit self‐assessments that will be reviewed and assessed. This midpoint assessment is a mandatory requirement of the MPH program.
School of Public Health and Health Systems website
Master of Public Health (MPH) future students program page