Master of Science (MSc) in Public Health and Health Systems

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.

Graduate research fields

  • Aging and Health
  • Epidemiology and Biostatistics
  • Global Health
  • Health and Environment
  • Health Evaluation
  • Health Informatics
  • Work and Health

Program information

  • Admit term(s) 
    • Fall
  • Delivery mode 
    • On-campus
  • Program type 
    • Master's
    • Research
  • 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 the biological sciences, behavioural health, health, public health, or social sciences.
    • Undergraduate experience including coursework in one or more of the behavioural, biological, developmental, health, or social sciences is advantageous, given the multidisciplinary nature of the program. Students should also have a suitable background in research design and statistics to meet prerequisite standards for all graduate level courses.
    • Students may be allowed to transfer into the PhD program directly from the School of Public Health and Health Systems (SPHHS) Master’s programs. Such students must have completed all Master’s coursework requirements, have demonstrated a superior academic record, and have evidence of prior research achievements (e.g., adjudicated research report, significant documented contribution as a co-author to a peer-reviewed publication, first author peer-reviewed publication).
  • Application materials 
    • Curriculum vitae
    • Supplementary information form
      • Indicating reasons for pursuing graduate studies (e.g., discuss how a graduate degree maps onto your career plans) and outlining research interests.
    • Transcript(s)
    • Writing sample
      • Students must submit a copy of previous academic work, such as a publication, term paper, or Honours thesis written during the last two years of their undergraduate education.
  • References 
    • Number of references:  2
    • Type of references: 

      preferably from faculty members
  • English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Degree requirements

    Thesis option:

  • Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)
  • Courses 
    • The normal minimum requirement will be 5 one-term (0.50 unit weight) graduate courses (3 required and 2 free electives or approved equivalents):

      • Required courses:

        • HLTH 601 Lifespan Determinants of Health and Disease

      • 2 of the following:

        • HLTH 605 Regression Models (or equivalent) or HLTH 705 Advanced Statistical Methods for Analyzing Public Health and Health Systems Data*

        • HLTH 606A Epidemiological Methods (or equivalent) or HLTH 706 Advanced Epidemiological Methods*

        • HLTH 619 Fundamental Research Methods in Health Informatics (or equivalent) or HLTH 719 Advanced Research Methods in Health Informatics*

        • HLTH 625 Foundations of Qualitative Research Methodologies (or equivalent) or HLTH 704 Advanced Qualitative Methods for Health Research*

      • Elective courses:

        • 2 free elective courses, selected in consultation with the supervisor (may include courses outside SPHHS, or any courses offered by SPHHS, including additional courses from the required list, online courses, etc.)

        • *It is highly recommended that MSc students with a strong background or previous training in one of these areas take the 700-level equivalent in place of the 600-level course requirement (e.g., those with a strong statistical background may opt to take HLTH 705). Such decisions should be made in collaboration with the supervisor.

    • 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 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.

    • Students in the MSc in Public Health and Health Systems program may also wish to pursue one of the following Graduate Research Fields:

      1. Aging and Health
      2. Epidemiology and Biostatistics
      3. Global Health
      4. Health and Environment
      5. Health Evaluation
      6. Health Informatics
      7. Work and Health

    • A Graduate Research Field is a University credential that is recognized on the student’s transcript and is intended to reflect that a student has successfully completed research and a set of courses that together provide an in-depth study in the area of the Graduate Research Field. A student will only obtain the Graduate Research Field on their transcript if they have completed the requirements associated with the MSc degree and the requirements associated with the Graduate Research Field.

    • All MSc Graduate Research Fields in the SPHHS consist of Graduate Studies Seminars I and II, a Master’s Thesis that is confirmed by the SPHHS to be in the chosen Graduate Research Field, and a set of 5 graduate (0.50 weight) level courses. This set of courses is comprised of a mix of required and elective courses. Required courses are those that are prescribed as part of the Graduate Research Field. Elective courses are those that are on a list of courses designated as electives for a given Graduate Research Field.

    • For any of the Graduate Research Fields below, a directed studies course (HLTH 620 or HLTH 720) focused on the Graduate Research Field may replace a required or elective course, with the approval of the Associate Director, Research Graduate Program, School of Public Health and Health Systems. 

    • The course requirements for each of the Graduate Research Fields are described below.

    1. Graduate Research Field in Aging and Health

    • Students must successfully complete 1 required course and 4 elective courses. An assessment of whether or not the student’s thesis warrants the Aging and Health Graduate Research Field designation will be completed by the SPHHS.
      • Required course:
        • HLTH 601 Lifespan Determinants of Health and Disease
      • Elective courses:
        • Select 2 from the following list:
          • HLTH 605A Regression Models
          • HLTH 606A Epidemiological Methods
          • HLTH 619 Fundamental Research Methods in Health Informatics
          • HLTH 625 Foundations of Qualitative Research Methodologies or HLTH 652 Qualitative Methods andAnalysis
          • HLTH 672 Epidemiologic Methods in Aging Research
        • Select 2 from the following list:
          • HLTH 626 Analysis and Management of Health Information in Aging Populations
          • HLTH 627 Advanced Dementia Care
          • HLTH 630 Advanced Geriatric Medicine and Healthcare
          • HLTH 642 Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Aging

    2. Graduate Research Field in Epidemiology and Biostatistics

    • Students must successfully complete 3 required courses and 2 elective courses. An assessment of whether or not the student’s thesis warrants the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Graduate Research Field designation will be completed by the SPHHS.
      • Required courses:
        • HLTH 601 Lifespan Determinants of Health and Disease
        • HLTH 605A Regression Models
        • HLTH 606A Epidemiological Methods
      • Elective courses:
        • Select 2 from the following list:
          • HLTH 634 Environmental Epidemiology for Public Health
          • HLTH 672 Epidemiological Methods in Aging Research
          • HLTH 705 Advanced Statistical Methods for Analyzing Public Health and Health Systems Data
          • HLTH 706 Advanced Epidemiological Methods

    3. Graduate Research Field in Global Health

    • Students must successfully complete 2 required courses and 3 elective courses. An assessment of whether or not the student’s thesis warrants the Global Health Graduate Research Field designation will be completed by the SPHHS.
      • Required courses:
        • HLTH 601 Lifespan Determinants of Health and Disease
        • HLTH 662 Global Health
      • Elective courses:
        • Select 2 from the following list:
          • HLTH 605A Regression Models
          • HLTH 606A Epidemiological Methods
          • HLTH 619 Fundamental Research Methods in Health Informatics
          • HLTH 625 Foundations of Qualitative Research Methodologies or HLTH 652 Qualitative Methods and Analysis
        • Select 1 from the following list (these courses are global-health focused in all examples and assignments): 
          • HLTH 632 Health Economics and Public Health
          • HLTH 654 Systems Thinking and Analysis in Health Program Planning and Evaluation

    4. Graduate Research Field in Health and Environment

    • Students must successfully complete 2 required courses and 3 elective courses. An assessment of whether or not the student’s thesis warrants the Health and Environment Graduate Research Field designation will be completed by the SPHHS.
      • Required courses:
        • HLTH 601 Lifespan Determinants of Health and Disease
        • HLTH 604 Public Health and the Environment
      • Elective courses:
        • Select 2 from the following list:
          • HLTH 605A Regression Models or HLTH 656 Quantitative Methods and Analysis
          • HLTH 606A Epidemiological Methods
          • HLTH 625 Foundations of Qualitative Research Methodologies or HLTH 652 Qualitative Methods and Analysis
        • Select 1 from the following list:
          • HLTH 623 Risk and Exposure Assessment in Public Health
          • HLTH 624 Environmental Toxicology in Public Health
          • HLTH 631 Public Health Surveillance
          • HLTH 634 Environmental Epidemiology for Public Health
          • HLTH 661 Geographic Information Systems and Public Health
          • HLTH 662 Global Health

    5. Graduate Research Field in Health Evaluation

    • Students must successfully complete 2 required courses and 3 elective courses. An assessment of whether or not the student’s thesis warrants the Health Evaluation Graduate Research Field designation will be completed by the SPHHS.
      • Required courses:
        • Lifespan Determinants of Health and Disease
        • HLTH 655 Health Measurement and Survey Methods
      • Elective courses:
        • Select 1 from the following list:
          • HLTH 605A Regression Models or HLTH 656 Quantitative Methods and Analysis
          • HLTH 625 Foundations of Qualitative Research Methodologies or HLTH 652 Qualitative Methods and Analysis
        • Select 1 or 2 from the following list:
          • HLTH 614 Foundations of Program Evaluation
          • HLTH 651 Theory and Applications in Program Evaluation
          • HLTH 653 Evaluation Practice and Management
          • HLTH 654 Systems Thinking and Analysis in Health Program Planning and Evaluation
        • Select 1 from the following list, if only 1 course was selected above:
          • HLTH 603 Health Systems and Policy
          • HLTH 626 Analysis and Management of Health Information in Aging Populations
          • HLTH 639 Experiential Learning in Evaluation

    6. Graduate Research Field in Health Informatics

    • Students must successfully complete 2 required courses and 3 elective courses. An assessment of whether or not the student’s thesis warrants the Health Informatics Graduate Research Field designation will be completed by the SPHHS.
      • Required courses:
        • Lifespan Determinants of Health and Disease
        • HLTH 619 Fundamental Research Methods in Health Informatics
      • Elective courses:
        • Select 1 from the following list:
          • HLTH 605A Regression Models or HLTH 705 Advanced Statistical Methods for Analyzing Public Health and Health Systems Data
          • HLTH 606A Epidemiological Methods or HLTH 706 Advanced Epidemiological Methods
          • HLTH 625 Foundations of Qualitative Research Methodologies or HLTH 652 Qualitative Methods and Analysis or HLTH 704 Advanced Qualitative Methods for Health Research
        • Select 1 from the following list:
          • HLTH 615 Requirements Specification and Analysis in Health Systems
          • HLTH 616 Decision Making and Systems Thinking in Health Informatics
          • HLTH 626 Analysis and Management of Health Information in Aging Populations
          • HLTH 629 Information Visualization
          • HLTH 633 Digital Health
          • HLTH 637 Public Health Informatics
        • Select 1 from the following list:
          • COGSCI 600 Seminar in Cognitive Science
          • CS 634 Security and Privacy for Health Systems
          • CS 792 Data Structures and Standards in Health Informatics
          • SYDE 642 Cognitive Engineering Methods
          • SYDE 644 Human Factors Testing

    7. Graduate Research Field in Work and Health

    • Students must successfully complete 2 required courses and 3 elective courses. An assessment of whether or not the student’s thesis warrants the Work and Health Graduate Research Field designation will be completed by the SPHHS.
      • Required courses:
        • HLTH 601 Lifespan Determinants of Health and Disease
        • HLTH 628 What is Fair? International Perspectives On Equity In Work and Health
      • Elective courses:
        • Select 2 from the following list:
          • HLTH 605A Regression Models
          • HLTH 606A Epidemiological Methods
          • HLTH 619 Fundamental Research Methods in Health Informatics
          • HLTH 625 Foundations of Qualitative Research Methodologies or HLTH 652 Qualitative Methods and Analysis
        • Select 1 from the following list:
          • HLTH 614 Foundations of Program Evaluation
          • HLTH 623 Risk and Exposure Assessment in Public Health
          • HLTH 639 Experiential Learning in Evaluation
          • HLTH 654 Systems Thinking and Analysis In Health Program Planning and Evaluation
  • Link(s) to courses
  • Academic Integrity Workshop
  • Graduate Studies Seminar I
    • The Fall term segment of the seminar will provide a weekly opportunity for MSc students in their first term of study to attend research seminars led by SPHHS faculty members and senior graduate students. In addition, opportunities will be arranged for students to participate in workshops relating to research methods, presentation skills, grantsmanship, or to attend guest lectures delivered by scholars from outside SPHHS.
  • Graduate Studies Seminar II
    • The Winter term segment of the seminar will provide a weekly opportunity for MSc students in their second term of study to participate in a journal club led by members of their cohort. Each student will be responsible for selecting one article, providing an electronic copy to the instructors to allow for placement on the course website, and then leading discussion around the article’s purpose, content, strengths, and limitations. In addition, students will be expected to read through the articles chosen by their colleagues, and actively participate in the discussion held each week.
  • Master’s Thesis
    • For the Master's thesis, an approved topic is required and will be defended in an oral examination. The MSc thesis committee consists of a minimum of three faculty and includes the student's supervisor, appointed in the School, and at least one other member of the School of Public Health and Health Systems faculty. One committee member may be from outside the School (whether from within the university or from another university). The composition of the Thesis Advisory Committee must be approved by the School’s Graduate Committee.
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