探花系列

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School of Public Health & Social Policy

Master of Public Health program planning

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree requires a minimum of 21.0 units, divided as follows:

  • 9.0 units of core courses
  • 4.5 units of courses from a chosen area of focus
  • 3.0 units for a major project
    • 6.0 units if pursuing a thesis (for a total of 24.0 units)
  • 3.0 units for a practicum
  • 1.5 units of electives

We also recommend you review the MPH student handbook for more information about these requirements.

MPH student handbook
840KB PDF file

Required courses

The following is an outline of the different course requirements for the MPH program.

Full course descriptions are available in the 探花系列 graduate calendar.

  • PHSP 501: Public Health Epidemiology
  • PHSP 502: Public Health Biostatistics
  • PHSP 503: Public Health Practice I: Population Health and Health Promotion
  • PHSP 504: Supportive Environments and Healthy Public Policy
  • PHSP 505: Public Health Practice II: Public Health Interventions
  • PHSP 506: Public Health Research and Evaluation

You must choose from 1 of 2 areas of focus and complete the associated courses. These courses are offered subject to adequate enrollment.

Indigenous health studies

  • INGH 520: Community Engagement and Leadership
  • INGH 521: Indigenous Public Health and Social Policy
  • INGH 522: Indigenous Health Research Methodologies

Social policy

  • PHSP 550: Perspectives in Social Policy and Public Health
  • PSHP 551: Social Values, Ideologies, and Policy Analysis
  • PHSP 552: Healthy Public Policy Strategies

You are required to complete 1 elective (1.5 units) at the 300-level or above.

  • PHSP 589: Practicum (450 hours)
  • PHSP 508B: Culminating Report (21-unit option)
    • or PHSP 599: Thesis (24-unit option)

Non-course requirements

 In addition to your course work, there are 2 activities you are required to participate in:

The gateway orientation is a multi-day online orientation to the program held during the last week of August. This event introduces new students to the program, their peers and instructions, and learning support opportunities and resources.

The culminating conference is an online and hybrid culminating conference usually held over 2 days during the last week of April or the first week in May. You will demonstrate your learning by giving a 10-minute conference presentation at the end of the program.

Master of Public Health thesis route

The master’s thesis route is for students who are interested in completing a thesis rather than a culminating report. This route shares all the requirements of the course-based option, except for PHSP 508B: Culminating Report. Instead, you will enroll in PHSP 599: Thesis. The thesis route is completed in 24.0 credits rather than 21.0 credits.

If you intend to pursue a thesis, we advise that you discuss this with the PHSP academic adviser before the end of your first year in the program.

To learn more about the thesis option, please review the MPH student handbook.

The MPH program can be completed in 2 years if you are studying full-time, or in 3 to 4 years through a combination of full- and part-time study. All students, whether part-time or full-time, have 5 years to complete the program.

The following schedules outline the recommended terms you should enrol in each course based on your intended time to complete the program. 

Course availability

We do our best to make sure the following information is up to date and accurate each year. You can also search the to look up when a specific course is offered.

  • INGH 521: Indigenous Public Health and Social Policy
  • PHSP 501: Public Health Epidemiology
  • PHSP 503: Public Health Practice I: Population Health and Health Promotion
  • PHSP 506: Public Health Research and Evaluation
  • PHSP 551: Social Values, Ideologies, and Policy Analysis
  • PHSP 589: Practicum (part-time only)
  • PHSP 591: Special Topics in Public Health Studies

  • PHSP 502: Public Health Biostatistics
  • PHSP 505: Public Health Practice II: Public Health Interventions
  • PHSP 508B: Culminating Report
  • PHSP 589: Practicum (part-time and full-time)
  • PHSP 590: Directed Studies
  • PHSP 599: Thesis

  • INGH 520: Community Engagement and Leadership
  • INGH 522: Indigenous Health Research Methodologies
  • PHSP 504: Supportive Environments and Healthy Public Policy
  • PHSP 550: Perspectives in Social Policy and Public Health
  • PHSP 552: Healthy Public Policy Strategies
  • PHSP 591: Special Topics in Public Health Studies
  • PHSP 599: Thesis

Have questions?

The admissions and academic adviser can help with course selection and program planning. They can create a personal academic plan to help you meet your graduation requirements.