Public Health, M.P.H.

Admission

Applications are encouraged from public health and health care professionals, physicians in post graduate residency programs, and undergraduates from health related programs.

Applicants need to meet the admission requirements for entry into Graduate Studies at McMaster University, including completion (or expected completion) of a 4 year undergraduate program in Sciences (or equivalent, including Medicine). Applicants must also have completed a statistics or mathematics undergraduate course with B+ standing.

Applicants are required to submit their CV, a personal letter of interest in the program (750 words) and ensure that two letters of reference are submitted to the program (one must be an academic reference; health professional applicants in practice for five or more years can include one from an employer who has an academic appointment and who can speak to the applicant’s academic ability.

Curriculum

All MPH students complete seven mandatory courses, which are scheduled as follows:

First Year Fall Term:
• PUBHLTH 700 / Foundations of Population and Public Health Practice  
• PUBHLTH 701 / Population and Public Health Epidemiology  
• HTH RS M 702 / Introduction to Biostatistics  
• PUBHLTH 705 / Master of Public Health Seminar Series Year One  

First Year Winter Term:
• PUBHLTH 704 / Population and Public Health Research Methods  
• PUBHLTH 703 / Population and Public Health Policy  
• Electives (2) required for practicum only, optional for thesis

First Year Summer Term:
• Practicum or Thesis

Second Year Fall Term
• PUBHLTH 708 / Master of Public Health Seminar Series Year Two  
• Electives (3 for practicum students or 1 plus a part-time practicum)
• Thesis and Capstone

Thesis

Thesis students are not required to complete electives however they can take electives at their own discretion to complement their thesis studies.

Practicum

Practicum students are required to complete five (5) electives or three (3) electives plus one (1) part-time practicum (17.5 hours per week for 16 weeks) in addition to the one (1) full-time (35 hours per week for 16 weeks) practicum they complete.

MPH students are required to achieve at least B- standing in all mandatory and elective courses and pass the practicum or thesis to complete the MPH degree.