Thesis - Thesis students are not required to complete electives, however they can take electives at their own discretion to complement their thesis studies. Full-time thesis students are typically enrolled in the program for 20-24 months.
Practicum - Practicum students complete at least one four month, full-time practicum and a series of elective courses. Full-time practicum students are typically enrolled in the program for 16 months.
* Students do not declare a pathway until the end of the first term of study. We recommend that applicants not contact potential supervisors until after they have been admitted into the MPH program and have declared the thesis pathway.
Practicum | Thesis | |
Full-time | 16 months | 20-24 months |
Part-time | 4 years | 4 years |
There are no semesters off during the MPH program. They length of time it may take you to complete the program depends on whether you are full-time or part-time, and if you choose a practicum or thesis stream.
Part-Time Study
Students may choose to enroll in full or part-time study in the MPH program. Each year, 25 full-time students and 5 part-time students are accepted into the program. Typically part-time students enroll in one course per term, taking nor more than three courses in a year. Please refer to the MPH Handbook for more details regarding the details of part-time study.
MPH students all complete the same core courses. Practicum students will also complete a number of elective courses that are provided by various faculties across campus. A list of the available elective courses is made available to students before term registration. While some courses may involve blended learning with online components, all courses are held on campus. The MPH program is not offered fully online. Students can contact the MPH Curriculum Coordinator (cp_mph@mcmaster.ca) with questions about core and elective courses.
The instructor and the university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the students to check their McMaster email and course website during the term and to note any changes. Click here for School of Graduate Studies course listing page for Public Health.
Please find full-time course schedules, as well as course descriptions, below. All students (practicum and thesis) must complete 8 core courses. Practicum students will also complete a number of elective courses, depending on the chosen pathway. Elective courses may change by term; some are listed below. Part-time students will adhere to a different schedule and will typically take only one course per term. Please contact the program office if you would like to learn more about the part-time schedule.
PRACTICUM SCHEDULE (Full-time)
Fall Term | Winter Term | Summer Term | |
---|---|---|---|
Year 1 | PUBHLTH 700 Foundations of Population and Public Health Practice PUBHLTH 712 Professional Development Studio I HRM 702 Introduction to Biostatistics PUBHLTH 701 Population and Public Health Epidemiology | PUBHLTH 703
| Full-Time Practicum (mandatory) Elective* (optional) |
Year 2 | PUBHLTH 708 Leadership & Applied Public Health Elective(s)* Part-Time Practicum (optional) Students complete the program in December |
* Practicum students are required to take 5 electives, unless an additional part-time practicum
is completed which takes the place of 2 electives. Thus, students who complete a part-time practicum
are only required to take 3 elective courses.
THESIS SCHEDULE (Full-time)
Fall Term | Winter Term | Summer Term | |
---|---|---|---|
Year 1 | PUBHLTH 700 Foundations of Population and Public Health Practice PUBHLTH 712 Professional Development Studio I HRM 702 Introduction to Biostatistics PUBHLTH 701 Population and Public Health Epidemiology | PUBHLTH 703 Public Health Policy PUBHLTH 704 Population and Public Health Research Methods (Prerequisite: PUBHLTH 701) PUBHLTH 713 Professional Development Studio II | Thesis work |
Year 2 | PUBHLTH 708 Leadership & Applied Public Health | Thesis Work | Thesis Defence |
Click on individual course descriptions below. Some elective courses may not yet be listed. As the elective list continues to expand, the website will be updated when details become available.