Public Health

Testimonials

"All the instructors seemed really engaged in the courses they were teaching. There’s a nice mix of courses – some quantitative, some applied, and some theory. Everyone seemed to be very connected, and got along well. We did lots of activities together.”

Katherine Launier MPH Graduate

Program Contact

Geraldine Lyman, Graduate Assistant
Master of Public Health
Carruthers Hall, 3rd Floor
Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6

Phone: 613.533.2234
E-mail: lymang@queensu.ca
Website: https://phs.queensu.ca/graduate-programs/master-public-health
Twitter: twitter.com/QueensuPHS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/queensMPH

Program Overview

Boost your career prospects by completing a Master of Public Health degree at Queen's. At Queen's, we educate, equip and inspire you to lead Evidence-Informed Action for Public Health by building a solid foundation in public health theory, methods, skills and competencies. Our professional course-based degree includes a 400-hour practicum placement and can be completed in 16-months. An Accelerated MPH degree program is available for candidates with at least two years of cumulative paid work experience in health care, public health or a related field. We teach our students face-to-face and prioritize collaborative learning. We value our students and support them to succeed.

Opportunities

We support students on their path of continuing professional development. Our graduates hold positions as health planners, research analysts, health promoters, evaluators and project managers in health units, government agencies, hospitals, community organizations and research institutes across the country and beyond.

Career paths – employment opportunities

Our graduates work in various roles and settings in the public health community. Examples of alumni employment include:

Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care - Public Health Practice Analyst
Public Health Agency of Canada – Biosafety Officer
Public Health Ontario – Program Coordinator, Research Associate, Infection Control Consultant
Cancer Care Ontario - Analyst, Policy and Guidelines
Local Health Integration Networks – Health Planner, Outreach Officer, Quality Improvement and Implementation Facilitator
Public Health Units – Program Manager, Health Equity Coordinator, Health Promoter
Community Health Centres – Health Educator, Health Planner

Degrees Offered/Method of Completion

Degrees Offered

Master of Public Health, 16 months, full-time

Accelerated MPH for Experienced Professionals, 12 months, full-time

Part-time studies are available

Method of Completion

The Master of Public Health degree can be completed in 16 consecutive months.

Attracting applicants from a range of disciplines, the degree is comprised of:

9 courses - 6 mandatory core and 3 elective
400 hour practicum placement in a supervised setting
Public Health Professional Development Course, including practical sessions to build core competencies for public health

Fall, Year 1

EPID 801: Introduction to Epidemiology
EPID 802: Foundations of Public Health
EPID 821: Essentials of Biostatistics
EPID 886: Public Health Professional Development

Winter, Year 1

EPID 803: Public Health System in Canada
EPID 806: Applied Research Methods for Program Planning and Evaluation
1-2 Electives
EPID 886: Public Health Professional Development

Summer, Year 1

EPID 887: Practicum Placement

Fall, Year 2

EPID 805: Leading Evidence-Informed Action
1-2 Electives

Part-time studies are available. For more information, contact our Graduate Assistant Gerri Lyman atlymang@queensu.ca

The Accelerated Master of Public Health degree takes 12 consecutive months to complete.

Eligible applicants have at least two years cumulative paid work experience in health care, public health, or a related field. Work experience may include two years of accredited residency through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

This academically demanding and intensive program involves carrying a load of four courses in each semester and is comprised of:

8 courses – 6 mandatory core and 2 elective
400 hour practicum placement in a supervised setting

Fall, Year 1

EPID 801: Introduction to Epidemiology
EPID 802: Foundations of Public Health
EPID 805: Leading Evidence-Informed Action
EPID 821: Essentials of Biostatistics

Winter, Year 1

EPID 803: Public Health System in Canada
EPID 806: Applied Research Methods for Program Planning and Evaluation
1-2 Electives

Summer, Year 1

EPID 887: Practicum Placement

Part-time studies are available. For more information, contact our Graduate Assistant Gerri Lyman at lymang@queensu.ca.

Practicum & Professional Development

Our goal is to help students transition from graduate studies into the professional of public health, and support them to map out a path of continuing professional development.

The MPH includes a mandatory 400-hour practicum placement whose purpose is for students to apply the knowledge, skills and competencies from course work in a supervised public health setting in order to gain exposure to public health in practice. Students complete their practicum placements in a variety of settings, including local, provincial, regional, national and international host organizations. The placement is usually completed in the spring and summer terms of year one, between April and August.

Our students also have access to a range of professional development opportunities, including the MPH program's Public Health Professional Development course, a weekly departmental seminar series, the School of Graduate Studies' Expanding Horizons workshops series, student organized conferences and more.

It all fits into our mission to educate, equip and inspire students to take Evidence-Informed Action for Public Health.

Examples of Practicum Placement locations:

Public Health Agency of Canada
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Veterans Affairs Canada
Public Health Ontario
Public Health Units
Local Health Integration Networks
Heart and Stroke Foundation
Community Health Centres
Hamlet of Arviat, Nunavut
World Health Organization

Funding, Academic Prerequisites & Deadline

Funding Information

Queen’s University does not provide funding to students entering professional degrees.

Academic Prerequisites

Candidates for admission must hold a minimum 75% average in one of the following degrees awarded by a recognized University:

An honours Bachelor Degree in Arts or Science
A Bachelor Degree in Applied Science or Law
A Degree of Doctor of Medicine
Or equivalent

General Requirements

Undergraduate level course in mathematics, statistics or data analysis in order to demonstrate appropriate quantitative skills
Two copies of transcripts from each post-secondary institution you have attended. (Applicants from Queen’s University do not need to order transcripts from Queen’s; your records will be accessed internally)
Two academic reference letters
Applicants should carefully read the "Additional information about letters of reference" section below for more detailed instructions
Please note that depending on what category of applicant you are, a professional reference letter from an employment source may be required; also, more than two letters of reference may be required
International students from a non-English speaking university or students with English as a second language will require a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (paper) or minimum TOEFL iBT scores of: writing (24/30); speaking (22/30); reading (22/30); listening (20/30); for a total of 88/120. Please note applicants must have the minimum score in each test as well as the minimum overall score. The TOEFL institution code is 0949 and the department code is 50.
For applicants from universities outside of Canada, a Graduate Records Examination (GRE) score is mandatory. A minimum score of 149 on the quantitative section is required. The GRE institution code is 0949 and the department code is 0606.

Additional requirements for accelerated MPH program for Experienced Professionals

Demonstration of a minimum of two years cumulative paid work experience in health care, public health or a related field. Work experience may include two years of accredited residency through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Professional letter of reference from an employment source

Key Dates and Deadlines

Application submission deadline is January 31.

There is only one admission date per year, in September.

Learning Outcomes and Student Handbook

Program outcomes are statements that express what students can actually DO at the completion of the program.

Our goal is to educate, equip and inspire students to:

Define public health issues using a population health approach
Search for evidence to address public health issues
Appraise and interpret public health evidence
Synthesize evidence to develop recommendations for public health action
Adapt public health communication and evidence-based interventions to specific contexts and populations
Plan to implement public health programs, services and policies
Evaluate the process and outcomes of public health actions
Demonstrate development of core attitudes and values of a public health professional

Our eight outcomes use the NCCMT Evidence-Informed Public Health wheel as an organizing framework (http://www.nccmt.ca/professional-development/eiph).

Degree Level Expectations - MPH (288KB)

Student Handbook (1.7MB)

Grad Maps

Grad Map - MPH. (2.97MB)