And1

Hey! I believe U of T MPH Epi roughly admits around 35 students, so if we assume pretty much all of them graduate without any delays, that should be a good estimate. I think all other MPH programs are a bit smaller though! Don't quote me on that though haha

Oh man I'm in the same situation! I also got accepted to U of T epi, but will be heading to UW instead for their MSc in Public Health. I also obtained a lot of guaranteed funding so that was one big factor, and I also want to open my doors for possibly working in academia. I'm still gearing my MSc degree towards epidemiology by taking multiple epi and biostats courses (and my supervisor is an epidemiologist), but I suppose if I don't end up liking epi too much I can always switch around my electives Anyways, I do understand your position, since MPH epi at U of T is always the hot topic around this forum and many students want to get in. But shows that you have a lot of research/academic potential considering that acceptance rate to that program is slightly under 10%! You should be proud Also, I think the end result will be the same, and I'm sure you'll be successful whichever school/program you attend! Good luck

I also got accepted to the MPH Epi program at U of T, but I likely won't take it! So there will be another spot open for someone who's anxious to get in!

Hi there! Are you referring to their MPH program or the MSc in public health? If it's for MSc, I just received my offer this morning so check your email

Congrats! If you don't mind me asking, do you know what your thesis work will revolve around? I'm assuming you already had a supervisor lined up. And yes, I hear Western usually provides pretty good funding

Hi! I saw this on the other thread and I believe you got your answer. But I was wondering if the MSc program at Queen's requires you to have a thesis supervisor? If so, and you have already lined up with one, that would be harder to pull out of if you choose to go to Toronto instead!

Hi there! First off, what did the "not so nice" comment entail? Anyways, the common issue people seem to be concerned about Western is that it is still a relatively new MPH program (started in Fall 2013). Their program is rather different since it is only one year, although the tuition is around $30K. While I worked at PHAC for my coop, I did meet a Western MPH student doing her practicum there. I was very surprised to find that she was not getting paid for her placement, while other MPH practicum students from Toronto were. Of course, I have no idea if that's common among Western MPH students as that was only just one student. I recall seeing in a thread on MPH 2016 applicants where a current Western MPH student posted about the program, and the student didn't seem like s/he was the happiest about it. Is that the post you're referring to perhaps? I think it'd be best to reach out to the student if you haven't already. In all, I really wouldn't know too much about the program to comment on its quality. And realistically, for the most part you can only trust those who actually have attended the program, since us outsiders can only say stereotypical things like "it's new so they have kinks to work out still". I believe Western is a great school and I'm sure the program has potential. But it's up to you to do some more digging about the program by messaging current students! It's a lot of investment after all if you choose to commit Where else have you applied to?

Congrats!!! And yes, the field of ehealth does seem very promising Are you waiting on any other programs?

Oh thanks for the insight! And yes, I'm not too too worried about getting in, although I would like to see the entrance scholarship results as well In terms of the name change, I agree that there are a lot of degrees with the name "public health" and the like. Although for me personally, I like the new name than Health Studies & Gerontology because I know I would not be focusing my studies on geriatrics. Wish you all the best of luck!

Haha I hear ya, I was told Waterloo usually gets back to students in a month but I suppose this year they experienced delays. I'm currently doing my undergrad in UW in the same faculty and I would say they are very organized. This large delay in sending out acceptances isn't looking good though I admit! And yes, funding plays a big role for me (and I'm sure a lot others) too. I know with UW the first year is guaranteed funding at about $18.4K, where you're guaranteed TA or RA positions for that year. The second year isn't guaranteed but there is a good chance of securing the positions again I hear. Have you applied to OGS?

Anyone here also apply to any MSc programs in Epi/Public Health? I know this forum is mostly for prospective MPH students, but I was interested in seeing if people applied to both MPH and MSc programs. It can be very hard to choose between the two!

@architronic I'm waiting for it as well! It should come by this week, they did say mid-to-late March. I've talked to the admission staff and they've been saying "very soon" for a couple weeks now... They told me that the reason for the delay is because of the recent degree name change from Health Studies & Gerontology to Public Health and Health Systems. Is the UW program your first choice? It is for me!

@Achillies_MPH No problem! And from my understanding, universities in Quebec do not offer MPH but instead MScs in Public Health, and are considered equivalent. I've only heard great things for the McGill MSc in Public Health, and it is well-reputable. Here is a paper on public health-related programs in Canada, although you will need to use your school library to gain full access to the article: http://php.sagepub.com/content/1/3/134.abstract Also, while I was at PHAC I had to scan hundreds of public health job postings to try to examine any trends and gaps. One trend I distinctly remember is that no job will ever say that they require solely a Master of Public Health. Instead, they will always say something like "a Master's degree in public health, epidemiology, or a related field". So, safe to say we are technically qualified for any of the jobs that MPH grads would apply to if we pursue an MSc. BUT, they are likely obliged to say that in the postings and the employer may actually prefer someone with an MPH (or MSc), and that we will never know. Either way, whether an MSc or MPH (especially from reputable schools such as the ones you applied to), I think there's good jobs out there for us

@Achillies_MPH @COGSCI I agree with both of you! I've always contemplated between thesis-based and course-based epidemiology programs over the past couple years. Of course, if funding is a big factor for anyone then thesis-based programs usually provide pretty good funding, while MPH does not (although you have practicum placements to buffer the hit a little). The practicum placements are great and provides not just great experience but connections to find jobs after graduation. While I worked at PHAC for my coop, I managed to meet a few MPH U of T Epi students there doing their placements. Their jobs sounded super interesting and they really got to apply their epi knowledge/skills. At the same time, whenever I talk to academic faculty about epidemiology programs, they recommend an MSc over MPH... Has anyone ever come across this too? Perhaps some bias among faculties as they did thesis-based programs, but who knows. I personally believe whether you do an MSc or MPH in epidemiology, you still have potential for a great future in this field. But then again, what do I know since I'm still just an undergrad Also, if any of you wanted to talk to any current/former students from the grad programs you're interested in, I suggest using LinkedIn to find them (just search the name of the program and school in the search bar and the right people will show up). I was just polite and reached out to them asking whether if it was okay to ask them questions about the program, and all of them were super open to it and helpful! Several offered to do Skype calls for more help and went totally beyond what I was expecting. Anyways, good luck everyone!

Hi! This is great that you created this thread. I also applied to MPH epi at U of T, but also to the MSc Public Health & Health Systems degree at Waterloo. With this degree at UW, you can still gear it towards epidemiology (granted, not an official option in the sense that it won't appear on the degree). But I have been told that the bottom line is that regardless of the degree name, it's what your training that really matters. So if you can get all the appropriate epi/stats courses as well as having your thesis be epi-focused, that's what's important! Anyone else contemplating between an MPH and MSc. versions of epidemiology?

Hi everyone! I've been following this forum for MPH programs since second year, and I guess I can finally be a part of this thread! Anyways, I'm joining rather late but I have applied to the MPH epi program at U of T and the MSc in Public Health & Health Systems at Waterloo. Haven't heard from either, although I hear Waterloo will be very soon and Toronto usually sends out acceptances the first week of May. I've talked to a few MPH Epi students at U of T in the past, and they also told me the top entrance scholarship gets sent out around June. I've had a couple friends so far receive their acceptances for MPH programs at Guelph or Queen's, so hope you guys got into those if you applied!