MPH Programs in Canada

[NiceGuy]

UofT's program has been around longer.. a little over 30 years I believe.. and I know Queen's MPH program is fairly new compared to UofT, so there may still be changes being made to the program as it continues to grow.. However, this is only speculation based on what I've experienced in new programs.

This program is slightly different than Queen's MPH where they seem to be focused on community Health and Epi, whereas OEH is more focused with hazards in work-related and industrial settings. After all, you do work towards to become a ROH where you will use your skills and knowledge in promoting primary interventions in EHS settings. However, this is just one aspect of what you can do with a MPH from UofT.. there are many other routes you can take such as academics or a managerial role.. I'm sure that's also the same for Queen's MPH program. So it really depends on what you really want to do and like.

The OEH program itself is quite small... about 10-12 people, so you'll get to know your classmates and profs quite well. UofT is certainly a larger institution, so you are correct about long term opportunities, since the school is much more recognized internationally.. and is ranked 27th in the world.. Sometimes change is a good thing and perhaps attending a new school in a new community may help you develop new skills, gain new knowledge, meet new people, develop a different perception on things and find new opportunities that you might not have been able to experience or find during your undergrad at Queens.

Hope this helps.

@Decaf:

So between Queen's and UofT Environmental and Occupational public health, which would you choose? I am just trying to get some ideas of pros and cons that I may have overlooked. Queen's has a very positive learning environment and very intimate atmosphere; I am completing my undergrad here and I am really going to miss the community if I leave; but I know that UofT may have more opportunity in the long term. :S

I appreciate all your input!

Pebbles

Edited April 13, 2011 by NiceGuy

[sfu4mph]

I'm still waiting to hear from SFU also. I really don't think there's anything to worry about. I've also declined another offer (UBC).

[sfu4mph]

I was told by UBC that they offered scholarships to their top 5 students, but I wasn't told how much those scholarships are. Does anyone know?

Did anyone apply/get accepted to McGill? How many students does U of T accept in their epi specialization?

[Heat]

Usually is someone goes into OEH then they tend to work in this area as it is a specialization. Is this what you intend to do? If yes, then Uof T seems like a good option. The MPH at Queen's is a new -yes - but it replaced their non-thesis MSC in Epi program. If you are interested in epi, especially cancer epi, and understanding all the core components of MPH then Queen's might e a better option.

[punishster]

I've heard UT accepts 10 people, but I don't know if's that number is only in the epi specialization.

On the forums, people have posted getting acceptances and rejections from McGill as early as March 23rd. Does anyone know how many student McGill accepts in the epi Master's thesis program? Such an unnerving time....

I was told by UBC that they offered scholarships to their top 5 students, but I wasn't told how much those scholarships are. Does anyone know?

Did anyone apply/get accepted to McGill? How many students does U of T accept in their epi specialization?

[NiceGuy]

Actually, UofT's Epidemiology program accepts 30 people according to a student in that program from 2010:

"I am currently a student in Epidemiology at U of T finishing up my first year.

In terms of admittance, they accept about 10% of applicants (our class this year is about 30 people). As its competitive, the higher the GPA the better (most people I have talked to had at least a 3.7 in the last two years), although having a strong background in either research or public health work will also give you points (can compensate for lower grades). When writing your letter of intent, make an argument for why their program fits you - it is unique in a number of ways compared to other MPH programs in Ontario."

I believe the OEH option accepts about 10 people.

I've heard UT accepts 10 people, but I don't know if's that number is only in the epi specialization.

On the forums, people have posted getting acceptances and rejections from McGill as early as March 23rd. Does anyone know how many student McGill accepts in the epi Master's thesis program? Such an unnerving time....

Edited April 13, 2011 by NiceGuy

[guelphmph2011]

hey u of t mphers...

i got into u of t epi this week. so if u haven't gotten it yet, i don't think you will

Actually, UofT's Epidemiology program accepts 30 people according to a student in that program from 2010:

"I am currently a student in Epidemiology at U of T finishing up my first year.

In terms of admittance, they accept about 10% of applicants (our class this year is about 30 people). As its competitive, the higher the GPA the better (most people I have talked to had at least a 3.7 in the last two years), although having a strong background in either research or public health work will also give you points (can compensate for lower grades). When writing your letter of intent, make an argument for why their program fits you - it is unique in a number of ways compared to other MPH programs in Ontario."

I believe the OEH option accepts about 10 people.

[strwbrry]

Thanks for starting/contributing to this topic! I've had a lot of difficulty finding information on how people feel about MPH programs in Canada. Congrats to all who've gotten accepted so far!

How do you guys feel about the MPH program at UBC? I'm oriented to do epidemiology and have been accepted to an epi specialist. I've been told differently by different people. Some say I should study epidemiology if I want to work as an epidemiologist, while others say it doesn't matter which school I go to (even if it's a general MPH) as long as I take that extra epi/biostat course with my program. I know that UBC does offer epi courses to be taken as electives, but I worry that the general MPH would give me a slight disadvantage when I'm applying for epi jobs. Any thoughts?

-----------------------

Accepted: UBC (with scholarship) and U of A

Waitlisted: U of T

[guelphmph2011]

if u want to do epi i think u should study epi.

also. did u apply to the epi mph at u of t or was it the health prom stream.

also. if u dont mind me asking. what was ur gpa like to get waitlisted for u of t?

Thanks for starting/contributing to this topic! I've had a lot of difficulty finding information on how people feel about MPH programs in Canada. Congrats to all who've gotten accepted so far!

How do you guys feel about the MPH program at UBC? I'm oriented to do epidemiology and have been accepted to an epi specialist. I've been told differently by different people. Some say I should study epidemiology if I want to work as an epidemiologist, while others say it doesn't matter which school I go to (even if it's a general MPH) as long as I take that extra epi/biostat course with my program. I know that UBC does offer epi courses to be taken as electives, but I worry that the general MPH would give me a slight disadvantage when I'm applying for epi jobs. Any thoughts?

-----------------------

Accepted: UBC (with scholarship) and U of A

Waitlisted: U of T

[strwbrry]

I applied for epi at U of T.

I didn't have too high of a GPA but I did some public health research before.

if u want to do epi i think u should study epi.

also. did u apply to the epi mph at u of t or was it the health prom stream.

also. if u dont mind me asking. what was ur gpa like to get waitlisted for u of t?

[stars7]

How did you determine that you were waitlisted? Did you get an email?

I applied for health promotion and haven't heard anything yet.

Also -- look at the courses in each stream--you will get a feel of what they prepare you for.

I applied for epi at U of T.

I didn't have too high of a GPA but I did some public health research before.

[strwbrry]

I got an email.

How did you determine that you were waitlisted? Did you get an email?

I applied for health promotion and haven't heard anything yet.

Also -- look at the courses in each stream--you will get a feel of what they prepare you for.

[sfu4mph]

Congrats on getting a scholarship and being ranked so high at UBC. May I ask how much the scholarship was for?

Thanks for starting/contributing to this topic! I've had a lot of difficulty finding information on how people feel about MPH programs in Canada. Congrats to all who've gotten accepted so far!

How do you guys feel about the MPH program at UBC? I'm oriented to do epidemiology and have been accepted to an epi specialist. I've been told differently by different people. Some say I should study epidemiology if I want to work as an epidemiologist, while others say it doesn't matter which school I go to (even if it's a general MPH) as long as I take that extra epi/biostat course with my program. I know that UBC does offer epi courses to be taken as electives, but I worry that the general MPH would give me a slight disadvantage when I'm applying for epi jobs. Any thoughts?

-----------------------

Accepted: UBC (with scholarship) and U of A

Waitlisted: U of T

[sfu4mph]

That's okay if I didn't get into U of T. It was my third choice anyway (SFU and UBC were 1st and 2nd respectively, and both offered admission to me). I'm a little skeptical of a program that makes students wait so long anyway. And someone else posted on another stream that having to wait so long for U of T, but finally being accepted this time last year, should have been a sign of things to come. Ouch!

hey u of t mphers...

i got into u of t epi this week. so if u haven't gotten it yet, i don't think you will

[strwbrry]

It's $3000. It's a good offer, which is why I'm really considering going there. Comparing UBC and U of A courses, though, I think U of A gives a better focus in epidemiology.

Congrats on getting a scholarship and being ranked so high at UBC. May I ask how much the scholarship was for?

[sfu4mph]

Thanks for responding. I do know that UBC's SPPH is very strong in epidemiology. I'm not familiar with U of A, but many of the UBC MPH core courses are focused on epi, and they have many more electives (you might want to check out UBC's MSc and PhD in epi). They have to do additional epi courses. You could do those additional courses as electives. Also UBC has a very good international reputation. It's probably better known than U of A. I'd also check out things like tuition. UBC is actually quite a deal (very good quality for the price), and you've got a scholarship there! Even that on the CV is a benefit. I hope that I'm not complicating your thinking. Best of luck to you in your studies.

It's $3000. It's a good offer, which is why I'm really considering going there. Comparing UBC and U of A courses, though, I think U of A gives a better focus in epidemiology.

[strwbrry]

Nono, thanks a lot for your response! I'll definitely look more closely into their courses. Best of luck to you, too!

Thanks for responding. I do know that UBC's SPPH is very strong in epidemiology. I'm not familiar with U of A, but many of the UBC MPH core courses are focused on epi, and they have many more electives (you might want to check out UBC's MSc and PhD in epi). They have to do additional epi courses. You could do those additional courses as electives. Also UBC has a very good international reputation. It's probably better known than U of A. I'd also check out things like tuition. UBC is actually quite a deal (very good quality for the price), and you've got a scholarship there! Even that on the CV is a benefit. I hope that I'm not complicating your thinking. Best of luck to you in your studies.

[SFUFTW]

Hey guys!

I will be doing my MPH at SFU this fall as well- congrats to all of you FYI- I emailed FHS a few days ago and they told me our formal offers of admission will be sent by Friday this week So just a day or two now!

[Anastasia HF]

Hey SFU4MPH,

I have a friend who got accepted to the new MScPH @ McGill, and has taken the offer. I know someone else who got waitlisted there and is waiting to hear back. My friend who chose McGill said that one reason why she made the choice was that she was told that they're applying for accreditation (and once it's approved, it's valid for graduates up to 3 years back).

Also, if you don't mind me asking (I just got an email from UBC saying that I may receive a spot in the next few days), what tipped you towards SFU over UBC? I'm leaning that way as well, but since it's kind of hard to find info about the programs beyond the general FAQs, I'm still a little bit tentative.

Same question, I guess, for anyone else making that choice.

I was told by UBC that they offered scholarships to their top 5 students, but I wasn't told how much those scholarships are. Does anyone know?

Did anyone apply/get accepted to McGill? How many students does U of T accept in their epi specialization?

[SFUFTW]

Hey Anastasia HF,

I'm actually just completing my undergrad at UBC, and decided for SFU over UBC for a lot of reasons- even though I love UBC

(1) SFU is the only currently accredited program (asides from one French school in Quebec) and has one of the best reputations worldwide according to some of the public health agencies I've talked to and worked with.

(2) UBC's program is BRAND NEW- they just had their first set of grads this year, and they are still developing the program. When I spoke to one of my profs who was also developing the program- she highly recommended I go to SFU as UBC is very very statistics based, not accredited, and the program isn't that great yet. Also, she mentioned that UBC is competitive for one reason and one reason alone: it's UBC. So they may be competitive, but quality doesn't fall in line with that.

(3) Overall, any organizations I spoke with or individuals working in public health all pointed me to SFU instead, as did some of the medical school professors at UBC that I spoke to.

(4) ALSO: SFU has the specific streams whereas UBC doesn't

I'd rather go for quality over reputation. SFU all the way Though I must admit lol, I will miss UBC!

Hey SFU4MPH,

I have a friend who got accepted to the new MScPH @ McGill, and has taken the offer. I know someone else who got waitlisted there and is waiting to hear back. My friend who chose McGill said that one reason why she made the choice was that she was told that they're applying for accreditation (and once it's approved, it's valid for graduates up to 3 years back).

Also, if you don't mind me asking (I just got an email from UBC saying that I may receive a spot in the next few days), what tipped you towards SFU over UBC? I'm leaning that way as well, but since it's kind of hard to find info about the programs beyond the general FAQs, I'm still a little bit tentative.

Same question, I guess, for anyone else making that choice.

[pebbles22]

that's the thing - I do not really wish to work in occupational public health for the long term - I am more interested in infectious diseases and biological hazards that occur in the workplace and environment in general. I like the generalization of Queens MPH where it deals with many other streams of public health, but I am also not that interested in cancer epidemiology.... @_@

Forgive me if I'm wrong (I lost track of all the posts here lol) , but you got into UofT epid right? I hear that's a really good MPH stream at UofT! congrats

Pebbles

Usually is someone goes into OEH then they tend to work in this area as it is a specialization. Is this what you intend to do? If yes, then Uof T seems like a good option. The MPH at Queen's is a new -yes - but it replaced their non-thesis MSC in Epi program. If you are interested in epi, especially cancer epi, and understanding all the core components of MPH then Queen's might e a better option.

[Heat]

I am deciding between U Sask and Queen's at the moment. I have to make up my mind tonight (for tomorrow) and I am freaking out!! I have no idea what to do!! I am interested in the social epidemiology focus at U Sask but Queen's is a prestigous universities with small class sizes and strong background in epidemiology. Both universitis are excellent for different reasons.

I would say if you don't want to work in Occupational Health and Safety and you want a broad based understanding of PH then perhaps go to Queen's .. I was told by a Queen's student that if you were inerested in cancer epi then it is the place to be but from talking to her she has a good comprehenive understanding of publi health as whole.

that's the thing - I do not really wish to work in occupational public health for the long term - I am more interested in infectious diseases and biological hazards that occur in the workplace and environment in general. I like the generalization of Queens MPH where it deals with many other streams of public health, but I am also not that interested in cancer epidemiology.... @_@

Forgive me if I'm wrong (I lost track of all the posts here lol) , but you got into UofT epid right? I hear that's a really good MPH stream at UofT! congrats

Pebbles

[Heat]

U Sask or Queen's - ANY ADVICE!?!

[M19]

Everyone here has to make so many difficult decisions.

@Heat:

I'm actually from SK and I think UofS would be a great school. It is cold here but you get use to it. Between prestige (Queens) and quality, I would go for quality every time. From my understanding Queens MPH is still fairly new and might still have some kinks to work out.

I actually had to choose between Queens and UofA myself and in the end, after talking to some managers at work who hire, they could care less about what University you graduated from. It's all about your skills set and experience.

On a side note, I fine it pretty great that UofS is giving funding, many of the bigger schools aren't for MPH.

@Strbrry:

I had my eye on UBC MPH as well. In the end though, I realized having an Epi designation was more important to me than living in an awesome city. I'm a little bias myself since I've settled on going to UofA, but I like how structured their program is (very similar to UofT), and they should be accredited by the time I graduate.

I kind of regret not applying for UofT seeing as how everyone speaks so highly of it and since they seem to have a very strong Epi stream, oh well.

Strbrry what was your GPA and background? I'm surprise you were wait listed at UofT but accepted (with funding) at UBC. UofT standards must be pretty intense.

[sfu4mph]

Hi Anastasia HF,

As with the other respondent to your question about why SFU over UBC for me: I, too, went to UBC and actually worked there, so for me it was a bit of the "been there; done that" phenomenon. I'm looking to expand my opportunities and experiences. I think UBC is great; it's one of those big name schools in Canada and is known internationally. It's very strong on the quantitative side which is actually what I'm interested in, but SFU has those courses too. I actually think that sometimes the smaller universities try harder because they don't have the cache that the big ones do. You're less of a number. Also, SFU's FHS currently doesn't have any PhD students, and grad schools are very hierarchical which likely changes next year at SFU. So schools tend to favour, although not on purpose, students at the highest level, so at UBC I'd be competing with PhDs in epi or research-based masters students for 'attention'. Also, under the Western Deans' Agreement you can take courses at UBC if there's really something there, but not at SFU. SFU's program is more established and accredited. It is more work though since SFU requires a project or thesis which is only 3 or 6 credits respectively, but a lot of work. So for that, I would suggest to all students to try and do something publishable. Also, SFU has required seminars on public health practice and practicums which you only get one credit for, but, I'm hoping, are focused on practice and less theoretical than a traditional graduate course tends to be. So that will be, I'm expecting, another couple of hours a week the first year. I'm assuming you know about tuition differences (UBC is cheaper for domestic, but more expensive for international than SFU), and the location of UBC is preferable, but both campuses aren't really close to downtown Vancouver (20 to 40 minutes). It's all a personal choice. It's not as if your career aspirations would be in jeopardy if you chose one over the other. All the MPH schools in Canada are good, and a graduate education is affected much more by the student's initiative than the school itself. They will all have their good points, and their downsides. It was a difficult decision for me too, and it's all depends on the individual. I hope this helps and isn't even more confusing for you. (And thanks for answering my McGill question). Cheers

Hey SFU4MPH,

I have a friend who got accepted to the new MScPH @ McGill, and has taken the offer. I know someone else who got waitlisted there and is waiting to hear back. My friend who chose McGill said that one reason why she made the choice was that she was told that they're applying for accreditation (and once it's approved, it's valid for graduates up to 3 years back).

Also, if you don't mind me asking (I just got an email from UBC saying that I may receive a spot in the next few days), what tipped you towards SFU over UBC? I'm leaning that way as well, but since it's kind of hard to find info about the programs beyond the general FAQs, I'm still a little bit tentative.

Same question, I guess, for anyone else making that choice.