MPH Canada Fall 2017

[Teochew]

15 hours ago, naynay said:

has anyone that was waitlisted for Western's MPH hear back about an acceptance?

Nope! I think they said they'll contact us in early May.

[QU_2017]

Hey! Anyone have any insight into either Queen's of McMaster's MPH programs? I've been accepted to both and really don't know what information to go on. I'm kind of swaying toward McMaster because I just finished my undergrad at Queen's and I'm looking for a change of pace. Anyone have any suggestions?

[mmz22]

Hello, 

I just received an offer from U of A MPH Applied Biostatisics this morning. Going to accept it  I had to check on the graduate application page since they don't seem to email you at all. 

Is anyone else attending U of A MPH this Fall? Would be great to get to know the classmates. I am from BC and I don't know anyone from Edmonton haha 

Congrats to those who got offers and good luck to those who are still waiting! 

[hchan]

Hey,

Congrats to everyone who got accepted into U of A!

I am still (not) patiently waiting to hear back from them and the wait is honestly driving me up the wall. I was wondering if anyone who applied to the Health Promotion stream of the MPH at U of A has heard back from the school?

[elop]

7 hours ago, WaitingforAdmission said:

Rejected from U of A MPH health promotion. I hope they get back to me as to what I am not competitive on. If anyone here is accepted into this program I would love to hear about their experience and attributes. 

 

How are you contacting them to get feedback? I also got rejected and am wondering about how to strength my applications in the future. Some of the schools have said that they cannot provide information on individual applications. I think UBC said that.

[miss_sunshine]

Have just been informed via graduate portal I've been waitlisted for the MPH Global Health at U of A.
After such a long wait and learning how competitive MPH programs are in Canada (thanks to this forum <3), it restored my hope to keep trying if I'm not accepted this time.

Still waiting for USask, that sent an automatic reply saying "All applicants will be notified of their status in May 2017".

Congrats to all approved ones and good luck to everyone who's still waiting results! 

[pizza17]

This might be premature but for those who have accepted their offers to Queen's MPH have you started looking for housing options? ... It's a bit intimidating looking for a place, if anyone is interested in having a roommate(s) please feel me to message me! 

[peejthedeej]

Hi everyone,

Received an offer from UofA this morning for MPH in Health Policy and Management and am going to accept it . If any of you are also heading to UofA, feel free to message me! Best of luck to those still waiting! 

Cheers! 

[lattes]

21 hours ago, Tahnin said:

@lattes hey, how do you know what number you are on the waiting list at SFU? 

I found out I was waitlisted via email and my position was mentioned in that email. 

[Richa17]

10 hours ago, elop said:

How are you contacting them to get feedback? I also got rejected and am wondering about how to strength my applications in the future. Some of the schools have said that they cannot provide information on individual applications. I think UBC said that.

sadly ,i also got rejected by U o A ,Global Health. i am clueless as to why when i have already a masters degree in nutrition and 3-4 years work exp in community health.My bear track application kept showing incomplete all this while with a status of documents pending for which i had written an email to them earlier and they told me this was by default and they have my documents with them.I don't know what the factors contributing to rejection.I am an international applicant .can this be one of the factors...quite unsure !

[Zumi]

I'm late to the party, but wondering if anyone is going to UVIC? I'm new-ish in Canada and not really sure about schools and reputation etc. Any words of advice from anyone?

I got an offer from uvic, rejected from UBC and wait-listed from UofA. UofA is would be my first choice, but not sure how much movement there would be on a wait list. Seems like most would not decline. Uvic would be nice because of the flexibility online learning offers, but it's a lot of $ and time for a school maybe a lesser reputation. I don't know what to do.

Edited April 26, 2017 by Zumi

[vancouverrunner]

52 minutes ago, Zumi said:

I'm late to the party, but wondering if anyone is going to UVIC? I'm a new-ish in Canada and not really sure about schools and reputation etc. Any words of advice from anyone?

I got an offer from uvic, rejected from UBC and wait-listed from UofA. UofA is would be my first choice, but not sure how much movement there would be on a wait list. Seems like most would not decline. Uvic would be nice because of the flexibility online learning offers, but it's a lot of $ and time for a school maybe a lesser reputation. I don't know what torder do.

I havnt yet heard from UVIC but its an excellent school with a great reputation. 

[Zumi]

59 minutes ago, vancouverrunner said:

I havnt yet heard from UVIC but its an excellent school with a great reputation. 

Oh that's great to hear. Thanks for your input. So difficult to know because I didn't go to school here. 

[mph2017]

Received a conditional offer from uAlberta for their MPH program as well. Also got in McGill. Now waiting for U of T!

For those who are unsure of which school to go, keep in mind that the university reputation MATTERS for a master, unlike an undergrad which doesn't matter where your degree is from. Amongst the top schools for public health/epi/biostats in Canada are:  U of T, McGill, UBC, uAlberta, McMaster, Western (in this order). Secondly, look for funding opportunities and lastly, if you're between two programs - one offers a practicum, the other doesn't, go for the one with the practicum as it increases your chance of landing a job before you even graduate. 

 

Goodluck everyone waiting to hear back from u of T

[becca17]

17 minutes ago, mph2017 said:

Received a conditional offer from uAlberta for their MPH program as well. Also got in McGill. Now waiting for U of T!

For those who are unsure of which school to go, keep in mind that the university reputation MATTERS for a master, unlike an undergrad which doesn't matter where your degree is from. Amongst the top schools for public health/epi/biostats in Canada are:  U of T, McGill, UBC, uAlberta, McMaster, Western (in this order). Secondly, look for funding opportunities and lastly, if you're between two programs - one offers a practicum, the other doesn't, go for the one with the practicum as it increases your chance of landing a job before you even graduate. 

 

Goodluck everyone waiting to hear back from u of T

I think it's important to keep in mind your end goals and the type of degree - thesis vs course based. If you're looking to get in to research, then school reputation might matter more. However, if you want to work for the federal government (Health Canada, PHAC etc.) or a local public health unit, then I don't think reputation matters as much. I worked for the government and they could really care less about where you did your degree. My managers said that they just look for someone who has an MPH and has taken a core group of courses (e.g. social determinants of health, program evaluation etc.).

Also, SFU has a highly regarded MPH program, Queen's is well known for cancer epidemiology, and Waterloo is well known for their public health research, especially tobacco control. While McMaster and Western are highly regarded schools, their MPH programs are also quite new, so I would be wary of the "kinks" that need sorting out in these programs. So, I also think that it's important to consider the strengths of each individual school/program as well. 

That's just my perspective!

[neonlily]

2 hours ago, becca17 said:

I think it's important to keep in mind your end goals and the type of degree - thesis vs course based. If you're looking to get in to research, then school reputation might matter more. However, if you want to work for the federal government (Health Canada, PHAC etc.) or a local public health unit, then I don't think reputation matters as much. I worked for the government and they could really care less about where you did your degree. My managers said that they just look for someone who has an MPH and has taken a core group of courses (e.g. social determinants of health, program evaluation etc.).

Also, SFU has a highly regarded MPH program, Queen's is well known for cancer epidemiology, and Waterloo is well known for their public health research, especially tobacco control. While McMaster and Western are highly regarded schools, their MPH programs are also quite new, so I would be wary of the "kinks" that need sorting out in these programs. So, I also think that it's important to consider the strengths of each individual school/program as well. 

That's just my perspective!

Have to agree with @becca17 here. I work in government right now and they don't really care where your degree is from, especially for an MPH. I can see for an M.Sc mattering more due to research opportunities and funding but MPH is pretty standard. When looking at MPH programs, I would mostly be looking at how established the program is and what kind of connections/practicums they can offer you in your field of interest.

[Zumi]

Really great information neonlily and becca, thank you so much for sharing.

[Barnmucker]

9 hours ago, mph2017 said:

Received a conditional offer from uAlberta for their MPH program as well. Also got in McGill. Now waiting for U of T!

For those who are unsure of which school to go, keep in mind that the university reputation MATTERS for a master, unlike an undergrad which doesn't matter where your degree is from. Amongst the top schools for public health/epi/biostats in Canada are:  U of T, McGill, UBC, uAlberta, McMaster, Western (in this order). Secondly, look for funding opportunities and lastly, if you're between two programs - one offers a practicum, the other doesn't, go for the one with the practicum as it increases your chance of landing a job before you even graduate. 

 

Goodluck everyone waiting to hear back from u of T

 

For research, sure. 

Doesn't really matter for jobs in government sector. As long as you get an mph, it's fair game. From my experience (working in both provincial government and municipal public health units) making connections  and learning how to present yourself matters more. 

 

 

[mph2017]

@neonlily @Barnmucker @Becca , agree 100% with what you've said  I work with Stats Can and speaking based on what I was told from senior epidemiologists and others who work in the field. But for sure most of the MPH programs in Canada have a parallel structure to its curriculum! And like mentioned before, it really depends on your end goal - academia vs private sector vs public sector. They all look at your degree from a different angle. 

 

[mph2017]

6 hours ago, neonlily said:

Have to agree with @becca17 here. I work in government right now and they don't really care where your degree is from, especially for an MPH. I can see for an M.Sc mattering more due to research opportunities and funding but MPH is pretty standard. When looking at MPH programs, I would mostly be looking at how established the program is and what kind of connections/practicums they can offer you in your field of interest.

I spoke with the director at McGill and she was telling me how certain universities have a lot more opportunities when it comes to finding a practicum, which is one of the things that makes these programs distinct from others. They all may have equal value, but the opportunities you get out of each at the end of 2 years might differ as you're dependent on the established connections between your university and the work field.  

[elop]

6 hours ago, neonlily said:

Have to agree with @becca17 here. I work in government right now and they don't really care where your degree is from, especially for an MPH. I can see for an M.Sc mattering more due to research opportunities and funding but MPH is pretty standard. When looking at MPH programs, I would mostly be looking at how established the program is and what kind of connections/practicums they can offer you in your field of interest.

 

@becca17 

How does the government look at international versus domestic degrees?

[friesandwater]

10 hours ago, becca17 said:

I think it's important to keep in mind your end goals and the type of degree - thesis vs course based. If you're looking to get in to research, then school reputation might matter more. However, if you want to work for the federal government (Health Canada, PHAC etc.) or a local public health unit, then I don't think reputation matters as much. I worked for the government and they could really care less about where you did your degree. My managers said that they just look for someone who has an MPH and has taken a core group of courses (e.g. social determinants of health, program evaluation etc.).

Also, SFU has a highly regarded MPH program, Queen's is well known for cancer epidemiology, and Waterloo is well known for their public health research, especially tobacco control. While McMaster and Western are highly regarded schools, their MPH programs are also quite new, so I would be wary of the "kinks" that need sorting out in these programs. So, I also think that it's important to consider the strengths of each individual school/program as well. 

That's just my perspective!

So do you think an MSc would be a disadvantage a person is looking to work in the government after their degree? 

 

Anyone can chime in if they know anything! 

Edited April 27, 2017 by friesandwater

[KTCR]

Hi there, long time lurker, thought I'd share the response I just got from Lakehead after emailing them...

"We are still reviewing applications and you can expect to hear something from now until August.  We received over 300 applications and have enough seats for 67.  We continue to submit recommendations until all seats are filled.  Unfortunately, that is all the information I can give you. Please continue to monitor your LU email account for a response.  You will be notified of a decision regardless of acceptance or not."

...so could be a while still

[public_hlth12]

10 hours ago, friesandwater said:

So do you think an MSc would be a disadvantage a person is looking to work in the government after their degree? 

 

Anyone can chime in if they know anything! 

 

Hey! So I am a current student at Guelph MPH, and our program is within the Population Medicine Department so we have a lot of classes with Epi MSc students. I think it all depends on the type of government job you are going for! Many people who work at PHAC, or even PHO have pure Epi degrees which is a huge asset, especially if you want to work more with data and analyses. As well, many people just have Masters of Public Policy, and get an MBA who work in government policy. 

However, there are some jobs were MPH's might be hired over people with MSc's, especially if it is in the realm of program evaluation, development, or promotion. But again, there are people with MSc's in immunology, epi, etc. who work actively in the field of public health and in Government positions. So in terms of government, no, doing an MSc would not disadvantage you ( I have talked to people who work at the Ministry of Health and many don't have MPH's at all). In the end it's all about your experiences and skills so I would suggest not focusing on the degree but on the aspects that really inspire you, which will make you want to achieve more.

 

[abanane]

49 minutes ago, KTCR said:

Hi there, long time lurker, thought I'd share the response I just got from Lakehead after emailing them...

"We are still reviewing applications and you can expect to hear something from now until August.  We received over 300 applications and have enough seats for 67.  We continue to submit recommendations until all seats are filled.  Unfortunately, that is all the information I can give you. Please continue to monitor your LU email account for a response.  You will be notified of a decision regardless of acceptance or not."

...so could be a while still

Hey, I reached out to them too and got a similar response. Kind of frustrating...they didn't really have answers and couldn't really say much. Its nice to see that they told you how many seats they have, because I didn't even get that much out of them. It would be nice that if they are going to do that style if they had a waitlist instead of being kept in limbo till August....