Public Health - Master of Public Health (MPH) (Online)

B.C Matthews Hall (BMH)

B.C Matthews Hall (BMH) on Waterloo's Campus, across Columbia St W.

If you’re planning to pursue a management or leadership role in the field of public health, our Master of Public Health program could be the right fit for you!

This program provides a broad understanding of public health, highlighting evidence-informed practice in public health, socio-behavioural health, environmental health, and public health informatics, giving you the knowledge, tools and skills to attain your career goals. Learn to evaluate and assess the health status of communities, anticipate and act to prevent health problems, protect populations from health hazards and promote health and well-being. 

This program is predominantly online and can be completed part-time or full-time in two to four years, providing flexibility if you’re a working professional. In-person components include a week of on-campus at the beginning and end of the program, as well as a 420 hour professional practicum where you’ll gain invaluable hands-on experience.

Program highlights

  • Expertise and guidance from prominent faculty who share their real-world research, theory and practice experience.
  • Hands-on experience in a professional public health setting through the experiential practicum.
  • Flexibility of a full- or part-time workload so that your degree can cater to your professional and academic goals.

Program overview

Department/School: School of Public Health Sciences
Faculty: Faculty of Health
Admit term(s): Fall (September - December)
Delivery mode: On-campus, Online
Program type: Master's, Professional
Length of program: 24 months (full-time), 48 months (part-time)
Registration option(s): Full-time, Part-time
Study option(s): Coursework

Application deadlines

  • February 1 (for admission in September)

Note: In order for an application to be considered, all required documentation, including academic references, must be submitted on or before this date. Please aim to apply by January 18 to allow adequate time to upload supporting documents and ensure that your referees are aware of this firm deadline. 

Key contacts

For program-specific inquiries:  professional.grad.admissions@uwaterloo.ca

Admission requirements

  • Successful completion of a four-year Honours Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) with a minimum 75% average. The Bachelor's degree will normally be in a field relevant to public health.
  • Students must submit a personal essay of no more than 500 words explaining the education and work experiences 1) that have brought them to the decision to apply to the MPH program; and 2) how the MPH will help them in their future career.
  • Ideally, students will have prior work experience in a public health setting. Co-operative work terms and/or volunteer experience are acceptable.
  • Students must have a suitable background in statistics to meet prerequisite standards for all graduate level courses, before beginning coursework. An undergraduate course in statistical methods completed within the past five years with a minimum grade of 75% is required. Exceptions to this requirement may be made on occasion by admission committees considering student background and demonstrated analytic abilities.
  • Students will be recruited as recent graduates from 4-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) programs in Health Studies and related disciplines, or alternatively as mature students holding a 4-year degree in a related discipline with relevant work experience in population and public health. Students with advanced professional degrees in recognized health disciplines (e.g. MD, DVM) are also eligible for admission.

Degree requirements

  • Review the degree requirements on the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar, including the courses that you can anticipate taking as part of completing the degree

Application materials

  • Resume/Curriculum vitae
  • Supplementary information form (SIF)
    • The SIF contains questions specific to your program, typically about why you want to enrol and your experience in that field. Review the application documents web page for more information about this requirement
    • If a statement or letter is required by your program, review the writing your personal statement resources for helpful tips and tricks on completion
  • Transcript(s)
  • References
    • Two references are required. At least one reference must be academic. If applicants have been out of school for an extended period of time (>5 years) and are unable to supply an academic reference they may submit two professional references. Please ensure that one professional referee is able to comment on the applicants academic ability and potential.
  • Proof of English language proficiency, if applicable

    • TOEFL 100 (writing 26, speaking 26), IELTS 7.5 (writing 7.0, speaking 7.0)

    • The School of Public Health Sciences does not consider international applications whose English language proficiency scores fall below the minimum requirements

Tuition and fees