Master of Health Evaluation

Waiting room in hospital

Advance your career as a health professional

The Master of Health Evaluation (MHE) program is designed for professional evaluators and practicing health professionals seeking exciting careers in future health care decision-making. Graduates will be adept at evaluative thinking, well versed in systems science, evaluation theory and methods, and possess excellent skills in communication and stakeholder engagement.

Offered online, the MHE provides flexibility for the working professional and can be completed in two to four years. It also features a 12-week professional experience component.

Program overview and highlights

Innovative program design - this is the first MHE professional graduate program in Canada
Strong curriculum - the program is based on the core competencies for evaluation practice established by the Canadian Evaluation Society
Meets the demands of the field - provides students with the knowledge, skills, and field experience required to address complex health challenges in Canada and across the globe
International perspective - includes national and global perspectives of health policy and evaluation
Creates opportunities - the MHE encourages collaboration with health sector stakeholders and applied researchers through coursework and the practicum component
The MHE program is flexible for the working professional and is completed online as a part-time or full-time student.

Curriculum and practicum

Course offerings and program sequence

As a student in the program, you'll be required to take ten graduate-level courses. The program consists of seven required courses, two elective courses and an applied professional practicum course (HLTH 640) component of at least 420 hours.

Click on the links below to view the course offerings and program sequence for full-time and part-time students. These sequences are subject to change but can be used as reference for planning your future terms.

Professional practicum

Gain work experience by completing a 420-hour professional practicum at a hospital, health unit, provincial or federal governmental agency or non-governmental organization. Working closely with the Practicum Coordinator, you will lead your search to find a meaningful practicum that will provide you with an opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills in a professional setting and to connect with future employers.

The practicum can be completed on a full-time basis over one term or part time over two terms.

Previous practicum sites and projects:

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Create and implement an evaluation plan for the wellness centre

The eHealth Centre of Excellence

Support the evaluation of the pilot eConsult/eReferral project

Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario

Develop best practice and evaluation guidelines

Parachute Canada

Evaluate impact of Parachute Brain Waves program

SickKids Hospital

Develop evaluation framework for virtual care strategy

Learn more about the professional practicum.

Tuition and resources

The following links offer helpful information on the structure and cost of the program.

Admissions and frequently asked questions

We've compiled the answers to the most common questions about the MHE program. Read through for helpful information about admissions, the practicum and more.

What are the admission requirements for the MHE program?
Can someone tell me if I am eligible for the MHE program before I submit my application?
Can I be accepted into the program with a 3-year general degree?
My overall average is below 75%, can I be accepted into the program?
I completed my post-secondary education many years ago; do I still need to provide an academic reference?
Do I need to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores as part of the admission requirements?
How much is tuition?
May I complete an international practicum?
Is the practicum paid?
Do I need to find a supervisor before I apply into the program?
Is the program offered fully online, or are there any on campus components?
What kind of jobs can I get with a MHE?

What are the admission requirements for the MHE program?

Admission requirements can be reviewed on the graduate academic calendar page for the MHE program.

Can someone tell me if I am eligible for the MHE program before I submit my application?

We do not read your application materials before you submit them, and cannot confirm if you will be eligible for acceptance. You need to apply online for you application to be formally assessed.

Can I be accepted into the program with a 3-year general degree?

The admission requirements for the program state that applicants must have a 4-year Honours degree, with a minimum average of 75% to apply. The 4-year requirement is set by the University of Waterloo for all graduate programs. If you have completed your undergraduate studies over 10 years ago, and have extensive public health experience, we might be able to petition to accept you on a probationary, non-standard admission. This is done on a case-by-case basis and there is no guarantee of acceptance. You will need to formally apply with a full application before we can decide your eligibility into the program.

My overall average is below 75%, can I be accepted into the program?

When calculating GPAs, we first calculate the overall average. If the overall degree average does not meet the 75% requirement, then we will calculate the last two year average. If the last two years of study meet the 75% requirement, then this admission requirement is fulfilled. If your final two years do not meet the 75% requirement, but your final year of study is 78% or above and you have 3 years of public health work experience then we may be able to offer a probationary admission.

I completed my post-secondary education many years ago; do I still need to provide an academic reference?

Applicants who have completed their post-secondary education 5 or more years ago do not need to provide an academic reference; you may provide two professional references instead. You need to ensure that one of those referees is able to comment on your academic ability, readiness for graduate studies, and comment on any workshops/extra courses/training/etc. you have completed. It is your responsibility to ensure that they know this is required of them. Applicants who have completed their education less than 5 years ago should provide an academic reference.

Do I need to submit GRE scores as part of the admission requirements?

We do not require GRE scores for admission into the MPH, MHE or MHI programs.

How much is tuition?

You can find tuition information on the University of Waterloo Finance website. Be sure to look at the most recent term under Online Professional Graduate Programs for either Canadian Citizen/Permanent Resident or International student.

May I complete an international practicum?

Yes. However, the same requirements must be met as for practicums completed in Canada.

Is the practicum paid?

The practicum details are negotiated between the student and their practicum host. Some practicum hosts pay the student a stipend.

Do I need to find a supervisor before I apply into the program?

You do not need to find a supervisor. The MPH, MHE and MHI programs do not have a thesis or research component and students are not assigned supervisors. However, when students start the program, they are assigned an academic advisor.

Is the program offered fully online, or are there any on campus components?

The MHE program can be completed entirely online. However, some courses are offered in a blended format where students have the option of coming to campus for small group seminars with the instructor or completing the course entirely online. A majority of the MHE courses are exclusively online and most of our students complete all degree components online.

What kind of jobs can I get with a MHE?

MHE students have a wide range of options and can work closely with government, non-government and private sector organizations to plan and/or conduct evaluation to increase understanding of how a specific program or policy is working and/or could be improved. This could involve development of evaluation designs, logic models, data collection (e.g., focus groups), analysis and interpretation, writing reports, assisting with policy briefs, and so on.

Some jobs available for MHE grads are: