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Faculty of Health Sciences

Health Sciences (Master's program)

Program details

Faculty
Health Sciences

Degree
Master of Health Sciences

Delivery method
Hybrid online/in-class

Location
Ontario Tech University, North Oshawa

Start dates
September

Length
Approximately 24 months, based on full-time study

Program load
Full-time
Part-time

Program format
Courses with research thesis or course-based

Apply now

Overview

Two students engage with a child who is playing on a mat structure

The master’s program in Health Sciences focuses on providing students with opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in fields of Kinesiology, Community, Public, and Population Health, and Health Informatics. Within the areas of Kinesiology, Community, Public, and Population Health, and Health Informatics, students have the option to pursue a thesis or course-based Master of Health Sciences.

The Master of Health Sciences (MHSc) program focuses on providing students with opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills required to conduct high-quality research culminating in a master’s thesis or a course-based research project.

Thesis Option
As a research-based degree, students, in the thesis stream, will combine work, seminars, and independent research to achieve the program’s core objectives. Required courses, Intermediate Statistics for Health Sciences or Qualitative Methods in Health Research and either Studies in Community, Public, and Population Health (Community, Public, and Population Health), Studies in Kinesiology (Kinesiology), or Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Health Informatics (Health Informatics), lay the foundation for more focused course work and independent research under the guidance of a research supervisor and supervisory committee. By virtue of the strong research foundation and substantive training obtained throughout their education, graduates from the MHSc Thesis program will be well prepared to take on higher-level roles within the health profession, seek funding for projects or research to be undertaken at their workplace, or pursue a PhD in a research-oriented health sciences or related program.

Course-Based Option
As a course-based degree, students, in the course-based stream, will combine course work, seminars, and a course-based project, to achieve the program’s core objectives. Required courses, Intermediate Statistics for Health Sciences or Qualitative Methods in Health Research and either Studies in Community, Public, and Population Health (Community, Public, and Population Health), Studies in Kinesiology (Kinesiology), or Multidisciplinary Perspectives in Health Informatics (Health Informatics) and elective courses will lay the foundation for students to gain advanced knowledge and skills in the field of their choosing. By virtue of the strong course base and experience gained in the capstone project course, graduates from the MHSc Course-Based program will be well prepared to take on higher-level roles within the health profession, seek funding for projects or research to be undertaken at their workplace, or advance their career and professional development.

Fields

Graduate training focuses on research conducted in one of three key areas in the Health Sciences:

Community, Public and Population Health
Health Informatics
Kinesiology

Community, Public and Population Health
Students in the Community, Public and Population Health stream will develop a broad understanding of how the physical and social context shapes health, illness and health care. In particular, this includes research and analysis of cultural and economic differences and their implications for health and health care for diverse populations. Students will learn strategies to engage communities in efforts to reduce illness and promote health.
Health Informatics

Students in the Health Informatics stream will develop strategies to actively participate in multidisciplinary collaborations with diverse groups (e.g., patients, clinicians, health care managers, computer scientists, engineers) and will learn to assess and deploy the latest in computing and informatics systems to support efficient health care delivery. The Health Informatics stream prepares students to identify, develop and manage health care information systems that support health care administration, management, policy, training, clinical management and clinical research.

The Faculty of Health Sciences will not be accepting applicants to the Health Informatics stream in Fall 2025.
Kinesiology
Students in the Kinesiology stream will synthesize current research and integrate practical and theoretical knowledge to understand how and why exercise and physical activity can be used as an intervention to promote health and well-being in a range of populations, including those with developmental delays; children and adolescents; adults with chronic pain, cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, psychiatric and neurological disease; as well as recreational and high-performance athletes. Students will have the option of diverse research experiences in the kinesiology area ranging from intensive laboratory-based studies with human populations to interventional studies with special populations.

Hold a four-year honours undergraduate degree or its equivalent from a recognized institution.
Minimum overall academic standing of a B (GPA: 3.0 on a 4.3 scale or 73 to 76 per cent), with a minimum B average in the last two full-time years (four semesters) of undergraduate work or equivalent.
Undergraduate preparation in research methods in either quantitative or qualitative analysis. This should include experience and training in statistics. Applicants planning to study in the field of Health Informatics should also have training or experience with computing or information technology within the health care domain.
Applicants planning to study in the field of Kinesiology will be expected to have an honours undergraduate degree in Kinesiology, or a related field.
Students applying to the MHSc Thesis stream must make reference to a potential supervisor in their application for admission.

Required test scores for English language proficiency:

See English language proficiency for the minimum required test scores for this program.

The Faculty of Health Sciences will not be accepting applicants to the Health Informatics stream in Fall 2025.

Please see application deadlines for specific dates. Note that the application deadlines listed are for both the online application and all supporting documentation.

Applications for admission to all graduate studies programs are submitted online. There are five steps you must go through to complete the application process. See application process and requirements for step-by-step instructions.

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Many of our graduate programs are extremely competitive; the number of qualified applicants normally exceeds the number of seats available for each intake. Satisfaction of minimum entry requirements does not ensure admission.

Program details

Faculty
Health Sciences

Degree
Master of Health Sciences

Delivery method
Hybrid online/in-class

Location
Ontario Tech University, North Oshawa

Start dates
September

Length
Approximately 24 months, based on full-time study

Program load
Full-time
Part-time

Program format
Courses with research thesis or course-based

Apply now

Learn more

Faculty website

Download viewbook

DOWNLOAD Program Postcard

Ask a question

Research areas

Community, Public and Population Health:

Chronic disease management
Environmental health
Health promotion
Health and wellness of vulnerable populations
Health policy
Infectious disease
Inequalities in health
Mental health
Social determinants of health

Health Informatics:

Cloud computing in health care
Health-care simulation
Knowledge discovery in health care
Mobility in health care
Serious games in health care

Kinesiology:

Exercise physiology
Motor control
Motor development
Movement and neural plasticity
Multidisciplinary influences on participation in physical activity
Multidisciplinary influences on development of high-performance athletes
Occupational biomechanics and ergonomics
Pedagogy and physical eduation
Physical activity promotion and diverse populations
Physical activity and youth development
Role of exercise in promoting health and function
Skill acquisition in sport

Learn more about the research areas within this program and find research experts by visiting the faculty’s website and the university's Expert Centre .

Additional Information

Curriculum
Funding
Fees
Contact

For program requirements, including required number of credits for completion, program maps and course descriptions, please see the academic calendar and course catalogue of Loading.... Courses are subject to change without notice.

Internal awards and funding

Applicants to research-based graduate programs who are studying full-time are automatically considered for some types of funding at the time of admission.

Types of funding that do not require an application:

Entrance scholarships
Minimum funding packages
Teaching assistantships, research assistantships and graduate research assistantships

For more details on the above funding opportunities, see graduate student awards and funding.

Please note: Part-time students are not eligible for the above funding opportunities.

External awards and funding

Graduate program applicants are encouraged to apply for external awards to help finance their education. The application process differs for each competition, so review the information carefully to determine where and when you must apply. Please note: The majority of these awards are for domestic or permanent residents only.

Tuition fees for graduate programs are charged on a flat-fee or fee-per-credit basis and vary by program and student status.

For current, specific fees and details on flat-fee versus fee-per-credit programs, please see tuition and fees.

Contact the program:

Faculty of Health Sciences
905.721.3166
FHSc-GraduateStudies@ontariotechu.ca

Contact the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies:

905.721.8668 ext. 6209
gradstudies@ontariotechu.ca