Master of Science Community Health (MScCH)

The MScCH degree program is intended for and limited to established health professionals who wish to enhance their professional knowledge and skills, while being able to remain employed/in practice. The MScCH differs substantially from the other Masters Public Health Science programs in its emphasis and content, intended audience and methods of delivery.

Health practitioners who graduate from the program will have enhanced their professional leadership and teaching skills with a comprehensive understanding of public health, and their specific specialty areas. The program emphasizes critical, analytic, interpretive and scholarly skills. Furthermore, this program will help develop professional models for improved interprofessional team practice and education spanning clinical, community and public health.
Four fields are offered :

• Addictions and Mental Health (AMH)
  Providing graduate-level education to health professionals who are seeking professional education and development in Addictions and Mental Health.
• Family and Community Medicine (FCM)
  Providing academic training for family physicians and primary care providers (such as nurse practitioners).
• Health Practitioner Teacher Education (HPTE)
  Training in pedagogy and certification of teaching for family physicians and other health professionals.
• Occupational Health Care (OHC)
  Providing academic training for health care professionals including physicians, nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.
• Public Heath Nutrition (PHNut)
  Providing public health theory and approaches for practicing registered dietitians, especially those living in northern and rural communities.
• Wound Prevention and Care (WPC)
  Training for clinicians to convey new approaches effectively to their colleagues and students.

Admission

• Review the general admission requirements.
• Click here for information regarding the application process.

Additional admission requirements for the MScCH:

• Undergraduate degree in a public health specialty and/or in one of the Regulated Health Professions in Ontario
• Certification/licensure in a Regulated Health Profession
• For physicians: a valid license to practice in Canada or the student’s home jurisdiction.
• Relevant professional experience, as a public health, community or clinical practitioner

Program Requirements
The MScCH is a course work only program which requires the completion of 5.0 full course equivalents (FCE), including:

• 0.5 FCE of common core Public Health Sciences material;
• 0.5 to 1.0 FCE supervised field practica;
• 2.5 FCE in field-specific required courses;

and up to 1.5 FCE in elective courses.

The program can be completed in 12 months full time study or in five years part-time.

Special features:

1. Practica
The practica provide the students with opportunities to apply, critically evaluate and reflect upon their new skills directly in a health professional setting.

The basic requirements are the same for both the required and optional practica and for each of the four fields. Students are required to spend a minimum of 160 hours involved in appropriate supervised field practice for 0.5 FCE. Throughout the practicum the students are expected to record and reflect upon their experiences and to engage in regular discussion with their practicum supervisor. The practicum evaluation is based on the student’s performance plus a scholarly, analytical and reflective report drawing on the experience, and a presentation to their classmates. All practicum placements require the approval of the MScCH Program Committee.

Students may choose an optional (additional) practicum which involves more advanced and demonstrably different work in the same field as the required practicum or if appropriate may be in one of the other fields in the MScCH.

2. Recognition of Continuing Education

Many health professionals are required to engage in regular, formal Continuing Education. Some Continuing Education courses may be accepted as partial credit for specified graduate courses with the approval of DLSPH Curriculum/Examination Committee.

To ensure the maintenance of high academic standards, the following conditions apply:

• Eligible Continuing Education [hotlink] courses taken at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine within the previous 12 months with a final grade of A-.
• In all cases the student will be required to complete specified additional work, above the CE requirements, in order to receive the graduate credit.
• Credit will be granted for a maximum of two academic (0.5 FCE each) courses for any one student.

Master of Science Community Health Main Page

MScCH

• Description
• Admission
• Program Requirements
• Practica
• Recognition of Continuing Education