Community Health Sciences

Community Health Sciences

Master of Science (MSc)

Thesis-based program

Program overview

Community Health Sciences students develop a core set of skills to recognize, explore and solve problems at the intersection between population, public health and education. This program is one of the most diverse medicine programs offered by the University of Calgary; faculty and students address big-picture issues in health care, from biostatistics, disease and population health to social and economic factors in community health, disability issues, delivery of health services and more. The program is ideal for students inspired to do research with wide-ranging impact, and who are ready to gain the specialized knowledge and skills required to tackle the intricate details of the complex issues affecting community health.

Completing this program

  • Courses: Courses are determined according to the specialization and background of the student.
  • Research Ethics: Students are required to attend Research Integrity Day sessions in the first year of their program.
  • Sex & Gender Module: Students are required to complete one of the CIHR sex and gender online training modules found at discoversexandgender.ca in the first year of their program.
  • Thesis: Students will be required to submit and defend an original research thesis.
  • Seminars: Students attend Community Health Sciences and O'Brien Institute for Public Health seminars during the academic year.
  • Research proposal: Students must submit research proposals for approval by their supervisory committee.

Specializations

  • Biostatistics
  • Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Services Research
  • Medical Education
  • Population/Public Health
  • Health Economics

Outcomes

Analyst; researcher; academic; rehabilitation/case/respite worker; consultant; recreation therapist; family outreach/advocacy; resource teacher; clinical trials biostatistician; epidemiologist; statistician; psychometrician; knowledge translation/prevention/development/health promotion specialist.

A master’s degree in community health sciences will give you the pre-requisite for a PhD.

Thesis-based program

Students are required to prepare a thesis and successfully defend in an open oral defense.

Courses

Two or more, depending on specialization and background

Learn more about program requirements in the Academic Calendar

Classroom delivery

Time commitment

Two to three years full-time; four years maximum

Supervisor

A supervisor is required, and must agree to oversee the student's research before admission will be granted

Fees and funding

See the Graduate Calendar for information on fees and fee regulations, and for information on awards and financial assistance.

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Supervisors

Learn about faculty available to supervise this degree.


  1. Fariba Aghajafari

    Fariba Aghajafari

    Accepting Inquiries
    vulnerable population, primary care
  2. Martina

    Martina Ann Kelly

    Unavailable
    Medical Education
  3. Headshot Camila Aquino

    Camila Aquino

    Accepting Inquiries
    Neuromodulation in Movement Disorders, Clinical Trials in Parkinson's Disease, Patient-Oriented Research
  4. Placeholder Profile Image

    Philip Barber

    Seeking Students
    Stroke, Dementia, Cognition, MRI, CT, biomarkers
  5. Herman Barkema

    Herman Barkema

    Accepting Inquiries
  6. Cheryl Barnabe

    Cheryl Barnabe

    Unavailable
    Rheumatoid Arthritis Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Indigenous Health
  7. CHS faculty photo 2018

    Reed Beall

    Unavailable
    Population Health, Pharmaceutical Policy, Health Policy, Equitable health innovation and access
  8. Dr Tanya Beran

    Dr. Tanya Beran

    Accepting Inquiries
    Child and adult health and education
  9. Billington Headshot

    Emma Billington

    Unavailable
    Osteoporosis & Metabolic Bone Disease, Nutrition, Culinary Medicine
  10. Erin Brennand

    Erin Brennand

    Unavailable
    Women's Health, Gynecology, Surgery, Gender
  11. Portrait style photo of Mary Brindle wearing a suit jacket and leaning on a chair

    Mary Brindle

    Unavailable
    Health Systems Research, Surgical Quality and Safety
  12. Photo of a blond white woman standing with her arms crossed

    Merilee (Meredith) Brockway

    Seeking Students
    Infant Feeding Trial, Patient Oriented-Research
  13. Headshot - Allison Brown, University of Calgary

    Allison Brown

    Unavailable
    Medical Education: Social justice and accountability; competency-based medical education, Physician Assistant (PA) education
  14. Sonia Butalia MD, FRCPC, MSc

    Sonia Butalia

    Accepting Inquiries
    Tools and Strategies to Improve Diabetes, Cholesterol, and other Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Transition of Youth with Diabetes from Pediatric to Adult Care
  15. David Campbell

    David J.T. Campbell

    Unavailable
    Areas of Research
  16. May Choi

    May Choi

    Seeking Students
    Immunology, Biomarker, Artificial Intelligence, Epidemiology
  17. Gillian Currie

    Gillian Currie

    Accepting Inquiries
    Health Economics
  18. Rob Deardon

    Rob Deardon

    Seeking Students
  19. Deborah Dewey

    Deborah Dewey

    Unavailable
    pediatric health and neurodevelopment, Other Degrees I Supervise
  20. In Canada, Dr. Donnelly’s research focuses on the Health and Wellness of Immigrants and Refugees which include breast cancer and cervical cancer screening practices, HIV/AIDS, mental healthcare, and support for international students. In Qatar, Dr. Donnelly’s research studies focus on Arab women’s breast cancer screening, depression among cardiovascular patients, lifestyle risk factors and promotion of healthy lifestyle among Arab adults.

    Tam Truong Donnelly

    Accepting Inquiries
    Health services research; Women’s health; Multicultural/Cross-cultural health; Population health, health promotion and disease prevention; Mental health; Cardiovascular health; Cancer prevention; Infectious diseases; Mix-methods (qualitative and quantitative) research
  21. Rachel Ellaway

    Rachel Ellaway

    Accepting Inquiries
    Medical education
  22. Meghan Elliott

    Meghan Elliott

    Accepting Inquiries
    Health services research, Chronic kidney disease care delivery
  23. Carolyn Emery

    Carolyn Emery

    Accepting Inquiries
    Injury Epidemiology, Injury Prevention, Concussion, Pediatric Rehabilitation
  24. Placeholder Profile Image

    Tanis Fenton

    Unavailable
  25. Gordon Fick

    Gordon Fick

    Accepting Inquiries
  26. Kirsten Fiest

    Kirsten Fiest

    Unavailable
    Epidemiology
  27. Forbes

    Nauzer Forbes

    Accepting Inquiries
    Quality and outcomes of endoscopy, assessment of novel endoscopic techniques, devices, and technologies
  28. Stephen Freedman

    Stephen Freedman

    Accepting Inquiries
    Clinical research
  29. Dr. Gerry Giesbrecht

    Gerald Giesbrecht

    Accepting Inquiries
    Developmental Psychobiology
  30. Brent Hagel

    Brent Hagel

    Accepting Inquiries
    Child Injury Prevention
  31. profile_hazlewood

    Glen Hazlewood

    Seeking Students
    Patient preferences, Comparative effectiveness research, Rheumatoid arthritis
  32. Kent Hecker

    Kent Hecker

    Seeking Students
    Psychometrics and Neuro-education in Health Professional Education
  33. Brenda Hemmelgarn

    Brenda Hemmelgarn

    Accepting Inquiries
    Health services research; knowledge translation; implementation science
  34. Top 40 under 40, 2020

    Rita Isabel Henderson

    Unavailable
    Models of Care, Indigenous Health Equity
  35. Placeholder Profile Image

    Michael Hill

    Accepting Inquiries
  36. Photo of Dr. Holodinsky

    Jessalyn Holodinsky

    Accepting Inquiries
    Health Care Delivery Optimization , Emergency Medicine , Resource Utilization, Administrative & Electronic Medical Record Data, Biostatistics & Machine Learning
  37. Colin B. Josephson

    Colin Josephson

    Accepting Inquiries
    Epidemiology
  38. Aliya Kassam

    Aliya Kassam

    Seeking Students
    Medical Education, Health Services Research
  39. Profile picture

    Karl Martin Klein

    Accepting Inquiries
    Genetics of Epilepsy, Precision medicine in epilepsy
  40. Bonnie Lashewicz

    Bonnie Lashewicz

    Accepting Inquiries
    Family studies; social justice; inclusion; capacity; gender
  41. Headshot of Jenine Leal

    Jenine Leal

    Accepting Inquiries
    Healthcare Epidemiology, Health Services Research, Health Economics
  42. Joon Lee

    Joon Lee

    Unavailable
    Health Data Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Health
  43. Picture of Dr. Letourneau

    Nicole Letourneau

    Accepting Inquiries
    Vulnerable children, Social support, Parent-infant/child relationships, Maternal mental health, Domestic abuse, Family environmental effects on child development, Genetics and epigenetics
  44. Placeholder Profile Image

    Alexander Leung

    Accepting Inquiries
    Hypertension and cardiometabolic disorders
  45. Dr. Na Li

    Na Li

    Accepting Inquiries
    Health Data Science and Biostatistics
  46. Braden Manns

    Braden Manns

    Accepting Inquiries
  47. Deborah Marshall

    Deborah Marshall

    Accepting Inquiries
    Decision Analysis Methodologies, Health System Modeling, Patient Preferences, Health Technology Assessment
  48. Zack smiling, head and shoulders facing camera

    Zack Marshall

    Unavailable
    Community-Based Participatory Research, Data for Social Good, 2SLGBTQ+ Health and Wellness, Knowledge Synthesis, Research Ethics
  49. Kerry McBrien

    Kerry McBrien

    Accepting Inquiries
    Health services research and health economics
  50. Gavin McCormack

    Gavin McCormack

    Unavailable
    Population and Public Health
  51. Political economy of health

    Lindsay McLaren

    Accepting Inquiries
    Political economy of health
  52. Placeholder Profile Image

    Christopher NAUGLER

    Accepting Inquiries
    Clinical Epidemiology, Patterns of Laboratory Test Use, Utility and Appropriateness of Laboratory Testing, Adverse Drug Reactions, Big Data Modelling of Laboratory Data, Precision Population Health
  53. Dr. Elizabeth ODDONE PAOLUCCI

    Elizabeth ODDONE PAOLUCCI

    Accepting Inquiries
    Medical Education; Measurement & Assessment; Teams & Leadership
  54. Dana Olstad

    Dr. Dana Lee Olstad

    Seeking Students
    Public health nutrition
  55. Photo of Dr. Orr

    Serena Orr

    Unavailable
    Pediatric Headache Disorders, Pediatric Clinical Research, Epidemiology, Patient-Oriented Research, Pediatric Clinical Trials, Pediatric Neurostimulation
  56. Photograph, Stacey Page

    Stacey Page

    Unavailable
    Research ethics, professional ethics, privacy, consent
  57. Placeholder Profile Image

    Scott Patten

    Accepting Inquiries
  58. Sachin Pendharkar

    Sachin Pendharkar

    Accepting Inquiries
    Sleep Disorders
  59. Doreen Rabi

    Doreen Rabi

    Accepting Inquiries
    Health and Health Services Research
  60. Dr. Radin Pereira's Profile Picture

    Leticia Radin Pereira

    Seeking Students
    Nutrition and Women's Health
  61. A photo of Dr. Roach smiling

    Pamela Roach

    Unavailable
    Indigenous Health / Health Equity
  62. Photograph of Melanie June Rock (headshot)

    Melanie Rock

    Unavailable
  63. Paul Ronksley

    Paul Ronksley

    Accepting Inquiries
    Health Services Research, Epidemiology
  64. Placeholder Profile Image

    Rebecca Saah

    Unavailable
    Substance use, Public Health
  65. Tolu Sajobi

    Tolu Sajobi

    Unavailable
    biostatistics, clinical trials, quality of life research
  66. Susan Samuel

    Susan Samuel

    Accepting Inquiries
  67. a brown man, wearing a hat and round black glasses, wearing a blue shirt and smiling toward the camera

    Alan Santinele Martino

    Accepting Inquiries
    Disability, Gender, and Sexualities, Qualitative Research, Sexual Health, Sociological Theory
  68. Khara Sauro

    Khara Sauro

    Accepting Inquiries
    Health Services Research, Implementation Science, Quality Improvement, Clinical Effectiveness, Surgery, Oncology
  69. Prism Schneider Photo

    Prism Schneider

    Accepting Inquiries
    Thrombelastography and Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism
  70. Fiona Schulte

    Fiona Schulte

    Accepting Inquiries
    Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Psychosocial Oncology
  71. Dr. Seitz picture

    Dallas Seitz

    Seeking Students
    Mental Health, Dementia, Epidemiology, Health Services Research, Geriatrics, Pharmacoepidemiology, Knowledge Translation
  72. Az_2020

    Abdel-Aziz Shaheen

    Accepting Inquiries
    Chronic Liver Diseases
  73.  Zahra

    Zahra Shirin Goodarzi

    Seeking Students
    Knowledge Translation
  74. Jessica Simon

    Jessica Simon

    Accepting Inquiries
    1. Palliative Care, 2. Advance Care Planning, 3. Health Equity and Indigenous Health
  75. Eric Smith

    Eric Smith

    Accepting Inquiries
    Neurology/Cognition
  76. Eldon Spackman

    Eldon Spackman

    Seeking Students
    Health Economics
  77. Frank W Stahnisch

    Frank W Stahnisch

    Accepting Inquiries
    History of Medicine and the Life Sciences, History and Philosophy of the Neurosciences, History of Physiology, Medical Visualizations throughout History, History of Public Mental Health and Psychiatry
  78. Thomas Stelfox

    Thomas Stelfox

    Unavailable
    Background
  79. Glen L. Sumner

    Glen Sumner

    Unavailable
    Health Economics and Cardiovascular Outcomes, Health Outcomes Research, Health Economics and Cardiovascular Outcomes, Health Economics: Health Finance and Health Policy, Health Economics: Health Care Financing, Health Economics: Behavioural Economics, Health Economics: Health Care Financing, Health Economics: Health Care Finance
  80. profile photo

    Karen Tang

    Accepting Inquiries
    Health Services Research, Health Disparities, Social and Structural Vulnerabilities
  81. Dr. Matthew James

    Matthew Thomas James

    Accepting Inquiries
    Kidney Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, Risk Prediction, Decision Support, Patient Oriented Research, Implementation Science, Pragmatic Trials
  82. Placeholder Profile Image

    Otto Vanderkooi

    Unavailable
    Vaccinology
  83. Stephen Wilton

    Stephen Wilton

    Accepting Inquiries
    Cardiovascular Clinical and Health Services Research
  84. Gregor Wolbring

    Gregor Wolbring

    Unavailable
  85. Yuan Xu

    Yuan Xu

    Accepting Inquiries
    Health Data Methodology
  86. Photo of Dr. Zwicker

    Jennifer Zwicker

    Seeking Students
    Health and social policy

Admission Requirements


GPA

A minimum of 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 point system, over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents or 60 units) of the undergraduate degree.

Minimum education

A four year baccalaureate degree, or equivalent from a recognized institution.

Work samples

None

Documents

  • A letter from a faculty member indicating interest in supervising the student
  • A statement outlining the applicant's interests and reasons for choosing the program

Reference letters

Two

Note:  When choosing your references, it is preferred that you choose individuals who are external to your supervisor.

Test scores

None

Work/Research Experience

Work and/or research experience related to your specialization of choice is highly recommended.


English language proficiency

An applicant whose primary language is not English may fulfill the English language proficiency requirement in one of the following ways:

Deadlines

For admission on September 1:

  • Canadians and permanent residents: Dec. 1 application deadline
  • International students: Dec. 1 application deadline

If you're not a Canadian or permanent resident, or if you have international credentials, make sure to learn about international requirements

Learn more about this program

Department of Community Health Sciences

Health Science Centre, Room HSC G341B
3330 Hospital Drive NW
Calgary, AB T2N 4N1

Contact the Graduate Program Administrator

Visit the departmental website

Cumming School of Medicine

Health Sciences Centre
Foothills Campus, University of Calgary
Calgary, ABT2N 4N1

Visit their website

Learn more about UCalgary by taking a virtual tour