Public Health at Lakehead University

In the Master of Public Health program, students will focus on current issues in the science and/or service of public health, so that they may gain experience through opportunities in any of the fundamental disciplines that underlie public health. The program is primarily intended to prepare graduates for a career in public health practice. The program's objectives are to prepare a graduate who:

• possesses advanced health-related education
• is capable of critical analysis
• understands health-related decision-making at the level of the individual, population, and government
• understands research
• possesses knowledge exchange and dissemination strategies for individuals, populations, and government

Master of Public Health programs, with the exception of specific course requirements for the Master of Public Health with Specialization in Nursing with Nurse Practitioner Electives, may be completed through Distance Education on a Flexible full-time basis; those wishing to complete the Master of Public Health program on a full-time basis must apply to the on-campus program. Note that, once admitted to the Master of Public Health program, students are not permitted to change from the Standard Full-time Option to the Flexible Full-time Option, and vice versa.

• For those studying at a distance (flexible full-time basis), the Master of Public Health courses are offered using a combination of Zoom videoconferencing technology for real-time scheduled classes, and of Desire2Learn (D2L), a secure password-protected learning environment (e.g., for course resources, e-mail, and online discussions). The connectivity using Zoom allows students to have direct audio and visual contact with the course instructor and with other graduate students during class time and while working together on shared course assignments. In some classes, break-out sessions are structured into the course so that students have both large-and small-group learning experiences.

With the exception of Master of Public Health programs with Specialization in Nursing (with or without Nurse Practitioner Electives), students may apply to either a course-based or thesis option. Applicants must indicate their areas of interest for a thesis when applying to the program.  Admittance to the thesis option is dependent on faculty availability from among full-time faculty in the Department of Health Sciences; otherwise, students are offered admission to the course-based option. Students originally admitted to the course-based option may apply to the Admissions Committee to transfer to the thesis option after their first term of study, and once final marks are available. Students must contact the Graduate Coordinator for additional details on the process and required forms.