Doctor of Philosophy in Population Studies in Health

The PhD in Population Studies in Health is interdisciplinary in nature and delivered jointly by the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Arts and Science. Students in this program are normally supervised by Faculty members in the Health Sciences and Social Science disciplines.

Students registered in the Population Studies in Health will examine the intersection between the contexts in which individuals, families, and communities live and work, and experience health and wellbeing. Specifically, the major focuses on:

Identifying the complex structural factors and resources that impact health equity
Students will be exposed to theoretical frameworks linked to the health status of populations, including the social and ecological determinants of health.

Identifying and understanding community and health system characteristics and the policy environment to comprehend health system resources and how they are effective in addressing population health concerns
A systematic, scientific approach to studying population studies in health will advance current understanding of the complexity of health and illness, while generating ways to address health concerns. In addition to focusing on health deficits or risk factors, population studies can also identify strategies to maintain or enhance health. Examining contextual factors can help decision makers determine the generalizability of the strategies with other, similar populations.

The Population Studies in Health major is a thesis-based program. Each student’s academic program integrates the concentration that is declared, with their research, comprehensive examination, and course-work synchronized around the salient themes of the concentration and the particular research problem that is pursued. Depending on the academic background, students may be required to complete up to six courses. Course requirements are offered through a combination of independent studies, which will be tailored directly to the themes of the declared concentration, and existing regularized graduate courses in the social and health sciences.

Applicants normally must meet the following requirements:

Hold a master's degree from a recognized degree-granting institution in the discipline of interest or in a related discipline

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00, on a 4.00 scale on all graded master's-level courses OR calculated on the most recently completed PhD if the applicant is applying for another PhD in a closely related discipline

English Language Requirements:

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) taken within the last two years, with a minimum overall score of 86.

Academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, taken within the last two years, with a minimum overall score of 6.5, and a minimum score of 6.0 in each band.

Academic Pearson Test of English (PTE), taken within the last two years, with a minimum overall score of 63.

Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment, taken within the last two years, with a minimum overall score of 70.