Applied Health Services Research

Heather Higgins, MAHSR Candidate

  • Degree Offered: MAHSR
  • Study Options: Thesis or Course-based
  • Length: Thesis Stream - 2 years; Course-based Stream - 1 Year
  • Entry Terms: Fall
  • Application Deadline: Thesis Stream - March 1; Course-based Stream - July 15

The Applied Health Services Research (MAHSR) program is a collaborative venture between UNB,  the Atlantic Regional Training Centre (ARTC) and three other Atlantic Canadian Universities. Offering both thesis and course-based study options, this unique program is designed for those with or without a healthcare background. Instructors hold all classes online and provide students with an interdisciplinary approach to healthcare research. Students can obtain hands-on experience through an elective residency placement course.

Students in the MAHSR program gain the necessary skills to tackle key issues in health service policy, administration and delivery. Graduates pursue exciting careers in health research, healthcare and health policy, contributing to ARTC's goal of increasing the capacity for health services research in Atlantic Canada and beyond.

Examples of research areas

  • Patient Care
  • Healthcare Services
  • Health Policy
  • Determinants of Health
  • Mental Health
  • Community Health

Recent student research

  • Experiences of immigrant women during their cancer survivorship journey
  • Availability and distribution of physical activity opportunities for adults in Saint John, NB
  • Older adults’ perspectives on home support services in New Brunswick
  • The impact of the New Brunswick Pediatric Insulin Pump’s program on Type 1 Diabetes
  • Effectiveness of an online game in promoting careers in New Brunswick nursing homes
  • High users of primary care services among Canadian Armed Forces veterans
  • Exploring the role of lay, peer, and professional patient navigators in Canada
  • Experiences of adults with an upper limb loss/difference
  • Examining a web-based mindfulness intervention on university students' well-being during COVID-19

Application requirements

All students are expected to meet the minimum graduate student entrance requirements of UNB. Generally, these requirements include:

  1. Successful completion of a four-year Bachelor’s degree or Bachelor’s degree with Honours.
  2. A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 (equivalent to a B+ or 75%).
  3. Students whose first language is not English need to provide language test score results. If applicable, a TOEFL score of 100, TWE 5, or IELTS of 7 and results must indicate ‘academic’ not ‘general’.
  4. A complete application form, including three references.
  5. Applicants to the thesis-based stream must have identified a supervisor who has agreed to supervise prior to submitting an application for admissions. Please note, applicants to the course-based stream do not require a commitment from a supervisor.
  6. Students should be advised that applications for admission to graduate programs are often highly competitive, and actual admission standards in any year may exceed the minimum requirements outlined above.

Additional program information

All courses for the course-based MAHSR program are online and therefore are considered distance learning. In accordance with IRCC's policy on distance learning, which states:
"by definition distance learning does not require one to be in Canada, a study permit cannot be issued for this type of course."(Study permits: Other considerations - Canada.ca)
Any program of study for which a student is not eligible for a study permit is also not eligible for the post-graduation work permit. For more on this, see:
Work in Canada after you graduate: Who can apply - Canada.ca

Contact us

For more information, please contact Sanhita Biswas, Graduate Programs Assistant.

Office: Sir Howard Douglas Hall, Rm. 317

Phone: 1-506-458-7558

Related: Atlantic Regional Training Centre