Programs

Public Health

Saint John campus

  • Degree Offered: Master of Public Health (MPH)
  • Study Options: Course-based professional stream (MPH-P) or research/thesis-based stream (MPH-T); full-time or part-time study
  • Length: 6 semesters (approximately 2 years) for full-time students
  • Entry Terms: Fall
  • Application Deadline: Jan. 31

The University of New Brunswick’s Master of Public Health (MPH) is an interdisciplinary graduate program designed to prepare students to address current and emerging public health challenges through evidence-informed practice, research, policy, and community engagement.

Offered in person at UNB Saint John, the 42-credit-hour program combines a strong foundation in the core principles of public health with applied and experiential learning. Students develop competencies in epidemiology, quantitative and qualitative research methods, public health policy, ethics, Indigenous public health, infectious disease, communication, and knowledge translation. A strong emphasis is placed on health equity, diversity, Indigenous perspectives, and the social and structural factors that shape population health.

All students complete a 400-hour public health practicum, providing an opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in a professional public health setting. Students may choose either a professional course-based stream or a research-intensive thesis stream.

The program is designed for both recent graduates and working professionals and welcomes students from a wide range of academic backgrounds. Graduates will be prepared for careers in public health practice, administration, policy, health promotion, program development and evaluation, epidemiology, and health data analytics, as well as for further graduate or doctoral study.

Program structure

All MPH students complete eight required courses:

  • MPH 6101 - Issues in Public Health
  • MPH 6102 - Public Health Policy
  • MPH 6103 - Epidemiology and Quantitative Research Methods
  • MPH 6104 - Qualitative Research Methods in Public Health
  • MPH 6105 - Professional and Research Ethics
  • MPH 6107 - Indigenous Public Health
  • MPH 6109 - Infectious Diseases and Public Health
  • MPH 6110 - Knowledge Translation in Public Health

Students complete these core requirements during the first three semesters and complete a 400-hour practicum in public health during the program.

Course-based professional stream (MPH-P)

In addition to the eight required courses and practicum, students complete three elective courses during the second year.

Thesis-based research stream (MPH-T)

In addition to the required courses and practicum, students complete a 3-credit-hour thesis proposal and 6-credit-hour graduate thesis under the supervision of a UNB faculty member. The thesis stream is particularly suited to students interested in developing advanced research expertise or pursuing doctoral studies.

Areas of study and research

The MPH curriculum and research environment encompass areas including:

  • Epidemiology and population health
  • Public health policy and governance
  • Quantitative and qualitative health research
  • Indigenous public health
  • Health equity and the social determinants of health
  • Infectious disease and public health
  • Knowledge translation and evidence-informed decision-making
  • Public health program planning, implementation, and evaluation
  • Healthcare organizations and systems
  • Health data and data science
  • Child and population health
  • Community health and wellbeing

UNB Saint John has existing research strengths in areas including child welfare, the social determinants of health, healthcare organizations and systems, epidemiology, and data science. MPH students will also have access to researchers across UNB’s bi-campus Graduate Academic Unit in Health and to a broader health research network involving Horizon Health Network and other health-sector partners.

Application requirements

Applicants to the Master of Public Health must:

  • Hold a four-year undergraduate degree in any discipline.
  • Have a minimum GPA of 3.5 on UNB’s 4.3 scale (minimum B+) in the final two years of full-time undergraduate study.
  • Have completed an undergraduate-level statistics course.
  • Applicants to the research-based stream should provide a detailed statement of research interests and must include the names of 3 potential supervisors.
  • Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the program’s English-language proficiency requirement. The proposal specifies a minimum IELTS overall band score of 7.5.

The program is intended to attract applicants from a wide variety of academic backgrounds; applicants do not need to hold an undergraduate degree specifically in public health or health sciences.

Contact us

For more information contact, Dr. Jen Woodland, Associate Professor; School of Integrated Health Director of Graduate Studies; Health GAU