Program Overview

Health and Radiation Physics

Health Physics is interdisciplinary, bridging the fields of medicine, biology, engineering, and physical science. It provides scientific method and knowledge of Radiation Protection to the Health Care and Nuclear industries and regulatory bodies.

Faculty of Science

The program is offered by the Faculty of Science.

Degree Options

• Health and Radiation Physics (MSc) The program consists of a course- and project-based MSc. Research is conducted with faculty using McMaster radiation facilities or at industrial partners' facilities. Some students are presently working in the Health Physics field in industry and pursue the program part-time.

Areas of Research

• Brachytherapy radioisotopes, interface dosimetry, imaging dose distributions, neutron micro-dosimetry
• Nuclear and atomic techniques used for analysis of both trace toxic elements and major components of human body composition
• Development of novel radiopharmaceuticals and medical use of radioisotopes in diagnosis and therapy
• Novel methods of imaging bone architecture and joint structure non-invasively
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• DNA damage and DNA repair processes in carcinogenesis
• Adaptive response, genomic instability, and bystander effect in radiation risk assessment of human and non-human biota
• Laser and light propagation in tissue for photodynamic therapy and tissue characterization
• Skeletal muscle function and the mechanisms of repair/regeneration
• Radiation accident dosimetry
• Advanced methods of optimization for intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and gel dosimetry

Program Details

• Length: 1 year
• Type: Course-based
• Options: Full-Time, Part-Time
• Typical Entry: September
• Typical Deadline: February 28

Scholarships

• Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS)
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied values
  • Description: ACUNS established its scholarship program, the Canadian Northern Studies Trust (CNST) in 1982 to advance knowledge and understanding of Canada’s North.
• Bertram Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: May 26, 2025
  • Amount: $20,000
  • Description: In recognition of the growing importance of good governance to all Canadian institutions, the Canadian Foundation for Governance Research is offering annual Bertram Scholarships to PhD students registered at Canadian universities.
• Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The bi-national program is an educational exchange, with a mandate to enhance mutual understanding between the people of Canada and the people of the United States of America.
• CSA Group Graduate Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 31, 2024
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The purpose of the CSA Group Graduate Scholarship is to support graduate students in the pursuit of knowledge generation related to standards.
• Dr. J. A. Campbell Young Investigator Award
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: April 30, 2023
  • Amount: $5,000
  • Description: The Dr. J. A. Campbell Young Investigator Award is available to students and those who have recently completed degrees for any kind of research into celiac disease and/or gluten sensitivity.
• E.B. Eastburn Fellowship
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 3, 2025
  • Amount: $90,000
  • Description: Under the terms of a bequest to Hamilton Community Foundation by the late Eugene B. Eastburn, a two-year Fellowship will be awarded for full-time postdoctoral studies in engineering or sciences.
• Faculty of Science Graduate Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: Established in 2019 by a Ph.D. graduate from the Class of ’95 to be awarded by the School of Graduate Studies to full-time students enrolled in a Master’s of Science or Ph.D. program in the Faculty of Science who demonstrate excellence in academic achievement.
• Fulbright Canada Student Awards
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: November 15, 2023
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: Traditional Fulbright Canada Student awards are intended for Canadian citizens who are graduate students, prospective graduate students, or promising young professionals who wish to study and/or conduct research in the United States.
• GSA Travel Award
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The GSA Travel Assistance Grants are funded from the proceeds of the Graduate Students Association Development Fund to enable graduate students to travel to undertake research or present at conferences relevant to their field of study.
• Harvey E. Longboat Graduate Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 10, 2025
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The Harvey E. Longboat Graduate Scholarship for First Nation, Inuit, and Métis Students was established in 2009 in honour of Harvey E. Longboat, and in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to McMaster University and to the broader community.
• Health Research Postdoctoral Opportunities
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: A comprehensive list of funding sources and agencies for postdoctoral fellows in the Faculty of Health Sciences and those doing health-related research can be found in McMaster’s funding database.
• Iranian Student Memorial Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: Established in honour of McMaster Faculty of Engineering PhD students Iman Aghabali and Mehdi Eshaghian, and a former Faculty of Health Science Post-Doctoral Fellow, who lost their lives on the downing of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752.
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowships
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: February 1, 2024
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The JSPS provides opportunities in universities or other research institutions in Japan for postdoctoral researchers to conduct cooperative research with leading research groups.
• John Charles Polanyi Prize
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: December 2, 2024
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: In honour of the achievement of John Charles Polanyi, recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Government of the Province of Ontario has established a fund to provide annually up to five prizes to outstanding researchers in the early stages of their career.
• Lyle Makosky Values and Ethics in Sport Fund
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: April 30, 2024
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: This award is through the True Sport Foundation of Canada, open to applicants who are high-performance athletes enrolled at a Canadian university, community college, or other post-secondary educational institution.
• Mackenzie King Memorial Scholarships
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: February 2, 2026
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The Mackenzie King Scholarships were established as an independent charitable trust under the will of the late Rt. Hon. William Mackenzie King to support graduate study by graduates of Canadian universities.
• Manulife Life Lessons Scholarship Program
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 31, 2023
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: Manulife has introduced the first Life Lessons Scholarship Program in Canada, for students who’ve experienced the death of a parent or guardian with little to no life insurance.
• Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: February 23, 2024
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: Four scholarships open to master’s and PhD students who are conducting research on determinants, impacts, and policy or program interventions into food insecurity in Canada.
• Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP) aims to help increase the number of women in the nuclear field, supporting an inclusive workforce of both men and women who contribute to and drive global scientific and technological innovation.
• Mary Buzzell Graduate Scholarship for Resilient Aging
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: December 1, 2024
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The Mary Buzzell Graduate Scholarship for Resilient Aging will be awarded to an outstanding student enrolled in any Master’s Degree program at McMaster University who is preparing for a career in the multidisciplinary field of Aging.
• McMaster Graduate General Bursary
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: A bursary is based solely on financial need, and the McMaster Graduate General Bursary Program application opens mid-August in AwardSpring.
• McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: Prospective postdoctoral fellows are invited to submit a research plan that focuses on interdisciplinary, impact-driven approaches in the study of optimal aging through one or more of the following research areas.
• MIRA Graduate Scholarship Program
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: November 25, 2024
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) provides funding to support interdisciplinary research on aging led by McMaster researchers from across all six Mac Faculties.
• MIRA Graduate Student Travel Awards
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 15, 2020
  • Amount: $500
  • Description: The McMaster Institute for Research on Aging funds up to 10 graduate student travel awards per year – five in each round – valued at $500 each for students working with MIRA researchers.
• Mitacs-JSPS Summer Program
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: November 13, 2024
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The Mitacs-JSPS Summer program is offered in partnership with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and Mitacs, providing opportunities for full-time graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in Canada to pursue collaborative research in Japan.
• NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: October 17, 2023
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships (PDF) program provides support to a core of the most promising researchers at a pivotal time in their careers.
• OGS for Indigenous Graduate Students
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 10, 2025
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: Two OGS-I scholarships are awarded to Indigenous graduate students at McMaster University who face significant financial hardship, with particular priority given to women with family responsibilities.
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST)
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and The Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) programs provide funding to full-time students at the master’s and doctoral levels.
• Rainbow Fund
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: To be granted to graduate students enrolled in any program who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ students and demonstrate financial need.
• Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada Graduate Student Award of Merit
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $4,000
  • Description: At least three awards, each in the amount of $4,000, will be awarded annually to the women graduate students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the university or general community while maintaining exemplary academic records.
• The Barkleys of Avonmore Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The Barkley’s of Avonmore Scholarship was established in 1977 through the generosity of Fred Barkley to assist a student from a developing country to pursue advanced studies at McMaster University.
• The CHEPA Doctoral Research Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: Established in 2022 by David Feeny and George Torrance, founding members of the Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA) to be awarded by the School of Graduate Studies to doctoral students enrolled in any program, who are conducting research under the supervision of faculty members belonging to CHEPA and who demonstrate academic and research excellence.
• The Dr. Colin Webber Graduate Scholarship
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Minimum $1,600
  • Description: Established in 2013 to honour the memory of Dr. Colin Webber, McMaster University professor, physicist, radiation safety expert, teacher, mentor, and leader in the field of bone research.
• The Edna Howard Bursary
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: Established in 2022 by the family of Edna Howard, this bursary honours the support Edna offered graduate students through her work as a cook at The Phoenix Bar and Grill, owned and operated by the Graduate Students Association.
• The Graduate Students Association Bursary
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The Graduate Students Association Bursary was established in 1999 by the Graduate Students Association at McMaster University under the McMaster Student Opportunity Fund initiative.
• The H. Vincent Elliott Memorial Travel Bursary
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The H.Vincent Elliott Memorial Travel Bursary was established in 2010 by Dr. Susan J.Elliott (MA 97 and PhD92), esteemed former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, professor of Geography and Earth Sciences, and senior research fellow at the United Nations Institute on Water (UNU-IWEH), Environment and Health, in memory of her father, H.Vincent Elliott.
• The James F. Harvey and Helen S. Harvey Travel Scholarships
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: Established in 1995 with funds from the estate of Helen S. Harvey, this travel scholarship will enable students to engage in research requiring travel.
• The Lambda Scholarship Foundation Canada Graduate Award
  • Category: External
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: Established in 2022 by the Lambda Scholarship Foundation Canada to be awarded by the School of Graduate Studies to a graduate student who is currently enrolled in their first year of any program who identifies as a member of the queer, trans community and is Black, racialized, or Indigenous.
• The Myra Baillie Academic Grant
  • Category: External
  • Amount: $1,000
  • Description: Established in 2005 by the Surgical Associates in memory of Myra Baillie to be granted to a graduate student in any degree program who attains an “A” average and demonstrates financial need.
• The School of Graduate Studies Grant in Aid for Research Travel
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 7, 2025
  • Amount: Varied
  • Description: The SGS Grant is intended to be a grant in aid of research; students should not expect the grants to cover the full cost of travel or field work.
• Wilson Leadership Scholar Award
  • Category: External
  • Deadline Date: March 28, 2022
  • Amount: $12,000
  • Description: The Wilson Leader Scholarship Award for graduate students is different, valued at $12,000 in direct funding and up to $2,000 for experiential funding, it’s a leadership development and career launcher program that builds on your studies.