Program Overview

Public Health Program

The Public Health program is a leading generalist program in Canada that provides learners with a broad foundation in public and population health science, policy analysis, research methodology, and choice of one of two-degree track options - thesis and practicum.

Degree Options

• Public Health (MPH) The program ensures an adequate supply of public health professionals with the right knowledge, skills, and relevant education and mentorship opportunities to revitalize Canada’s public health system and addresses the vulnerability of our public health infrastructure, and the need for more comprehensive and responsive public health policies and programs.

Areas of Research

• Public health policy and management
• Population and public health research methods
• Environmental health

Program Details

• Length:
  • Practicum (16 months)
  • Thesis (20 to 24 months)
• Required Credentials: 4-year undergraduate in Sciences or equivalent
• Type: Course-based, Thesis
• Options: Full-Time, Part-Time
• Typical Entry: September
• Typical Deadline: October

Scholarships

• Alyssa Vito Scholarship in Cancer Research
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • Established in 2022 by Dr. Alyssa Vito, survivor of triple-negative breast cancer and MSc/PhD McMaster alumna.
• Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS)
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: Varied values
  • 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: Internal
  • Deadline Date: May 26, 2025
  • Amount: $$$$
  • In recognition of the growing importance of good governance to all Canadian institutions, the Canadian Foundation for Governance Research is offering annual Bertram Scholarships of $20,000 to PhD students registered at Canadian universities.
• Canada Graduate Scholarships – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: September 18, 2025
  • Amount: $$
  • The CGS-MSFSS supports high-calibre Canadian graduate students in building global linkages and international networks through the pursuit of exceptional research experiences abroad.
• Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount:
  • 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.
• CIBC Graduate Bursaries in Breast Cancer
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $$
  • The CIBC Graduate Bursaries in Breast Cancer was established in 2004 by CIBC under the McMaster Student Opportunity Fund II initiative in support of CIBC’s belief that all students should have the opportunity to pursue their educational goals.
• CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: September 10, 2025
  • Amount: $$$$
  • Postdoctoral research opportunities funded through CIHR.
• CIHR Strategic Master’s Award
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: January 14, 2026
  • Amount: $$$
  • The CIHR Strategic Master’s Award program provides financial support to scholars who are engaged in an eligible master’s program in Canada and that are relevant to specific CIHR priority research areas.
• CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC Canada Graduate Research Scholarships – Master’s (CGRS-M)
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: December 1, 2025
  • Amount: $$$$
  • The CGRS M is a scholarship in the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS) administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
• CSA Group Graduate Scholarship
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: March 31, 2024
  • Amount: $$
  • 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: Internal
  • Deadline Date: April 30, 2023
  • Amount: $$
  • The Dr. J. A. Campbell Young Investigator Award of $5,000 for any kind of research into celiac disease and / or gluten sensitivity is available to students and those who have recently completed degrees.
• Dr. John Thomas Memorial Bursary
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • Dr. John Thomas Memorial Bursary was established in 1996 in memory of Dr. John Thomas by family, friends and colleagues.
• E.B. Eastburn Fellowship
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: March 3, 2025
  • Amount: $$$$
  • Under the terms of a bequest to Hamilton Community Foundation by the late Eugene B. Eastburn, a two-year Fellowship will be awarded for full-time postdoctoral studies in engineering or sciences (Natural or Physical sciences, including Health Sciences).
• Fulbright Canada Student Awards
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: November 15, 2023
  • Amount: $ – $$$
  • 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: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • The GSA Travel Assistance Grants are funded from the proceeds of the Graduate Students Association Development Fund, which receives contributions from graduate students and the University.
• H.G. Hilton Master’s Scholarship
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $$
  • The H.G. Hilton Master’s Scholarships were established by the income from a bequest in the estate of Hugh G. Hilton, at one time Chief Executive Officer of Stelco and member of the McMaster Board of Governors support a Master’s scholarship.
• Harvey E. Longboat Graduate Scholarship
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: March 10, 2025
  • Amount: $$-$$$
  • The Harvey E. Longboat Graduate Scholarship for First Nation, Inuit, and Métis Students was established in 2009 in honour of Harvey E. Longboat, and in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to McMaster University and to the broader community.
• Health Research Postdoctoral Opportunities
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount:
  • A comprehensive list of funding sources and agencies for postdoctoral fellows in the Faculty of Health Sciences and those doing health-related research can be found in McMaster’s funding database.
• Iranian Student Memorial Scholarship
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • Established in honour of McMaster Faculty of Engineering PhD students Iman Aghabali and Mehdi Eshaghian, and a former Faculty of Health Science Post-Doctoral Fellow, who lost their lives on the downing of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight PS752.
• Jean Pettifor and Dick Pettifor Scholarship Fund
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $$
  • In support of graduate student research projects in the area of professional ethics, or international ethics for psychologists, with special focus on diversity, such as ethnicity, gender and disability.
• John Charles Polanyi Prize
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: December 2, 2024
  • Amount: $$$
  • In honour of the achievement of John Charles Polanyi, recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Government of the Province of Ontario has established a fund to provide annually up to five prizes to outstanding researchers in the early stages of their career who are continuing to postdoctoral studies or have recently started a faculty appointment at an Ontario university.
• Lyle Makosky Values and Ethics in Sport Fund
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: April 30, 2024
  • Amount: $
  • This award is through the True Sport Foundation of Canada.
• Mackenzie King Memorial Scholarships
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: February 2, 2026
  • Amount: $$-$$$
  • The Mackenzie King Scholarships were established as an independent charitable trust under the will of the late Rt. Hon. William Mackenzie King.
• Manulife Life Lessons Scholarship Program
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: March 31, 2023
  • Amount: $$
  • 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: Internal
  • Deadline Date: February 23, 2024
  • Amount: $$$
  • Four scholarships open to master’s and PhD students who are conducting research on determinants, impacts, and policy or program interventions into food insecurity in Canada.
• Mary Buzzell Graduate Scholarship for Resilient Aging
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: December 1, 2024
  • Amount: $
  • The Mary Buzzell Graduate Scholarship for Resilient Aging will be awarded to an outstanding student enrolled in any Master’s Degree program at McMaster University who is preparing for a career in the multidisciplinary field of Aging.
• McMaster Graduate General Bursary
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • A bursary is based solely on financial need.
• McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA) Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $$$$
  • Prospective postdoctoral fellows are invited to submit a research plan that focuses on interdisciplinary, impact-driven approaches in the study of optimal aging through one or more of the following research areas.
• MIRA Graduate Scholarship Program
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: November 25, 2024
  • Amount: $$$
  • 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: Internal
  • Deadline Date: March 15, 2020
  • Amount: $
  • 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: Internal
  • Deadline Date: November 13, 2024
  • Amount:
  • The Mitacs-JSPS Summer program is offered in partnership with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and Mitacs.
• MURA Academic Scholarship
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount:
  • Established in 2020 the McMaster University Retirees Association (MURA).
• OGS for Indigenous Graduate Students
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: March 10, 2025
  • Amount: $$$
  • Two OGS-I scholarships are awarded to Indigenous graduate students at McMaster University who face significant financial hardship, with particular priority given to women with family responsibilities.
• Ontario Graduate Fellowships
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $$$
  • Ontario Graduate Fellowships (OGF) provide funding to full-time students in graduate studies at the masters and doctoral level.
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST)
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $$$
  • The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and The Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) programs provide funding to full-time students at the master’s and doctoral levels.
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship – International
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $$$
  • The Ontario Graduate Scholarship for International Students is by nomination only.
• Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Award
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: December 1, 2025
  • Amount: $$$$
  • Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, a scholar awards program in women’s health has been established to ensure that Ontario attracts and retains pre-eminent scholars studying women’s health.
• Psychology Foundation of Canada
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: Varied values
  • Various grants and travel supports available.
• Rainbow Fund
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • To be granted to graduate students enrolled in any program who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ students and demonstrate financial need.
• Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada Graduate Student Award of Merit
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $$
  • At least three awards, each in the amount of $4000, 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: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • 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 Diane and Colin Wood Bursary in Respiratory Health
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $$
  • The Diane and Colin Wood Bursary in Respiratory Health was established in 2008 by Diane Wood and Colin Wood, BComm (Class of ’78).
• The Dr. Colin Webber Graduate Scholarship
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $$
  • 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 Dr. J. A. Campbell Young Investigator Award
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: April 30, 2023
  • Amount: $$
  • The Dr. J. A. Campbell Young Investigator Award of $5,000 for any kind of research into celiac disease and / or gluten sensitivity is available to students and those who have recently completed degrees.
• The Dr. John Thomas Memorial Bursary
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • Dr. John Thomas Memorial Bursary was established in 1996 in memory of Dr. John Thomas by family, friends and colleagues.
• The Dr. M. Corinne Devlin Graduate Scholarship in Women’s Health
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • Established in 2023 by Kelly Kjeldsen and the family and friends of Dr. M. Corinne Devlin to honour the contributions Dr. Devlin made to McMaster University and to advancing women’s health.
• The E.B. Ryan Scholarship
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • The E.B. Ryan Scholarship was established in 1997 using funds raised by a performance of the play Letter from Wingfield Farm, this scholarship is to be awarded to in-course graduate students from the faculties of Social Sciences and Health Sciences conducting research on aging.
• The Edna Howard Bursary
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • 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 EJ Irvine Annual Graduate Student Award
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • The EJ Irvine Annual Graduate Student Award Established in 2022 by the Estate of Daniel Connelly Irvine in memory of the late Dr. Elizabeth Irvine, MSc. (Class of ’86).
• The Graduate Students Association Bursary
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • 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: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • 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: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • Established in 1995 with funds from the estate of Helen S. Harvey.
• The Lambda Scholarship Foundation Canada Graduate Award
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount:
  • Established in 2022 by the Lambda Scholarship Foundation Canada.
• The Lorne F. Lambier, Q.C., Scholarship
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • The Lorne F. Lambier, Q.C. Scholarship was established in 1984, and is awarded by the School of Graduate Studies annually to a graduate student in a master’s or doctoral program in the Faculty of Health Sciences or Faculty of Science whose research is directed toward the understanding and/or cure of cancer.
• The Louis Minden Scholarship in Health Sciences
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $$
  • Established in 1995 with funds from the estate of Mr. Louis Minden.
• The Myra Baillie Academic Grant
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • Established in 2005 by the Surgical Associates in memory of Myra Baillie.
• The School of Graduate Studies Grant in Aid for Research Travel
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: March 7, 2025
  • Amount: $-$$
  • The SGS Grant is intended to be a grant in aid of research; students should not expect the grants to cover the full cost of travel or field work.
• The W.E. Rawls Memorial Scholarship
  • Category: Internal
  • Amount: $
  • Established in 1990 by family and friends to honour the valuable contribution of Dr. Rawls made to cancer research; as Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, founder and coordinator of the McMaster Cancer Research Group, Director of the Molecular Virology and Immunology Programme and Past President of the National Cancer Institute.
• Wilson Leadership Scholar Award
  • Category: Internal
  • Deadline Date: March 28, 2022
  • Amount: $$-$$$
  • 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.