The Graduate Diploma in Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Management and Innovation is targeted to enhance the competitiveness and employability of graduate students interested in pursuing careers in pharmaceutical and related health industries. Graduates of this program will possess the requisite knowledge, skills, and experience to make them ideal candidates to enter progressive career positions. The diploma will offer a combination of course work and practical experience to recent graduates in the health and science sectors (e.g. MD, MSc, PhD, PharmD) from across Canada and internationally.

The program was developed to specifically enhance relevant industry or institutional experience, practical knowledge of the process of commercializing medical innovation, and business acumen that would strengthen the competitiveness of new applicants for early-stage industrial/academic career opportunities. In the course work component, students will participate in seminars led by pharmaceutical and related health industry experts, engage in case studies of real-world problems and challenges, and prepare oral and written submissions that demonstrate effective teamwork and problem-solving skills. The internship with industry will provide an opportunity for the student to be immersed on a full-time basis with an employer in the private or government sectors, to acquire valuable hands-on experience and apply the knowledge and skills acquired during coursework.

Graduates of this diploma will have the knowledge and skills required to pursue advanced career prospects in the broader health sector, including but not limited to, opportunities with: Federal health departments and agencies (e.g. Health Canada, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health); Provincial health ministries; Corporations (e.g. private insurance/pharmacy benefit management companies, pharmaceutical/medical device companies, contract research organizations or health service corporations that provide biopharmaceutical and commercial outsourcing services); Entrepreneurial ventures (e.g. start-up companies).