The MPH is a course-based program with an experiential learning component (Public Health Practicum) and a culminating experience (Applied Public Health Capstone Project) which demonstrates integration and synthesis of public health skills and knowledge. It is to be completed full-time over 4 terms.

The MPH builds on the School of Epidemiology and Public Health’ s(SEPH) existing strengths in global health, population health risk assessment, and empirical public health sciences. The content and structure of the program are also consistent with the Canadian Guidelines for MPH programs developed by the Network of Schools and Programs of Public and Population Health, the entity which represents the professional and academic public health community in Canada.

The MPH program will produce professionals who are competent, flexible, and ready to respond to diverse and changing population, disease, and political contexts in Canada and globally. In short it will prepare candidates for meaningful professional careers in the field of public health. The program has three goals: prepare leaders for strong and professional public health practice and policy work in Canada and globally; for graduates planning a professional public health practice career, ensure a superior understanding of the policy perspective; and for graduates planning a public health policy career, ensure a superior understanding of the scientific evidence perspective.

Students will opt into one of four areas in which to focus their learning: Public Health Practice, Public Health Policy, Global Health and Population Health Risk Assessment.

The MPH program can offer enhanced policy training to all enrolled students, and a policy stream that is unique in Ontario. This program will create leaders in the practice of public health and in public health policy analysis.

Another feature that is unique to the uOttawa MPH is that students may elect to undertake intensive language training (15 units over 5 terms) throughout their MPH studies through the MPH+ option. This option will help MPH students improve their abilities in a second (or third) language and will help them pursue their public health career-related goals in the language of their choice. MPH + students may take language courses in French, English, Arabic , Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.