Application Process
ADMISSION DATES & DEADLINES
Applications for September 2024 entry into the program have now closed for both domestic and international applicants. Applications for September 2025 will open in October. Please refer closely to the admission requirements outlined in the ‘Requirements’ tab on this webpage. All eligibility criteria and details relating to the required documents can be found there. Please review carefully. Please note, the MPH program only has one admission cycle annually, accepting new students in September only.
Start your application early! We strongly encourage applicants to begin the application process well before the deadline date, as preparing the required materials takes time, and referees must be given enough time to complete and submit references.
*Please note: All documents should be uploaded into the online admissions portal. Please do not mail documents to the MPH office.
I’ve applied! What’s Next?
After the application portal closes, all eligible and complete applications will be reviewed, and offers of admission will be made when all applications have been reviewed. The first round of offers typically go out in early April and offers may continue to go out into late spring/early summer. All applicants are expected to respond to offers of admission within the application portal by the provided response deadline. Failure to do this will result in the expiry of an offer.
For more information related to the admissions process, scroll down to register for one of our Admission Webinars!
International Students – if you have questions about study permits, please visit the Student Success Centre’s website.
Important things to keep in mind during the application process:
- Upload all of your required documents before submitting your application; you will not be able to add or edit after you submit.
- Have PDF copies of your documents ready to upload. PDF documents should be unlocked and not password protected.
- Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they have uploaded all required documents. Due to the high volume of applicants, we cannot contact individuals if they have forgotten to upload a required document; incomplete applications will not be considered.
- Students do not declare a program pathway (thesis or practicum) at the time of application. This step is not completed until the end of the first term of study. We recommend that applicants not contact potential supervisors until they have been accepted into the program.
*PLEASE REFER TO THE ADMISSION ‘REQUIREMENTS’ TAB FOR A LIST OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS.*
For detailed information about the MPH program’s structure, please review the updated MPH Handbook (PDF).
MPH ADMISSION WEBINARS
Each year, the MPH program hosts a number of admission webinars which offer applicants more information about the program and admission requirements, as well as a chance to ask questions using a live chat feature. The 2023/24 admission webinar series has now finished.
A recording of our most recent webinar has been uploaded to MacVideo. The most recent webinar slides can be found here: Webinar 2023-24_Updated2024Jan11.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Entrance Scholarships – A number of internal entrance scholarships will be available for top ranked candidates. Applicants do not apply for these awards; they will find out if they have been awarded an entrance scholarship when they receive an offer of admission.
External Scholarships – Other McMaster scholarships are outlined on the School of Graduate Studies website. Applications for Canadian Graduate Scholarships – Master’s (CGS-M) program awards are due December 1, 2021, and are applied to through the federal website. Information on OGS awards can be found on the Graduate Studies website. Please note, students are responsible for applying for these awards independently. The MPH program office does not administer these external scholarships.
Facilitated Indigenous Admissions Program (FIAP)
The Master of Public Health program strives to admit students from a broad range of academic and personal backgrounds while valuing diversity and inclusiveness. To best represent our population we welcome applications from Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) learners via our Facilitated Indigenous Admissions Program (FIAP). All applications received through the FIAP are reviewed exclusive of the general applicant pool. These applications are strongly encouraged and entrance scholarships are available to support Indigenous students. Applicants who wish to be considered under the Indigenous application process must submit the Self-Identification Application in addition to their application to the Master of Public Health program. Applications to the Self-Identification Application can be submitted to the Indigenous Health Learning Lodge. One self-identification application is used for all Faculty of Health Sciences programs that have a facilitated Indigenous admissions stream. The Self-identification Application must be completed by whatever the earliest deadline date is for the programs for which you have applied to.
Requirements
Expandable List
Application Process
McMaster’s MPH program accepts both domestic and international students. The academic requirements and application process is the same for all applicants. International students, and domestic students who have studied abroad, may need to refer to the English Proficiency requirements, as outlined in ‘Required Documents’.
To apply to graduate programs at McMaster University, applicants must use the application portal, facilitated by the School of Graduate Studies, called Slate. You can refer to the SGS Admissions website for technical application instructions, but please refer to this MPH website for details related to specific MPH admission requirements and required documents.
Successful candidates will receive a letter of offer from the Assistant Registrar of the School of Graduate Studies. All applicants are expected to respond to an offer of admission within the specified time in the application portal. Applicants who are not offered admission will receive notification from the MPH Admissions Committee.
Required Documents – All documents must be uploaded using the application portal as part of your application. We do not accept email or mailed submissions of documents without prior consent of the department. Any materials mailed in support of an application cannot be returned. Please see the list of required documents in the tab below.
Program Pathways – All applicants will apply to the general MPH program. Those selected for admission will be asked to declare the practicum or thesis pathway following the first term of study. Applicants do not need to declare this pathway at the time of application, and therefore do not need to secure a supervisor ahead of time.
International Students – if you have questions related to study permits, please visit the Student Success Centre’s website.
To be considered for admission to the Master of Public Health program, applicants need to demonstrate the following:
- Completion of a four-year undergraduate degree from an accredited university by time of entry in September. The MPH program accepts students from a variety of academic backgrounds (eg. science, social science, business, etc.); there is no restriction on the subject matter of the undergraduate degree. In addition, approved professional degrees are accepted (i.e., Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, Nutrition, Rehabilitation Sciences, Pharmacy or Social Work – BSW or MSW).
- B+ or higher GPA in the final 10 senior courses (300 & 400 level).
- An undergraduate course in Statistics or Mathematics with at least a B+ grade to ensure appropriate quantitative ability for the epidemiology and biostatistics courses. This can include courses named statistics, probability, data analysis, quantitative methods, mathematics, calculus, or algebra. Please note, if applications are submitted with transcripts that do not demonstrate the successful completion of this requirement, they will be deemed ineligible and will not move on to the next stage of review. We encourage applicants to include the relevant course syllabus within the application so this course can be verified. You can merge the syllabus with your transcript PFD and upload as one document.*IMPORTANT: All applicants (both international and domestic) with an MD, MBBS, BDS (or similar degree) must meet the Statistics/Mathematics requirement. The completion of a full statistics or mathematics course must be evidenced within the application. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the applicant being deemed ineligible. There are no exceptions to this requirement. We do not accept statistics courses from providers such as Coursera. Below is a list of online, undergradate Statistics courses that would meet the requirement. Please note, this course must be completed, with the final grade posted, by the time you apply.
https://www.tru.ca/distance/courses/stat1201.html
https://www.athabascau.ca/syllabi/math/math215.html
https://courses.opened.uoguelph.ca/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&courseId=18978
Upload the following items in the application portal (Slate) in support of your application:
*Please note: All documents should be scanned in and submitted using the online portal. Please do not mail documents into the MPH office.
1. Current Curriculum Vitae
Please upload your current CV during the application process.
2. Transcripts
At the application stage, applicants must provide a scanned copy of transcripts (to date) from all post-secondary institutions attended that demonstrate the completion of (or near completion of) a 4-year Bachelor’s degree, from an accredited university. To be deemed eligible, the ten most recent, senior level courses must calculate a GPA of B+ (77%) or higher. In addition, a transcript must demonstrate the completion of a statistics or math course (B+ or higher). It is recommended that you include the course syllabus along with your transcript so the required statistics course can be easily identified by admission reviewers. You can merge the syllabus with your transcript PFD and upload as one document. Only if you are offered admission into the program will you need to have all original, official transcripts sent to the program office (e-transcripts are preferred) directly from the issuing institutions.
Unofficial transcripts (or grade reports issued by the university) are accepted only if they include:
- Your name
- Your student number
- The full name of the issuing post-secondary institution
- The name of the program you were/are enrolled in
Attention McMaster Students – If you completed your undergraduate degree at McMaster University, you still need to submit a copy of your unofficial transcript as a part of your MPH application. You can request a copy from Mosaic (PDF) and simply upload this into the application portal.
Hints for scanning your transcripts – If we can’t read it, it cannot be reviewed. Illegible documents can cause an applicant’s file to be dismissed before review, so please check your files before submitting your application.
– Please ensure all files are in PDF format and are 5MB or less
– If your transcripts are double-sided, and/or have shaded areas, please ensure they are legible
– Please place a white sheet of paper on the side not being scanned
– Check your scanned file for clarity before uploading to your application
GPA Calculation – The ten most senior level courses (300 or 400) will be used to calculate the GPA. (However, it is not necessary for applicants to have completed all ten senior level courses at the time of application if they are still studying. If this is the case, GPA calculations will be based on the available senior level grades at the time of application.)
International Transcripts – If you have completed your studies outside of Canada, an international grade conversion tool is used by the McMaster admissions committee. It is encouraged that you submit a transcript assessment document (eg. WES) along with your transcript. This is not required, but can be helpful in the assessment of your academic background.
Transcript Langauge – Non-English transcripts must be translated and notarized. The applicant is responsible for providing an official translated version of the transcript. Both the original untranslated transcript and the official translation are required to be submitted. The only exception to this requirement is where the official translation is done by the degree issuing institution (university). In this case, the translation is acceptable. Acceptable sources of translation include translations performed by a country consulate representative/notary public.
3. Academic References
Two confidential academic letters of recommendation from instructors or research supervisors most familiar with your academic work are required. Only two references will be accepted; if you upload more than two, the additional references will be discounted and will not be reviewed.
An appropriate academic referee is someone who has a university faculty appointment, including any rank of professor or instructor, but not a teaching assistant (TA). The referee must clearly indicate their academic appointment status in the reference (eg. Associate Professor, Professor, etc.) Referees should be able to speak to the candidate’s:
- Academic suitability for the MPH program
- Applicant plans to make use of the MPH degree after graduation
- Applicant fit with the McMaster MPH program in terms of terms of interest, self-direction and team work
- Relevant academic skills (eg. communication -written and verbal, quantitative skills, etc.)
If you have been out of school for at least 3 years:
- One reference must be academic in nature from a professor/instructor as outlined above (this can include continuing education). The referee must clearly indicate their academic appointment status in their reference (eg. Associate Professor, Professor, etc.)
- The second referee may be a work supervisor (someone who monitors your performance) who can also speak to your academic abilities.
- Recommendations must be provided directly from the referee through the portal, using their institutional/work email accounts whenever possible.
Important information: Applicants will need to provide the contact information (name, academic position, institutional email) for their two referees in the application portal. After you apply, your referees will automatically get an email prompting them to complete a reference. Both academic references must be submitted no later than two weeks after the application deadline. (This means all references are due no later than February 14th; please communicate this firm deadline with your referees.) If either reference is incomplete after this date, the application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. Please note, while referees will have two weeks to complete the reference following the application deadline, it is strongly recommended that references are completed as soon as possible, or before the application deadline to ensure a timely review process.
4. Statement of Interest / Personal Statement
An original written Statement of Interest must be included (maximum 750 words). This should provide the reviewers with an understanding of:
– How previous academic, work, and life experience has shaped your decisions to pursue training in public health
– How you anticipate using the skills and knowledge from this program in your future career
– What you would bring to the program such as prior experience in a field related to public health
– How McMaster’s MPH program is uniquely suited to your interests and future goals
– How you perceive yourself contributing to the work of colleagues or fellow students, being a team player and a leader
5. TOEFL or IELTS score (if applicable)
If you have not completed your previous studies in English, a copy of your TOEFL score or IELTS test report form is required. A minimum TOEFL (iBT) score of 92 (580 on the paper-based TOEFL test or 237 on the computer-based TOEFL test) or a minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5 is needed for the Faculty of Health Sciences (with at least 5.5 in each section). Please visit the SGS website for minimum requirements. Students who have completed a post secondary degree from a university/program where the language of instruction and assessment is English are not required to provide a TOEFL or IELTS scores. Your transcript must state that the medium of instruction was English, otherwise you must supply a letter from the issuing institution on official letterhead stating that the medium of instruction for your degree program was English.