6.14	Community Health Sciences

Head: John O'Neil
General Office: S111, Medical Services Building, 750 Bannatyne Avenue
Telephone: (204) 789 3655
Fax: (204) 789 3905
Email: kennedyt@cc.umanitoba.ca
Web: umanitoba.ca/medicine/chs

Academic Staff

Program Information
CHS offers broad, multidisciplinary training at the Diploma (Dip.P.H.), Master (M.Sc.) and Doctoral (Ph.D.) levels in the concepts and methods of the population-based health sciences and their application in the practice of public health and preventive medicine. In addition to training in the core areas of epidemiology, biostatistics and the social sciences as applied to health (anthropology, economics, sociology and political science), students have an opportunity to obtain advanced training in internationally recognized research programs conducted by specialized units within the department such as the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, the Northern Health Research Unit and the Center for Aboriginal Health Research. As a result graduate students have the opportunity to access both internationally regarded researchers and award winning teachers.

The Ph.D. program is designed to produce individuals who will teach in the community health sciences; train other researchers, design and execute major research projects; and serve as senior advisors and consultants in the area of health care policy and planning.

In contrast, the M.Sc. program is intended to satisfy the demand of provincial and federal health departments for health professionals with training in health policy, planning, evaluation and administration; and to provide clinical departments in the medical faculty with clinical researchers with training in epidemiology, biostatistics and research methods.

The Dip.P.H. program is intended to provide senior clinicians in teaching hospitals and managers in provincial and regional health authorities with a set of core knowledge and skills in the population health sciences which will allow them to become more effective consumers and utilizers of health research data.

Program graduates currently occupy faculty positions in medical, dental, nursing and occupational therapy schools in Canada, the United States and overseas. Others work in government at the provincial and federal levels as medical officers of health, and as directors of research and planning programs. Some graduates have returned to primarily clinical positions in a variety of health disciplines while others have become independent consultants in health services planning and evaluation. Internationally, the program has graduates located in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kenya and Singapore.

Fields of Research
Researchers in the department are involved in a wide range of research activities in community health. Many have achieved national, and in some cases, international reputation in their fields. Particular areas of strength are health policy planning, northern and aboriginal health, occupational and environmental health, women's health, disability issues, aging and health, the health effects of alcohol and tobacco use, and the epidemiology of chronic diseases.

Researchers are also actively working in areas such as health promotion, HIV/AIDS prevention, medical anthropology, health education and socioeconomic factors in health. In addition, several researchers in the department have active interests in International Health with projects currently running in India and Kenya.

The department has researchers with high levels of expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. The opportunity for graduate students to work with researchers in both research paradigms represents a major strength of the program.

Research Facilities
The ability to seamlessly interact with internationally regarded research groups within the department creates an extremely rich graduate research environment. Through the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy graduate students have potential access to administrative health databases which are unique in Canada. Two major long term studies, Aging in Manitoba, and the Manitoba Follow-Up Study provide students opportunity in areas of aging.

The department maintains a graduate student computer resource centre supporting a broad range of statistical, graphical and information processing software. The department also maintains a suite of carrels that provide a dedicated study centre for its graduate students.

Ph.D. in Community Health Sciences

Admission
Admission requirements are those of the Faculty of Graduate Studies found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar. The Ph.D. program is open to individuals with thesis-based M.A. and M.Sc. degrees.

The deadline for receipt of the departmental application form and supporting documents is early January.

Program Requirements
Minimum program requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies are found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this calendar. Eighteen credit hours of coursework (six from required courses, twelve from electives), candidacy examination and thesis. (In addition, eighteen credit hours of prerequisite courses, or their equivalents, must have been completed before entering the program or in the first year).

Second language requirement: none

Expected time to graduation: three years full-time, five years part-time

M.Sc. in Community Health Sciences

Admission
Admission requirements are those of the Faculty of Graduate Studies found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar. The M.Sc. program is open to individuals with four year degrees in the health sciences or professions or with honours degrees in the biological or social sciences.

The deadline for receipt of the departmental application form and supporting documents is early January.

Program Requirements
Minimum program requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies are found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this calendar. Thirty credit hours of course work (18 from required courses, 12 from electives) and thesis.

Second language reading requirement: none

Expected time to graduate: two years full-time, four years part-time

Diploma in Population Health

Admission
Admission requirements are those of the Faculty of Graduate Studies found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar. The Diploma program is open to individuals with four year degrees in the health sciences or professions or with honours degrees in the biological or social sciences.

The deadline for receipt of the departmental application form and supporting documents is early January.

Program Requirements
Minimum program requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies are found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section of this Calendar. Eighteen credit hours of course work (nine from required courses, nine from electives),

Second language requirement: none

Expected time to graduation: 18 months