Program
The application and all supporting documentation must be received by December 15 for September admission.
| Program | Expected Length | Project and/or thesis | Course based |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.Sc. | 2 years | ||
| Ph.D. | 4 years |
The Department of Community Health and Epidemiology within the College of Medicine offers Community and Population Health Sciences MSc and PhD programs. These programs prepare students for academic careers or to work in a variety of health and policy related workplaces. Students prepare a research thesis or dissertation. Course work and seminars develop skills in community engagement, epidemiology, biostatistics, research methods, health promotion, and evaluation. These skills can be applied to various areas including population and health studies, evaluation of health services and delivery, and health policy.
Research supervisors
MSc applicants do not need a supervisor in place before applying. However, as this program is very competitive, few students without supervisors are accepted yearly. Please send a brief transmittal email, CV, and copies of transcripts to a potential supervisor or to chep.info@usask.ca. Use the list below to find a potential supervisor.
PhD applicants must have a faculty supervisor confirmed before they apply. Use the list below to find a potential supervisor.
Prospective students should have most grades from their last degree in the "very good" or "excellent" categories.
| Name | Research areas |
|---|---|
| Medical Anthropology, Population Research Ethics, Ethnographic Methodologies, Indigenous Health, Population Health, Community-based Research | |
| Global Health, The Politics of Health, Alternative Methodologies, Black and African Studies, Activism for Health Equity, Community-Based Research | |
| Population and public health, quantitative epidemiological research, field epidemiology, administrative health data, mental health and addictions | |
| Engaged Scholarship, Indigenous Communities, Water and Health, Health Risk Assessment, Management, Communication, Arts-based Knowledge Mobilization | |
| Nutrition and dementia, long-term care, end of life nutrition, aging | |
| Healthcare Research, Patient-Oriented Research, Realist Synthesis and Evaluation, Rural and Remote Health | |
| Food systems and food security , Nutritional health inequities , Community-based and participatory research , Health promotion | |
| Epidemiology, population health intervention research, healthy cities, wearable devices, physical activity, machine learning | |
| Clinical Quality Improvement, Health Services Research, Implementation Science, Indigenous and Health Equity Research, Realist Research | |
| Longitudinal Data Analysis, Measurement Errors and Missing Data, Copulas, Statistical/Machine Learning, Dynamic Data Science, Meta-Analysis, Time Series Analysis, Survival Analysis, Biostatistics | |
| Social epidemiology , Gender and health , Work (paid and unpaid) and health , Socioeconomic circumstances and health , Rural population health | |
| Functional and Structural Mass Spectrometry-based Clinical Proteomics, Metabolomics, and Lipidomics | |
| Determinants of Indigenous health and wellness, Health systems research in Indigenous populations, Indigenous wellness and resilience | |
| Epidemiology of rural and agricultural related exposures and respiratory health outcomes | |
| Occupational health screening and surveillance, industrial hygiene, occupational noise exposure aviation / aerospace medicine teaching | |
| Respiratory epidemiology, Asthma | |
| Integrative oncology , Cancer patients quality of life , Health services utilization & self-care , Community engagement, Chronic disease management | |
| Community engagement, community based participatory action research, mental health, Indigenous health, racism and white fragility, health equity | |
| Rural health service delivery for individuals with dementia and their caregivers, Care of long-term care residents with dementia, Integrated knowledge | |
| Child health research, social and economic status in use of health care services , Survey methodology and analysis, understanding factors on health, | |
| Sexually transmitted and blood borne infections, Tuberculosis, social epidemiology and determinants of health, population health intervention research | |
| Baseline measurements, Health equity audits, set health service delivery improvement targets, improve determinants of health & appropriateness of care | |
| Statistical Modeling of Survival Data, Modeling of Missing Observations , Costs of Farm Injuries | |
| Innovative health care models, Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Health services research, Wellness and motivation of physicians | |
| Technology use in medical teaching/learning , Educational games , Curriculum design, Complementary & alternative medicine, Self-directed learning, | |
| Primary health, health promotion, stroke and cardiovascular disease prevention, cross-cultural learning, clinical research methods | |
| Human Development; Knowledge Systems; Qualitative Research; Sustainability, Health, and Care | |
| Epidemiology, Aging and developmental disabilities, Dementia and psychotic disorders in the elderly , Medical ethics | |
| Nutritional Epidemiology, Nutrition and chronic diseases |
Tuition and funding
Funding
The department does not guarantee student funding for MSc students. A minimum stipend for PhD students is $20,000/year for 4 years but conditions apply, and there is no set minimum funding for Master's students.
MSc students may apply for Departmental funding, but only a limited amount of money is available to support students and is allocated on a competitive basis according to students' academic record.
To be eligible for CH&E scholarship funding, students must have obtained at least 80% in the last two years of undergraduate or graduate study. Other funding may be available through faculty members' research grants. All students are encouraged to apply for scholarships from local and national sources.
Graduate students at USask can receive funding from a variety of sources to support their graduate education.
Tuition
2025-2026 Tuition and fees rates
Tuition and fees for September 2025 to August 2026 are available in the 2025-2026 Tuition and fees rates sheet and the Financial planning estimator (excluding certificate programs). The tuition and fees on this page will be updated by early June.
2024-2025 Tuition and fees rates
Thesis or project-based master's program
Graduate students in a thesis or project-based program pay tuition three times a year for as long as they are enrolled in their program.
| Term | Canadian students | International students |
|---|---|---|
| September 1 - December 31, 2024 | ||
| January 1 - April 30, 2025 | ||
| May 1 - August 31, 2025 | ||
| Total per academic year |
Student fees
In addition to tuition above, students also pay fees for programs like health and dental insurance, a bus pass, and other campus services. The amount you need to pay depends on if you are taking classes full time or part time, and if you are on campus or not. The table below assumes you are on campus full-time.
| Fall 2024 | Winter 2025 | Spring 2025 | Summer 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student fees | $504.45 CAD | $666.08 CAD | $35.00 CAD | $35.00 CAD |
Tuition information is accurate for the current academic year and does not include student fees. For detailed tuition and fees information, visit the official tuition website.
Admission requirements
- Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English.
- A cumulative weighted average of at least a 70% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of study (e.g. 60 credit units)
- A four-year degree, or equivalent, from a recognized college or university in an academic discipline relevant to the proposed field of study
- Demonstrated ability for independent thought, advanced study, and research
A student qualified for admission to the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies but requiring additional undergraduate training in certain areas in order to proceed with graduate courses and research may be admitted as a conditionally-qualified student. One specific requirement is that applicants must have satisfactorily completed three credit units in statistics at the upper undergraduate level within the past five years. In addition, students are required to have an undergraduate course related to community health issues or relevant work experience.
- Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English.
- Master's degree, or equivalent, from a recognized university in an academic discipline relevant to the proposed field of study
- A cumulative weighted average of at least a 75% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of full-time study (e.g. 60 credit units)
- Demonstrated ability for independent thought, advanced study, and research
Applicants holding a master's degree in a related field (e.g., social work, nursing, health care administration, health psychology) may be required to take qualifying courses before being fully admitted to the program.
With the recommendation of the unit, direct entry PhD admission is available to exceptionally strong students, who show great promise in terms of academic accomplishments and potential for research.
- Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English
- A cumulative weighted average of at least 80% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of undergraduate study (i.e. 60 credit units of course work)
- A four‐year degree, or equivalent, from a recognized college or university in an academic discipline relevant to the proposed field of study
Application process
Find a supervisor
Ph.D. applicants
Using the list above, find a potential supervisor, read about the work they are currently doing and their past publications. If you think you'd like to work with them, contact them and describe your research interests and past academic experience. If they are accepting students, they will instruct you to begin a formal application.
M.Sc. applicants
You may apply online directly and are asked to indicate a potential supervisor. As this program is very competitive, few students without supervisors are accepted yearly and you are encouraged to have a potential supervisor interested in your application when you apply.
Submit an online application
International Students - Review federal international study permit policies before you apply. We do not anticipate that the implementation of the PAL process will limit graduate enrollment at USask.
Before beginning your online application, be sure that you have carefully reviewed all program information and admission requirements on this page.
During the application, you'll be asked for:
- Personal information such as your name, address, etc.
- Contact information of your three referees
- For your letters of recommendation, two of your referees must be academic contacts, and the third may be academic or professional
- Your complete academic history from all previous post-secondary institutions
The application takes about 30 minutes to complete. You may save your application and return to it later.
At the end of the application, you will need to pay a non-refundable $120 application fee. Your application will not be processed until payment is received.
Submit required documents
Once you've submitted your online application, you will have access to upload your required documents, and provide the contact information for your references. To do this, go to the "Supplemental Items & Documents" tab in your application.
Preliminary Statement of Marks
- Once you have submitted your application for admission and paid the application fee, you will be required to upload unofficial PDF copies of your academic transcript(s) from each post-secondary institution attended. This requirement will appear as Preliminary Statement of Marks or Additional Prelim. Statement under admission requirements on your Application Summary when you check your application status.
- The uploaded transcript can be an unofficial copy of the transcript issued by the university or college and must include a grading key/legend.
- All pages of a transcript must be uploaded as a single PDF document.
- Uploaded transcripts will be considered unofficial or preliminary. Official copies of your transcripts will be required only for applicants offered admission. This requirement will appear as Post-secondary Transcript under admission requirements on your Application Summary when you check your application status.
- Transcripts in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation.
For students who are required to provide proof of English proficiency:
- Completing a relevant test with the appropriate score is required before the application deadline.
- Tests are valid for 24 months after the testing date and must be valid at the beginning of the student's first term of registration in the graduate program.
- Applicants will be required to upload a PDF copy of any required language test score. Uploaded test scores will be considered unofficial or preliminary.
M.Sc. applicants
- A curriculum vitae or resume
- A statement/letter of intent addressed to the Graduate Program Chairperson which includes:
- A detailed statement of how your educational and/or work experience (including community involvement) have led you to become interested in pursuing a degree in Community and Population Health Sciences. Also describe your educational and career goals and why you believe our program will help you meet these goals. (1-2 pages).
- The following statement: If accepted into the MSc program, I will adhere to the residency policy requiring me to be on campus until core program requirements have been met, including thesis committee approval of pre-proposal and completion of required courses.
- A writing sample (three to five pages), appropriately scholarly referenced to an established format (e.g. APA, Vancouver) presenting your view on a community health issue. The health issue chosen should reflect the general area of research you hope to pursue in CH&E. The purpose of this is to help us assess your ability to organize your thoughts and express them coherently in writing, rather than knowledge of any particular subject matter. The essay should not simply reproduce factual information from another source.
Ph.D. applicants
- A letter from the proposed PhD supervisor indicating agreement to supervise
- A research statement (two to three pages) typed, double-spaced, and appropriately referenced
- A statement/letter of intent addressed to the Graduate Program Chairperson which includes:
-
A detailed statement of how your educational and/or work experience (including community involvement) have led you to become interested in pursuing a degree in Community and Population Health Sciences. Please describe your educational and career goals and why you believe our program will help you meet these goals (two to three pages).
- The following statement: If accepted into the PhD program, I will adhere to the residency policy requiring me to be on campus until core program requirements have been met, including thesis committee approval of pre-proposal, completion of required courses and successful completion of the comprehensive exam.
-
- A writing sample (three to five pages), appropriately scholarly referenced to an established format (e.g. APA, Vancouver) presenting your view on a community health issue. The health issue chosen should reflect the general area of research you hope to pursue in CH&E. The purpose of this is to help us assess your ability to organize your thoughts and express them coherently in writing, rather than knowledge of any particular subject matter. The essay should not simply reproduce factual information from another source.
After all of the above is received by the department, you may be invited for a personal interview.
Contact
Department of Community Health & Epidemiology
Health Science Building
107 Wiggins Road
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5
Graduate Chair
Nazeem Muhajarine
Email: chep.info@usask.ca
Graduate Administrator
Email: chep.info@usask.ca
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology
Learn more about the academic unit offering this program - Program and Course Catalogue
To view official admission and program requirements