Master of Science Health Systems

Health systems worldwide are undergoing a profound transformation. The Telfer Master of Science in Health Systems (MSc HS) cultivates researchers and industry leaders who will lead this transformation. We have developed a multi-talented, multidisciplinary core group of faculty who specialize in applying both qualitative and quantitative methods to health systems. Students in our program have come from varied disciplines including sociology, psychology, engineering, business and a number of health-related fields. They have studied such diverse topics as wait time management, human resource planning, inter-professional team development, capacity planning, information technology adoption and impacts, quality of care and patient perceptions of illness. What they have in common is a strong desire to apply their knowledge to help improve the quality and timeliness of care in health systems in Canada and around the world.

As the only health systems program embedded in a business school in Canada, we offer a unique opportunity to those who wish to make an impact on how health systems are managed. Our students have gone on to a number of PhD programs (including our own) as well as to careers in industry with various health organizations, consulting companies and research institutes. To find out more visit our website at http://www.telfer.uOttawa.ca/mschs/en/.

The MSc in Health Systems is one of the participating programs in the collaborative program in environmental sustainability. The MSc in Health Systems is acceptable as a basis for admission to the PhD in management.

The program builds on the expertise of professors and researchers in health systems research from the Telfer School of Management and from the Faculties of Health Sciences, Medicine, Social Sciences, Engineering and the Institute of Population Health.

The program is governed by the general regulations in effect for graduate studies. It is offered in both English and French, primarily on a full-time basis.

For the most accurate and up to date information on application deadlines, language tests and other admission requirements, please visit the specific requirements webpage.

Applicants must hold a four-year bachelor’s (honours) degree in management (B. Com.), health sciences, life sciences, medicine, nursing, computer science, economics, social sciences, engineering, mathematics or a related field with at least a 75% (B+) cumulative grade point average (CGPA) calculated in accordance with graduate studies guidelines.

The academic profile of applicants must contain a background in analysis including the equivalent of at least 6 units of analysis courses. Analysis courses include undergraduate level courses in quantitative and qualitative research methods, micro and macro economics, calculus, probability and statistics, linear algebra, and information technology. These courses represent excellent preparatory material for the core courses of the MSc in HS program. Students lacking background in the quantitative analysis material may be required to complete prerequisite course work as a condition of admission. The specific requirements of the qualifying program will be determined by the admissions committee based on the academic and professional profile of the applicant.

Applicants to the program must have achieved at least a 50th percentile score on either the GMAT (General Management Admission Test) or GRE (Graduate Record Examinations), or TAGE-MAGE (Test d'Aptitude aux Études en Gestion), and submit at least two letters of recommendation and a statement of research interest of between 800-1000 words. The research statement is a letter of intent stating the applicant’s motivation for studying in the MSc in HS program, their commitment to conducting research, their preferred areas of research interest as well as identifying a possible research supervisor.

Applicants who have successfully completed compulsory units or their equivalents prior to admission will be granted an exemption, that is, they will be permitted, on the advice of their supervisor, to replace those units with elective units in the program. To be eligible for exemption, the units must have been completed with a grade of 70% (B) or better no more than five years prior to admission to the MSc. The maximum number of units for which an exemption can be granted is six. The general regulations in effect for graduate studies, section B 2.7, apply for transfer of units.

Students are normally admitted to the program on a full-time basis and are required to enroll full-time for three terms. 

Language Requirements

Applicants must be able to understand, speak and write either English or French fluently and they must indicate in their application the language in which they intend to take their courses. Those whose mother tongue is neither English nor French are required, at the time of application, to provide evidence of proficiency in one of these languages. Applicants whose mother tongue is not English and who intend to study in English are required to provide one of the following as evidence of proficiency in English (the test scores cannot be more than two years old as of September 1 of the year of potential entry into the program):

• A score of at least 250 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), with a score of at least 5 on the Test of Written English (TWE) and a score of at least 50 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE). The TOEFL is administered by Educational Testing Service, Box 899, Princeton, New Jersey, USA, 08540.
• A score of at least 7 in at least three of the four International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests (Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking) and at least 6 in the fourth. The IELTS is administered by the British Council: www.ielts.org
• A score of at least 14 on the CANTEST, administered by the University of Ottawa, with no individual test score below 4.0, along with a score of 4.5 on the oral component of the test.
• Proof of completion within the last five years, of a previous degree program in an English language university.
• Proof of recent prolonged residence and exercise of a profession in an English speaking country (normally at least four years of the last six years).

Candidates applying to study in French must submit one of the following to confirm their French proficiency:

• A score of at least 14 on the TESTCAN, administered by the University of Ottawa, with no individual test score below 4.0, along with a score of 4.5 on the oral component of the test.
• Proof of completion within the last five years, of a previous degree program in a French language university.
• Proof of recent prolonged residence and exercise of a profession in a French-speaking country (normally at least four years of the last six years).

Considering the significant amount of health systems research that is published in English, all applicants need the ability to read and understand written English; proof of this ability may be required.

Language of Instruction

All core courses and some of the electives are offered in both French and English. Some of the seminars in the Health Systems Research Seminar will be delivered in English and some in French so that the requirement may be completed fully in either language. There are sufficient elective courses in both languages for students to complete the elective requirements in either French or English. As per University of Ottawa policy, students can complete major assignments, examinations and their thesis in either English or French. This also applies to the oral presentations given by the students in the Health Systems Research Seminar. Opportunities exist for students to use French or English as a primary language of communication as they conduct their research.

In accordance with the University of Ottawa regulation, assignments, examinations, research papers and theses can be produced in either English or French.

• Apply online through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC), by completing form 105.
• Declare all your current and previous postsecondary studies, completed or not, even if they are not related to your application. Failure to do so may lead to the cancellation of your application or the withdrawal of your offer of admission at any time.
• Enter your email address, making sure it is accurate. We will use this address to communicate with you for all matters. Also, check your inbox (and junk mail folder) regularly for messages from the University of Ottawa.
• Pay the application fees for all your admission applications. Applications are forwarded to the University of Ottawa only after fees are paid in full and the payment has cleared. Learn more about application fees.
• Note that OUAC is not part of the University of Ottawa. It handles applications to all Ontario universities and is responsible for transferring your application to our admission office.