Public Health: Nursing Specialization

In the Master of Public Health with Specialization in Nursing program, students will focus on current issues in the science and/or service of public health, so that they may gain experience through opportunities in any of the fundamental disciplines that underlie public health. The program is primarily intended to prepare graduates for a career in public health practice. The program's objectives are to prepare a graduate who:

• possesses advanced health-related education
• is capable of critical analysis
• understands health-related decision-making at the level of the individual, population, and government
• understands research
• possesses knowledge exchange and dissemination strategies for individuals, populations, and government

The degree is designed to take into consideration the learner's needs including the unique opportunity to individualize his/her clinical courses to a variety of foci: clinical practice, administration, education, and community health.

The Master of Public Health with Specialization in Nursing program, with the exception of specific course requirements for the Master of Public Health with Specialization in Nursing with Nurse Practitioner Electives, may be completed through Distance Education on  a Flexible full-time basis; those wishing to complete the Master of Public Health program on a full-time basis must apply to the on-campus program. Note that, once admitted to the Master of Public Health program, students are not permitted to change from the Standard Full-time Option to the Flexible Full-time Option, and vice versa.

• For those studying at a distance (flexible full-time basis), the Master of Public Health courses are offered using a combination of Zoom videoconferencing technology for real-time scheduled classes, and of Desire2Learn (D2L), a secure password-protected learning environment (e.g., for course resources, e-mail, and online discussions). The connectivity using Zoom allows students to have direct audio and visual contact with the course instructor and with other graduate students during class time and while working together on shared course assignments. In some classes, break-out sessions are structured into the course so that students have both large-and small-group learning experiences.

All students in the Master of Public Health program with Specialization in Nursing complete a course-based program.

NOTE:

Students completing the program as a full-time student must complete all requirements within six terms (2 years) of continuous registration. Students completing the program as a flex-time student must complete all requirements within twelve terms (4 years) of continuous registration as follows: six terms (2 years) of continuous full-time registration followed by up to six additional terms (2 years) of continuous registration, during which no fees are required.

The Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner (PHCNP) program uses a blended delivery model of face-to-face instruction and distance education. There are face-to-face requirements, on campus, associated with the Advanced Health Assessment and Diagnosis courses, and the Therapeutics courses. Attendance at these seminars is mandatory. There are also 78 hours of clinical practicum associated with each of these courses and all clinical placements are required to be completed in Lakehead University's geographic boundary. The final practicum is 455 hours and it must also be completed in Lakehead University's geographic boundary, which is east to Wawa, north to Hudson's Bay, west to the Manitoba border, and south to the U.S. border.

PHC Nurse Practitioner Elective Option: 

Applicants who are interested in the PHC Nurse Practitioner elective option will complete the Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing (COUPN), Ontario Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Program courses. Interested applicants need to download the additional PHC Nurse Practitioner Application information which can be found within the 'How to Apply' tab.