Master of Science in Community Health in Health Practitioner Teacher Education

Admissions Criteria

Students are admitted under the general admissions requirements set by the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Toronto. We advise all prospective students to review this criteria prior to submitting an application.

Minimum requirements include

• 4-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent, from a recognized university (check international credentials )
• At least a mid-B average in the last 5.0 full course equivalents completed at a senior level
• Proof of English language proficiency if your previous studies were completed in a country where English is not the native language or if English was not the language of instruction
• An undergraduate statistics course is recommended
• A license in a regulated health care profession and actively practicing in country of current residence

Applying to the Program

Applications for the 2025-2026 admission cycle for Fall 2025 program entry are now open and will close January 17, 2025

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Applications are submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto through the Dalla Lana School of Public Healthonline application process

Visit the 'Learn More' section below for recording links of past Admissions Information Webinars.

The objective of the program is to prepare prospective and established health professions faculty to become effective teachers, scholars and leaders. Emphasis is on a broad understanding of factors affecting health care education and the philosophical principles and practical applications in clinical training programs, design and administration. Upon completion of appropriate aspects of the program, students will be able to:

• Effectively use educational principles and methods in the clinical setting
• Apply educational and research principles in designing and evaluating innovative and exemplary educational programs
• Develop collaborative and interdisciplinary educational and scholarship programs
• Demonstrate the skills required for critical literature review and a knowledge of research methods as they apply to clinical education
• Describe and select appropriate methods for answering questions in clinical education 
• Have in-depth practicum experience in applying educational principles in the clinical setting or in a scholarly education project
• Broaden their academic skills through electives
• Lead and manage programs in health professions education
• Become exemplary clinical teachers and academic leaders
• Describe the social, political and economic forces affecting the organization and function of the health care education system

Program Requirements

The MScCH degree program requires the completion of 5.0 full course credit equivalents (FCE), including a minimum of one supervised field placement or practicum in which students apply their new skills and reflect upon their experiences.

Program Length

1 year full-time or up to 6 years part-time. The average part-time student completes the degree within 2.5-3 years.

Required Courses and Practicum (3.5 FCE)

• CHL5004H: Introduction to Public Health Sciences
• CHL5300H: Public Health Policy
• CHL5607H: Teaching & Learning in the Health Professions: Principles and Theories
• CHL5608H: Teaching & Learning in the Health Professions: Practical Issues & Approaches
• CHL5690H: Required Practicum

Choose one pair of courses:

• CHL5609H: Continuing Education in the Health Professions
• CHL5611H: Continuing Education: Planning, Management and Evaluation

*CHL5611H will not be offered during the 2023-24 academic year

OR

• CHL5614H: Curriculum Foundations in Health Practitioner Field-based Education
• CHL5615H: Assessment and Evaluation Issues in Health Practitioner Field-based Education    

*Full time 2023-24 MScCH(HPTE) students must select the CHL5614H + CHL5615H education pair only

Elective Courses (1.5 FCE)

Students are encouraged to take elective courses that will enhance their learning experience and/or provide focused study on a particular topic.

Electives may be selected from graduate courses offered in the DFCM, DLSPH, other graduate units at the University of Toronto, or at other universities. 

A maximum of 1.5 FCE from courses outside the MScCH can be credited towards the degree.

If you have any questions about the appropriateness of a course, please speak with the Program Director.

Collaborative Specializations

The DLSPH offers several collaborative specializations which provide students with additional experience in a multidisciplinary area. For more information on these specializations, please click here

Dr. Aisha Husain is a rural comprehensive family physician practicing in Uxbridge and Assistant Professor at DFCM.  She has taught and mentored learners of all stages as well as faculty. With a passion for lifelong learning, she graduated in 2024 with a Master of Science in Community Health: Health Practitioner Teacher Education at the Department of Family and Community Medicine and Dalla Lana School of Public Health. During her grad work, she was awarded the Dr Harrison Waddington Fellowship for developing concussion education for FM residents.

This past year Aisha also collaborated with senior leadership to design and implement a novel stream for FM residency training at UofT. She is now the incoming Site Director for this inaugural Uxbridge-Markham Integrated Communities residency site.

1.Why did you choose the MScCH HPTE program?

For a few years, I wanted to pursue a part-time Master's degree but could not decide on which online program. I was also indecisive about whether I should pursue an MPH or a teacher education. During the pandemic, I joined INTAPT (Interprofessional Applied Practical Teaching and Learning in the Health Professions), a course that was offered as an online continued medical education. I discovered that there was more to workplace teaching than didactics! As I interacted with peers taking this course for their Master's degree, their depth of knowledge and skills exceeded my decades of teaching. It fuelled my passion for medical education.  At the end of INTAPT, there was an opportunity for faculty to transfer their credit to the Master's program, and I knew that MScCH HPTE was the right choice for me.

2.What are the best parts of the program?

There are a few aspects of the program that stood out to me. The first was having an effective Program Director, a family physician Clinical Teacher, who completed this program. They modelled effective teaching to adult learners and demonstrated empathy towards us professional students trying to balance learning, clinical work and life. Nonetheless, they held us to high expectations and nudged us to strive for excellence. Another highlight of the program was the administrative team. They were responsive to learners and were supportive too. This balance of support and cultivating excellence nurtured us to have a growth mindset.  Lastly, I found that the required courses were foundational to academia—from bolstering skills of critical appraisal needed in scholarship to deepening the understanding of how healthcare policies work to the foundational knowledge and skill development in designing curriculum and continued education programs. 

3.Who would you recommend this program to?

I would recommend this program to any family physician who wishes to make meaningful change—whether at a micro level in effective teaching or designing curriculum to a macro level, to effectively advocate for systemic changes in our healthcare system. The program equips students with knowledge and skills to empower them to meet their goals. Critically appraising literature bolstered my skills in having the language to address systemic issues and write effective policy briefs. These were some examples of how I applied my skills at both meso and macro levels.

4.How do you plan to use the program in your career?

The program has given me scaffolding and the confidence to lean into leadership opportunities in medical education. I am in awe at how many doors my Master degree has already opened. I serve on the governance committee overseeing medical education in family medicine nationally. After sharing my recently published public health policy article, I have been invited to a working group designing a team-based primary care delivery model at a regional level. I also have the privilege of developing and implementing an expansion of an FM training site to my community in training future family physicians.  Disseminating the work done during the degree program has kindled confidence in my ability to strive toward implementing systemic change and has fuelled my interest to continue to upskill in scholarship as a family physician.

Want to learn more?

View a past Information Session recording:

Admissions 2025 Information Webinars:

October 29, 2024    WATCH NOW!

November 13, 2024    WATCH NOW!

Or contact us if you have any questions