How to Apply

All graduate programs are administered under the rules and regulations of the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (SGSPA). Regulations are outlined more fully on the SGSPA website here: https://www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc/

Please see information on all of our Public Health Sciences Graduate Degree programs.

Step 1: Review admission requirements and deadlines

Academic Requirements

Candidates for admission must hold a minimum 75% average in one of the following degrees awarded by a recognized University:

An honours Bachelor Degree in Arts or Science
A Bachelor Degree in Applied Science or Law
A Degree of Doctor of Medicine

Note that degree average/GPA is calculated using course grades from the most recent 20 courses on the most recent transcript (most commonly, years 3 and 4 of an undergraduate degree).

General Requirements

Undergraduate level course in statistics, mathematics or data analysis, with a minimum grade of 75%. (See note on Quantitative Admission Requirement below)
One copy of official transcripts from each post-secondary institution you have attended
Two reference letters
- Applicants should carefully read the "Additional information about letters of reference" section below for more detailed instructions
- Applicants to the 16-month MPH program require two academic reference letters from professors under whom the applicant has recently studied. Please indicate n/a in the Professional reference section as it is not required
- Applicants to the Accelerated MPH Program require one academic reference letter from a professor under whom the applicant has recently studied, and one professional reference letter from a supervisor in a relevant employment setting
At Queen's University, English is the language of instruction and communication, except for the language departments. Proficiency in English is a prerequisite for admission. Applicants whose native languages do not include English will need to earn satisfactory standing in an English Language Proficiency Test as part of the application process and before final acceptance is granted. A full desciption of English proficiency requirements and a list of acceptable tests and minimum scores is on the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs How to Apply webpage (step 4).
A Graduate Records Examination (GRE) score is not required for admission. However, please note that for international health professionals, and other applicants without significant quantitative training on their transcript, GRE results with a strong result (160+) in the Quantitative score section may strengthen your application.

Additional requirements for Accelerated MPH program for Experienced Professionals

Demonstration of a minimum of two years cumulative full-time paid employment in health care, public health or a related field.
- Eligible work experience is paid employment after the completion of an undergraduate degree and may not include co-op work experience that was part of an undergraduate degree.
- Two years of accredited residency through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or two years of work as a Regulated Health Professional in Canada are both considered eligible work experience.
- Supervisors may be contacted to verify your employment and role.
Reference requirements are one academic reference from a professor under whom you have recently studied, and one professional reference from a supervisor in a relevant employment setting

Note on Quantitative Course Admission Requirement

Key Dates & Deadlines

Application submission deadline is January 31.

Applications with status "Application in Progress" after January 31 at 11:59 pm EST will not be reviewed
Applications which do not meet our minimum requirements will not be reviewed.
There is only one admission date per year, in September

Step 2: Order your transcripts

Transcripts

A complete application must include official, up-to-date transcripts for all current and previous study the applicant has listed in the Academic Background section of the application.

Acceptable methods for submitting transcripts:

Transcripts can be uploaded to the online application, as PDF files. The transcripts must be scanned (black and white recommended) and saved as a PDF file, and uploaded successfully. Complete instructions are available to applicants on the Transcript Upload section of the online application.
If a transcript or transcripts cannot be successfully uploaded to the online application, applicants are responsible for ensuring that an official transcript or transcripts of all current and previous university-level studies are sent to the School of Graduate Studies by all universities previously attended. All hard copy transcripts received as part of an application for admission must be received in sealed envelopes.

Final transcripts: Hard copy original official transcript showing degree completion and conferral, will be required from all applicants who accept an offer of admission to graduate studies at Queen's University. These final transcripts are to be sent directly from the issuing institutions to the School of Graduate Studies, in sealed envelopes.

Transcripts sent from the issuing university should be sent to:

School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs
Queen's University
Gordon Hall Room 425
74 Union Street
Kingston, Ontario
Canada K7L 3N6

Further details on transcrips may be found on the School of Graduate Studies "How to Apply" website here: https://www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc/grad-studies/apply

Official transcripts are NOT REQUIRED for any study of any kind carried out at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. The School of Graduate Studies will access the student record directly for applicants who have attended or are currently attending Queen's University.

Step 3: Complete online application form - important instructions here

Completing your online application

An online application form is used to apply to all Graduate programs at Queen’s University.

Complete all screens as they are presented, clicking “save and continue” to move to the next page. You do not have to complete the application all in one session and can exit and log back in to add to your saved progress. Here are some important instructions for how to complete the online application form for the MPH program.

First Page: Department you are applying to is “Public Health Sciences”. Program is “Master of Public Health".

Statement of Interest Page: The theme of the Queen’s University Master of Public Health (MPH) is “Evidence-Informed Action for Public Health.” Please address the following questions in your Statement of Interest: (4000 characters maximum, including spaces)

What key experience(s) have been formative to your understanding of public health?
Why have you chosen to pursue a Master of Public Health at Queen’s University?
What are your future career goals in public health and how will this professional degree facilitate those goals?

Supplemental Information Page: Please answer questions 1-5.

Please list three experiences(e.g. employment, extracurricular, volunteering, life experiences etc.) and explain how each has developed yoru personal understanding of equity and your commitment to action.
Are you applying to the MPH with Specialization in Infection, Prevention and Control (IPAC Specialization)? If YES, complete the following written question. If NO, leave the written question blank. Please choose two IPAC competencies and explain what they mean to you, using personal examples and experiences.

Please note, the IPAC Specialization is an embedded training opportunity within the MPH. Upon program acceptance, IPAC Specialization participants are pre-enrolled in three IPAC electives, an IPAC-focused practicum, and considered for the IPAC Canada Scholarship. See the IPAC Canada Scholarship webpage for further information.

For applicants with a minimum of two years of eligible, cumulative full-time paid employment in health care, public health, or a related field: Do you wish to be considered for the Accelerated MPH program for Experienced Professionals? (YES/NO). If YES, you must please explain (in 300 words or less) how your employment experience contributed to one or more of the core functions of public health practice (e.g. health protection; health surveillance; disease and injury prevention;population health; health promotion; emergency prepardness and response).

Please note, all applications are considered for the 16-month MPH Program. The Accelerated MPH webpage explains eligibility requirements. Accelerated applicants must submit one academic reference and one professional reference.

If YES to question 3, please upload a copy of your resume in the application section. Please note we may reach out to you for consent to contact supervisors so that we may verify your employment history.

Please provide course name/codes for any undergraduate level courses taken in biostatistics, mathematics, or data analysis.

Submitting your online application

When you have completed all sections, submit your online application. At this point, you must pay the non-refundable application fee online (currently $120 CDN) with a Visa or Mastercard number. Your application is considered complete when all of the documentation, including original transcripts and letters of recommendation, is received by the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.

Please note that once you submit your application through the online application system, the information cannot be changed and new information cannot be added.

After you have submitted your application

The Queen's MPH Program is a popular, highly competitive program. You can monitor the status of your application by logging in to the School of Graduate Studies application site here: Queen's University - School of Graduate Studies Application (queensu.ca) .

If you have subsequent questions about your application after it has been submitted, please first review the information on our website. You may find the answer there! If you have a specific question for the MPH Graduate Assistant, please email MPHadmin@queensu.ca and quote your applicant reference number in the subject line.

Additional information about letters of reference

Reference letter requirements

1. Applicants to the 16-month MPH program

Two academic reference letters from professors under whom the applicant has recently studied

2. Applicants to the Accelerated MPH program for Experienced Professionals

One academic reference letter from a professor under whom the applicant has recently studied and one professional reference letter from a supervisor in a relevant employment setting (two letters of references total)

It is recognized that certain applicants may have difficulty in obtaining academic references and that it may be more appropriate to get references from professionals or supervisors. However, all effort should be made to include academic recommendations. In all cases the information in recommendations should relate to the ability of a prospective student to undertake the academic work in the graduate program.

How to submit reference letters

Referees normally use and submit their letter of recommendation or reference form to the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs via a secure online reference form submission process.

When completing the online program application form, applicants are invited to enter the name and contact information for their referees. These referees then receive an email from the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs with a secure link to submit their form.

Letters of reference sent as attachments via electronic mail (email) are unacceptable substitutes for this secure online reference form. Photocopied or stale dated letters (letters that were issued more than one year prior to the application date) are unacceptable. Other universities' references forms are not to be substituted for the reference form for an application to Queen's University.

If letters of reference are not submitted electronically through the secure online reference form process, they may be mailed to:

School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs
Queen's University
Gordon Hall Room 425
74 Union Street
Kingston, Ontario
Canada, K7L 3N6