Master of Arts in Applied Health Sciences
Program Website: Graduate Programs | Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
Field(s) of Specialization
- Community Health
- Health and Physical Education
- Leisure, Health and Wellbeing
- Nursing
- Recreation, Sport and Community
- Sport Management
Faculty and Administration
For a listing of program faculty and administrative contacts, please visit the program directory.
Program Description
The Master’s program in Applied Health Sciences offers Master of Arts degrees in the fields of Community Health; Health and Physical Education; Leisure, Health and Wellbeing; Nursing; Recreation, Sport and Community; Sport Management. Students receive a unique educational experience which combines mentorship of the student by a faculty supervisor and extensive small group work with fellow students and faculty from each of the five academic departments represented in the program: Health Sciences, Nursing, Kinesiology, Recreation and Leisure Studies and Sport Management. Students will gain in-depth training, knowledge and research experience through their thesis work while also benefiting from the broad, cross-disciplinary approach followed in the course work. The advanced course work and strong research experience are intended to prepare students to continue their graduate training at the doctoral level. Students will also be prepared to pursue the wide variety of career possibilities in health, recreation, and sport management.
The objectives of the program are: a) to foster students’ ability to do high quality, scientifically rigorous research in their discipline; b) to expand their understanding of concepts, theories and practices in their discipline such that they can successfully advance to doctoral studies; c) to provide the knowledge base and skills to analyze and evaluate programs, policies, environmental issues, and organizational structures related to applied health sciences; d) to enhance students’ abilities to apply and disseminate new knowledge and practices to colleagues, practitioners, policy makers/analysts, and other professionals in applied health sciences.
Facilities
The Faculty has many labs that enhance graduate education through involvement in the research process. This can include behavioural/observation labs, “dry” biophysical labs and functional assessment labs with specialized equipment. Students have access to a variety of software programs.
Admission Requirements
Successful completion of a four year Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, from an accredited university in a relevant discipline (for example, Health Sciences, Recreation and Leisure Studies, Kinesiology or Sport Management), with an average of not less than 75% (mid-B) over the last two years of full-time undergraduate study. Students with a Bachelor’s degree in such related fields as Psychology, Planning, Sociology, Gerontology, Social Work, Biology and Business may also be eligible, although additional course work may be required. Applicants must have undergraduate preparation in research methods in either quantitative or qualitative data analysis. Students interested in the MA in Applied Health Sciences with a specialization in Nursing must have a four year Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from an accredited university. Applicants who do not have an undergraduate research methods course and/or an undergraduate data analysis course may be admitted to the program as a conditional student. These students, however, must successfully complete, at the undergraduate level, the research methods and/or data analysis course within the first two terms in order to continue in the program. Agreement from a faculty advisor to supervise the student is also required for admission to the program.
The Graduate Admissions Committee will review all applications and recommend admission for a limited number of candidates.
Admission to part-time study is not normally available. Individuals interested in part-time study should consult with the Graduate Program Director.
Program Notes
A thesis proposal will be required of all MA students in the program.
- The proposal should contain a detailed statement of the research problem and significance in terms of its contribution to knowledge and/or practice, a precise account of the methodology or research techniques to be employed, plus an outline of the proposed data analysis procedures to be used.
- The student will be required to present and defend this proposal before the student’s thesis supervisory committee.
- The final thesis based on the completed research must also be successfully defended to satisfy the thesis requirement.
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