Major in Public Health (Coming in 2025-26)

The new Public Health Major begins in September 2025 with the first cohort eligible to graduate in June 2026.  Applications for new program students will be available as of March 2025. The new Public Health Major is the ONLY major accepting applications from this program as of March 2025.  

This new program explores how health is shaped by the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work, and age, and how these in turn connect to a wider set of environmental, social, cultural, economic, and political forces.  It focuses on the current state of public health and represents a collaboration with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. 

All Health Studies Major students will continue to be provided the same courses, curriculum, and opportunities as they always have, and will graduate with a Major in Health Studies.  Should any Health Studies students wish to graduate with a Public Health Major, they can do so, so long as they transfer to, and complete, the new Public Health curriculum.   Transfer requests to be available as of March 2025. Health Studies students who wish to transfer from HST to Public Health can request a transfer in March 2025 BUT they will do so: 1) knowing they will have to fulfill the PH curriculum; 2) acknowledging that they will not graduate before June 2026; and 3) acknowledging that the switch to Public Health is PERMANENT -  they canNOT switch back to Health Studies at a later date - because Health Studies no longer exists as an enrollment option after September 2024.

Enrolment Requirements. This is a limited enrolment program. Note there are different options depending on whether a student has completed between 4.0 and 8.5 credits, or 9.0 or more credits.

Variable Minimum Grade Average. A minimum grade average in required courses is needed for entry, and this minimum changes each year depending on available spaces and the number of applicants. To ensure that students admitted to the program will be successful, applicants with a grade average lower than 70% in required courses will not usually be considered for admission. Please note that obtaining this minimum grade average does not guarantee admission to the program. The following courses must be completed:

For students who have completed between 4.0 and 8.5 credits - 1.5 credits from: ANT100Y1/​ BIO130H1/​ CSB201H1/​ GGR107H1/​ HPS100H1/​ HPS110H1/​ HPS120H1/​ PCL102H1/​ PHS100H1/​ PHS103H1/​ PHL100Y1/​ PHL101Y1/​ POL101H1/​ PSY100H1/​ SOC100H1/​ TRN135Y1/​ UNI103H1/​ WGS160Y1. If more than 1.5 credits have been completed, the minimum grade average will be based on the higher course grades.

For students who have completed 9.0 credits or more -  1.5 credits from: ANT100Y1/​ BIO130H1/​ CSB201H1/​ GGR107H1/​ HPS100H1/​ HPS110H1/​ HPS120H1/​ HST209H1/​ HST211H1/​ HST250H1/​ HST253H1/​ PCL102H1/​ PHL100Y1/​ PHL101Y1/​ PHS100H1/​ PHS103H1/​ POL101H1/​ PSY100H1/​ SOC100H1/​ TRN135Y1/​ UNI103H1/​ WGS160Y1. If more than 1.5 credits have been completed, the minimum grade average will be based on the higher course grade.

--> Please scroll to the bottom to see our 'course clusters for areas of interest' when choosing your PH and elective courses