Health Services and Policy Research

Health Services and Policy Research: Introduction

Admissions have been administratively suspended. (See amendment made on January 16, 2024.)

Lead Faculty of the Collaborative Specialization

Public Health

Participating Degree Programs

Health Policy, Management and Evaluation — MSc, PhD
Kinesiology — MSc, PhD
Pharmaceutical Sciences — MSc, PhD
Public Health Sciences — PhD
Rehabilitation Science — MSc
Social Work — PhD

Overview

The Collaborative Specialization in Health Services and Policy Research began in 2001 as a consortium of six Ontario universities, called the Ontario Training Centre. It was established in a response to the need for increased numbers of health services researchers to address critical issues in effective and efficient health-care delivery (which has been identified as a top priority by national research funding agencies). The Ontario Training Centre was part of a pan-Canadian initiative involving other provincial centres. After its first decade of operations, funding for the centre has concluded. However, the Collaborative Specialization in Health Services and Policy Research continues to attract graduate students from the University of Toronto from a variety of disciplines.

The overall goal of the collaborative specialization is to increase health research capacity in Ontario through an innovative training program that builds on existing strengths in university and decision-making environments.

Partnering with a number of health-care organizations, the Collaborative Specialization in Health Services and Policy Research offers graduate training leading to a Diploma in Health Services and Policy Research.

Specific objectives of the collaborative specialization include:

  • providing training in health services research for graduate students;
  • enhancing the quality and breadth of transdisciplinary training in health services research; and
  • including decision makers as active partners in teaching, program and curriculum planning, and the provision of field placements for students.

This competency-based collaborative specialization focuses on the following five areas:

  • understanding the Canadian health-care system;
  • ability to carry out health services research;
  • understanding theories regarding how the health of populations is produced;
  • understanding theories of health and health services knowledge production; and
  • knowledge exchange and development of research partnerships.

Upon successful completion of the degree requirements of the participating home graduate unit and the collaborative specialization, students will receive the notation “Completed Collaborative Specialization in Health Services and Policy Research” on their transcript.

Contact and Address

Web: ihpme.utoronto.ca/collaborative-specializations/health-services-and-policy-research/
Email: whit.berta@utoronto.ca
Telephone: (416) 946-5223
Fax: (416) 978-7350

Collaborative Graduate Specialization in Health Services and Policy Research
c/o Dr. Whitney Berta
Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation
University of Toronto
Suite 428, 4th Floor, 55 College Street
Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M6
Canada

Health Services and Policy Research: Master's Level

Admission Requirements

  • Applicants who wish to enrol in the collaborative specialization must apply to and be admitted to both the collaborative specialization and a graduate degree program in one of the collaborating graduate units.

  • Master's students are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies and the specific criteria of the participating unit.

  • An overall B+ average in the last two years of an appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university.

  • An interest in health services and policy research outlined in an autobiographical letter including the applicant's reasons for becoming a health services or policy researcher.

Specialization Requirements

Students must meet all respective degree requirements of the School of Graduate Studies and the participating graduate unit.

  • Coursework. Students must complete a total of 1.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

    • HSR1000H Research and/or Policy Practicum

    • HSR1002H Health Services Research Seminar (Credit/No Credit)

    • 0.5 FCE from the elective course list.

  • Students are required to write a thesis under the supervision of a core faculty member of the collaborative specialization. The thesis must address the theme of health services and policy research.

Health Services and Policy Research: Doctoral Level

Admission Requirements

  • Applicants who wish to enrol in the collaborative specialization must apply to and be admitted to both the collaborative specialization and a graduate degree program in one of the collaborating graduate units.

  • Doctoral students are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies and the specific criteria of the participating unit.

  • Applicants are required to:

    • demonstrate academic excellence in completed courses (B+ average in graduate courses), scholarships and academic awards received;

    • demonstrate aptitude for health services and policy research (letter of recommendation from a previous professor or thesis supervisor, commenting on the applicant's academic abilities and likelihood for success as a health services researcher);

    • outline career plans (in an autobiographical letter including their reasons for becoming a health services researcher and their career plans); and

    • propose a plan of study in the collaborative specialization.

  • Students who complete the collaborative specialization at the master's level are not eligible to participate at the PhD level.

Specialization Requirements

Students must meet all respective degree requirements of the School of Graduate Studies and the participating graduate unit.

  • Coursework. Students must complete a total of 1.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:

    • HSR1000H Research and/or Policy Practicum

    • HSR1002H Health Services Research Seminar (Credit/No Credit)

    • 0.5 FCE from the elective course list.

  • Students are required to complete a dissertation under the supervision of a core faculty member of the collaborative specialization. The dissertation must address the theme of health services and policy research.

Health Services and Policy Research: Courses

Required

Course Code Course Title
HSR1000H
Research and/or Policy Practicum
HSR1002H
Health Services Research Seminar (Credit/No Credit)

Electives

Course Code Course Title
HAD5011H
Canada's Health Care System and Health Policy
HAD5727H
Knowledge Transfer and Exchange
HAD5728H
Performance Measurement in Health Care: Theory and Application
HAD7001H
Reading Course
HSR1001H
Introduction to Qualitative Methods for Health Systems and Policy Research