Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) describes “Global Health 3.0” as “an outcome of globally shared risks and responsibilities that require collective action to achieve good health for all.”  The phrase “globally shared risks” refers to transnational forces, such as climate change, pandemics, increased consumption of ultra-processed foods, and socioeconomic inequalities, that transcend political boundaries and impact health on a global scale. Responsibilities for collective action mean that global health is not simply a matter of individual choice. Instead, it is the result of environmental and socioeconomic forces shaped by the policies of governments and international organizations. Finally, achieving good health for all points to an emphasis on equity. Global health prioritizes the health needs of marginalized people, especially those living in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs).

Global health 3.0 aims to decentralize relationships among countries engaged in global health initiatives. The assumption that the global north is the source of health expertise, key to global health 1.0 and 2.0, is eliminated from 3.0. In its place is a recognition that multi-directional sharing of health research, expertise and experience should be the norm. This decentralization is a first step towards decolonizing global health, which is an important theme in the MGH curriculum. 3.0 emphasizes that global health matters for people everywhere, including Canada.

While the global health and public health overlap in some ways, there are also important differences. The table below summarizes some of the main contrasts.

The MGH is for you if you:

• Recognize the importance of adding health and international perspectives to the work that you are currently doing

• Are an early to mid-career working professional

• Hold a bachelor or post-graduate degree in a related background e.g. health-related disciplines, environmental sciences, reconciliation studies, urban planning, natural or applied sciences, social sciences, international relations etc.

There are many career options in global health. Some examples include:

• Working in a cross-portfolio capacity to embed principles of health, health equity, and health promotion across government departments and concurrently act as a liaison between the municipal and provincial/national-level health entities and/or regulatory bodies
• Working at various levels of government to develop policies aimed at reducing urban air pollution through sustainable urban planning and the adoption of clean energy informed by international research and experiences
• Research, assemble, and interpret data to support communities and/or regions in becoming more adaptive and resilient to health-related emergencies such as extreme heat, flooding, pandemic preparedness etc.
• Working with government and communities to implement an initiative based on equitable partnerships to advance health sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples at the local, regional, national, and international levels
• Working for international NGOs and organizations such as UNICEF, WHO, and the Gates Foundations etc. on health initiatives

The MGH can be completed in 20 months (five terms) full-time. 

The MGH is a profession, practicum-based degree. No thesis is required. 

No. As the program is practicum-based and not thesis-based, no supervisor is required. 

Yes, and should an applicant be successful in applying to both programs, we ask that they inform both programs of their decision. 

Not at this time. A part-time option may be offered at a later year.

Most of the program’s core courses will be delivered in a flipped-classroom, multiaccess format. Delivery format of elective courses will be at the discretion of the home Faculty and/or Institution.

No. While much of the MGH will be delivered in a multi-access format, some in-person time will be required to complete certain program requirements. The exact length of residency may differ depending on factors such as choice of electives and location of practicum etc., but students should, on average, expect to be engaged in-person for a minimum of six months while completing the program. 

Yes, the MGH is a full-time program designed with working professionals in mind. Synchronous sessions will be scheduled as closely to each other to minimize time needed away from work. 

 No. The application fee is non-refundable. 

This information can be found on the MGH website or the UBC Calendar. Tuition fees are subject to change. 

The MGH has one intake per academic year, in September. An opening and closing date for the admissions period will be posted on the website well in advance.  

We aim for a cohort of 30 students each year.  

The School of Population and Public Health does not have a limit to out-of-province or international students. We rank all completed applications and applicants are admitted based on merit.

No. There is no interview component to the MGH application.

The online application includes a “Citizenship Information” section to note if an applicant is of Canadian Indigenous Ancestry if they so choose. Please note that the MPH program reserves seats in the program for Indigenous applicants. Please review this resource.

The deadline is firm for the completion of the online application as well as the receipt of all application documents. This is due to the potentially high volume of applications we need to process and our responsibility to meet deadlines set by UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Please take into account the timescale if applicants are applying from overseas or the originating country’s mail system is unreliable, and allow ample time for transit time. 

Yes. At the time of the application, please upload scans of your official transcripts (in PDF format) from all colleges and universities attended, including all front and back pages, in the online application system. Please do not mail official transcripts to our office. Applicants who are offered admission to the program will be instructed to mail official transcripts to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. 

This is a common occurrence and applicants may apply to the MGH Program by the application deadline. The Admissions Committee will evaluate the applicant based on the most recent official transcript (scanned and uploaded to the application) and may offer admission to the program based on these transcripts. This offer will be conditional and subject to the applicant meeting our admission requirements based on the official, final transcript that also indicates the student has successfully completed the degree requirements.

This is considered on a case-by-case basis and will only be considered once a student is in the program. All students must receive approval from the MGH Program Director to transfer previous graduate-level courses to the MGH degree. In addition, please keep in mind the following criteria that must be met: 

• The courses were not used to satisfy the requirements of another credential (including certificates) 

• The courses were not used as a basis of admission to the graduate degree program 

• At least a B standing (UBC 74%) was obtained in the courses 

If your undergraduate transcript does not include the course number, title and final grade achieved from the institution attended abroad, official scans of transcripts from all institutions attended must be uploaded by the application deadline. 

Credentials from Canada & USA: All 300 & 400 level courses, irrespective of what year they were completed. 

Credentials from outside of Canada & USA: All undergraduate courses are used to calculate the GPA. As an international student, there are specific requirements for each country, which can be found online at the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Web site. Please follow this link, scroll to the bottom of the page, and select the country. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements set out for their particular country/university. 

We will use all eligible degrees to calculate GPA for admission. For example, if an applicant has two Degrees (at any level), and only one degree meets the minimum academic requirement set out by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the applicant is eligible for admission. If both (or all) degrees meet the minimum requirement, then the applicant is eligible for admission. If neither/none of the Degrees meet the minimum academic requirement, the applicant is not eligible for admission. 

Generally speaking, if applicants don’t meet the minimum academic requirements, they are not eligible for admission to any UBC graduate program. However, if an applicant has taken a couple of additional undergraduate or graduate courses and achieved a B+ or higher to demonstrate academic ability, AND the applicant has an extensive track record of working in global health, excellent reference letters and a focused letter of intent, the MGH Admissions Committee will review the application and if successful, write a letter requesting consideration of the applicant by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies may or may not respond affirmatively to the letter.

Please adhere to the word limit for individual questions on the MGH admissions page. 

Hard copies are not required to be mailed to the MGH office. We accept the LOI via upload in the Program-Specific Questions section of the application. 

Applicants can address their LOI to the MGH Admissions Committee. 

Yes. Referees have the option to complete an electronic reference in the online application system, or write and upload a letter. If a referee would like to send us a letter, they can attach and upload a PDF letter online. If applicants list the referee’s email address on their application, an email will be sent to the referee after the applicant has submitted the application. Emails must come from an institutional or a business email account (eg. @ubc.ca). Referees with web-based email addresses (ex. Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.) can not complete the electronic reference in the online application. We will not accept any non-institutional emails. Please note that applicants must submit their application online well in advance of the deadline so their referees have enough time to complete the reference. 

Referees can write and upload a letter in lieu of the electronic reference. 

You have the option to change a referee in your online application yourself. Alternatively, you can submit a request to change the referee in your application by contacting lena.kang@ubc.ca, clearly indicating who will no longer be sending through a reference letter and details on the replacement referee. 

No. The application deadline cannot be extended for anyone due to time constraints on the MGH Admissions Committee. It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure their referees have sent references in on time. 

No. Due to the high volume of emails expected to come through during admissions, the MGH program does not have enough email capacity to accept hundreds of applicants’ attachments. We accept CVs via upload in the Standard Questions Section in online application. 

Please note that applicants can check their document status by logging into their online application. All applicants with first round offers will be notified by early April.  An email will be sent to each applicant in due course indicating the final status of the application 

We compile a small wait list, as inevitably some applicants offered a spot in the program will decline. Applicants are notified right away if they are on the wait list and we will notify them should a spot be available. 

Unless it can be shown that the application information was erroneous through no fault of the applicant, admissions decisions are final. Please note that the minimum admission requirements will not guarantee an offer.