Degree Requirements – MSc/PhD HSR
as at Fall 2018 (pre Emphases)
MSc Health Services Research
The MSc program consists of a minimum of 6 half-year courses and completion of a research thesis of acceptable quality and its oral defense. Two of the courses must be in the Primary Area of Study and two must be in research methods and/or statistics. The remaining two are elective courses.
To be eligible for the minimum program, students must have knowledge of the Canadian health care system and basic research and statistics skills. Students whose preparation is insufficient in these areas will be required to take additional courses. Course exemptions will only be offered to those students who have successfully completed graduate level courses at accredited universities, but no degree was awarded for completion of those courses.
Thesis research must be supervised by a faculty member who has an appointment (either primary or cross-appointment) in IHPME. The thesis must be completed under the supervision of a thesis committee (supervisor and at least one additional member) and must be defended before an examination committee appointed by the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, according to the School of Graduate Studies’ guidelines.
Program Requirements
Students meet annually with their supervisor and the Program Director to review the students’ progress and to plan course work and other activities for the next year.
On average, students complete the MSc program within 18 months, although degree requirements can be completed within one year of full-time studies
The usual required course of study for some of the Primary Areas of Study are shown below.
Details for other PAS will be available soon.
| Health Economics | |
|---|---|
| HAD5011H | Canada’s Health Care System |
| HAD5730H | Economic Evaluation Methods for Health Services Research |
| HAD5744H | Applied Health Econometrics I |
| HAD5746H | Applied Health Econometrics II (pre-requisite HAD5744H) |
| HAD5760H | Advanced Health Economics and Policy Analysis I |
| + Plus 1 elective course (where appropriate, these may be from outside IHPME) | |
| Suggested Electives | HAD5738H: Advanced Methods for Economic Evaluation (prerequisite HAD5730H) JNH5003H: Home and Community Care Knowledge Translation |
| + Plus participation in HAD5755Y: Health Economics Graduate Seminar Series | |
| Health Informatics Research | |
|---|---|
| HAD5011H | Canada’s Health Care System |
| HAD5726H | Evaluation and Research Design in Health Informatics |
| + Plus 2 | Additional Research Methods course (statistics, qualitative methods, etc.) |
| + Plus 1 | Any MHI course with instructor permission (except MHI2005Y: Health Informatics Practicum) |
| + Plus 1 elective course (could be another MHI course) | |
| Health Policy | |
|---|---|
| HAD5011H | Canada’s Health Care System |
| HAD5772H | Intermediate Statistics for Health Services Researchers |
| + Plus 1 of | HAD5778H: Comparative Health Systems and Policy CHL5300H – Public Health Policy: Collaborative Program in Public Health Policy CHL5308H – Tools & Approaches for Public Health Policy Analysis & Evaluation: Collaborative Program in Public Health Policy HAD5022H: Politics, Policy, Public Health and Health Technology HAD5765H: Case Studies in Health Policy |
| + Plus 3 elective courses (where appropriate, these may be from outside IHPME) | |
| Suggested Electives | HSR1001H: Intro to Qualitative Methods for Health Services and Policy Research HAD5742H: Mixed Methods in Health Services Research HAD5760H: Advanced Health Economics and Policy Analysis HAD5773H: Intro to Theories of Organizational Behaviour and Applications to the Health Care Sector |
| Organization and Management Studies | |
|---|---|
| HAD5011H | Canada’s Health Care System |
| HAD5772H | Intermediate Statistics for Health Services Researchers |
| HAD5773H | Introduction to Theories of Organizational Behaviour and Applications to the Health Care Sector |
| + Plus 3 elective courses*, often these are selected from: | HSR1001H – Introduction to Qualitative Methods for Health Services and Policy Research HAD5727H – Knowledge Transfer and Exchange HAD5737H – Tools for Implementation of Best Evidence HAD5740H – Intermediate Level Qualitative Research for Health Services and Policy Research HAD5742H – Mixed Methods for Health Services Research HAD5744H – Applied Health Econometrics I |
| * Elective courses can be from IHPME or other University of Toronto units, as approved by the PAS Lead and course instructor | |
| Health Services Outcomes and Evaluation | |
|---|---|
| HAD5011H | Canada’s Health Care System |
| HAD5772H | Intermediate Statistics for Health Services Research (or equivalent) |
| + Plus 1 | Additional Research Methods course (e.g. quantitative methods, qualitative methods) |
| + Plus 1 | Additional Primary Area of Study content course |
| + Plus 2 elective courses | |
| Health Technology Assessment | |
|---|---|
| HAD5011H | Canada’s Health Care System |
| HAD5301H | Introduction to Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research (or equivalent) |
| HAD5307H | Introduction to Applied Biostatistics |
| + Plus 1 of | HAD5730H– Economic Evaluation Methods for Health Services Research HAD5771H– Resource Allocation Ethics HAD5779H – Evidence Synthesis for Health Services, Systems and Policy Research |
| + Plus 2 elective courses | To be drawn from any IHPME course or from courses outside the Institute (on approval of Supervisor & HTA PAS Lead). Confirm whether you need instructor approval before enrolling. |
PhD Health Services Research
The PhD program consists of a minimum of 10 half-year courses, oral defence of a dissertation proposal, and completion of a dissertation and its oral defence. Students meet annually with their supervisor and the PhD Program Director to review their progress and to plan course work and other activities for the following year.
Students must have knowledge of the Canadian health care system and basic research and statistics skills or they will be required to take additional courses.
PhD students will be required to complete an intermediate statistics course while in the program. A pre-requisite for successful completion of this course is familiarity with introductory statistics up to and including regression. All students are strongly advised to take an applied introductory statistics course over the summer, or review the material independently.
Course exemptions will only be offered to those students who have successfully completed graduate level courses at accredited universities, and if no degree was awarded for completion of those courses.
The following items are required for all students:
HAD5011H – Canada’s Health Care System
This course provides an overview of Canada’s rapidly changing and increasingly politicized health care environment. Students will develop policy analysis skills and mastery of a variety of analytical approaches.
HAD5772H – Intermediate Statistics for Health Services Researchers (or equivalent such as Biostatistics II)
Upon completion of HAD5772H students will have a working knowledge of selected statistical analysis techniques relevant to health services research
HAD6760H – Introduction to Health Services Research Theory and Methods
The field of health services research draws upon the theory and methods of a wide variety of disciplines, including the clinical sciences, the social and behavioural sciences, management and administrative sciences, law, epidemiology and biostatistics. The goal of HAD6760H is to review these interdisciplinary skills and provide an opportunity for PhD students to apply them to health services research.
HAD6770H – Applying Health Services Research Methods
Continuation of HAD6760H (above)
Comprehensives
Each Primary Area of Study has a Comprehensives component tailored to assess their students’ ability to demonstrate a high level of competency in the area of specialization, and satisfactory evidence of proficiency in statistics and research methods. Comprehensives are required of all doctoral programs. Some PAS fulfill this requirement through a Comprehensives course, while other Primary Areas of Study do so through a final exam at the conclusion of all PAS-required coursework.
The usual required course of study for each of the Primary Areas of Study is as follows:
| 1. Organization and Management Studies | |
|---|---|
| HAD5011H | Canada’s Health Care System |
| HAD5772H | Intermediate Statistics for Health Services Researchers (or equivalent) |
| HAD5773H | Introduction to Theories of Organizational Behaviour and Applications to the Health Care Sector |
| HAD6760H | Introduction to Health Services Research Theory & Methods |
| HAD6770H | Applying Health Services Research Methods |
| HAD5742H | Mixed Methods in Health Services Research |
| HSR1001H | Introduction to Qualitative Methods for Health Services and Policy Research |
| HAD6762H | Health Services Organization and Management Comprehensive Course |
| + Plus 2 elective courses | |
| 2. Health Policy | |
|---|---|
| HAD5011H | Canada’s Health Care System |
| HAD5772H | Intermediate Statistics for Health Services Researchers (or equivalent) |
| HAD6760H | Introduction to Health Services Research Theory & Methods |
| HAD6770H | Applying Health Services Research Methods |
| HAD5778H | Comparative Health Systems and Policy |
| HAD6763H | Health Policy Comprehensive Course |
| + Plus 4 elective courses | |
| Suggested Electives | HSR1001H: Intro to Qualitative Methods for Health Services and Policy Research HAD5742H: Mixed Methods in Health Services Research HAD5760H: Advanced Health Economics and Policy Analysis HAD5765H: Case Studies in Health Policy HAD5773H: Intro to Theories of Organizational Behaviour and Applications to the Health Care Sector HAD5022H: Politics, Policy, Public Health and Health Technology CHL5300H: Public Health Policy CHL5308H: Tools & Approaches for Public Health Policy Analysis & Evaluation |
| 3. Health Services Outcomes & Evaluation | |
|---|---|
| HAD5011H | Canada’s Health Care System |
| HAD5730H | Economic Evaluation Methods for Health Services Research |
| HAD5772H | Intermediate Statistics for Health Services Researchers (or equivalent) |
| HAD6760H | Introduction to Health Services Research Theory & Methods |
| HAD5743H | Evaluation Design For Complex Interventions |
| HAD6770H | Applying Health Services Research Methods |
| HAD5763H | Advanced Methods in Health Services Research |
| HAD6761H | Health Services Outcomes and Evaluation Comprehensive Course |
| + Plus 2 elective courses | |
| 4. Health Informatics Research | |
|---|---|
| HAD5011H | Canada’s Health Care System |
| HAD5772H | Intermediate Statistics for Health Services Researchers (or equivalent) |
| HAD6760H | Introduction to Health Services Research Theory & Methods |
| HAD6770H | Applying Health Services Research Methods |
| HAD5726H | Evaluation and Research Design in Health Informatics |
| HAD6764H | eHealth Innovation and Information Management Comprehensive Course |
| + Plus 2 of | Any MHI course with instructor permission (except MHI2005Y: Health Informatics Practicum) |
| + Plus 2 elective courses | |
| 5. Health Economics | |
|---|---|
| HAD5011H | Canada’s Health Care System |
| HAD5730H | Economic Evaluation Methods for Health Services Research |
| HAD5760H | Advanced Health Economics and Policy Analysis |
| HAD5744H | Applied Health Econometrics I |
| HAD6750H | Advanced Health Economics and Policy Analysis II |
| HAD6760H | Introduction to Health Services Research Theory & Methods |
| HAD6770H | Applying Health Services Research Methods |
| HAD5746H | Applied Health Econometrics II |
| + Plus | Health Economics Comprehensive Exam |
| + Plus 1 elective course | |
| + Plus participation in HAD5755Y: Health Economics Graduate Seminar Series | |
| 6. Health Technology Assessment | |
|---|---|
| HAD5011H | Canada’s Health Care System |
| HAD5301H | Introduction to Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research |
| HAD5772H | Intermediate Statistics for Health Services Researchers (or equivalent) |
| HAD6760H | Introduction to Health Services Research Theory & Methods |
| HAD6770H | Applying Health Services Research Methods |
| +Plus 1 of | HAD5730H – Economic Evaluation Methods for Health Services Research HAD5771H – Resource Allocation Ethics HAD5779H – Evidence Synthesis for Health Services, Systems and Policy Research |
| +Plus 3 elective courses | To be drawn from any IHPME course or from courses outside the Institute (on approval of Supervisor & HTA PAS Lead). Confirm whether you need instructor approval before enrolling. |
| +Plus | Health Technology Assessment Comprehensive Course |
Secondary Area of Study: Knowledge Translation
| HAD5727H | Knowledge Transfer and Exchange |
| HAD5737H | Tools for Implementation of Best Evidence |
Elective Courses
Electives can be chosen from either IHPME or other University of Toronto departments, as approved by the HSR Program Director and course instructor.
| HAD5738H | Advanced Methods for Economic Evaluation |
| HAD5765H | Case Studies in Health Policy |
| HAD5771H | Resource Allocation Ethics |
| HSR1001H | Introduction to Qualitative Methods for Health Services & Policy Research |
| JNH5003H | Home and Community Care Knowledge Translation |
| CCHQR | Centre for Critical Qualitative Health Research |
Dissertation
The purpose of the dissertation is to undertake an original theory-driven investigation characterized by rigorous methodology and capable of making a significant contribution to knowledge about the subject under study. The dissertation supervisor must have their primary graduate appointment in the Institute of HPME. The dissertation process includes:
- Preparation and oral defence of a dissertation proposal
- Preparation of the written dissertation
- Presentation and oral defence of the dissertation.