Degree Requirements – MSc/PhD HSR
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 health services research courses 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 following item is required for all students (1 half-courses) regardless of Emphasis:
| Required | |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| + Plus 1 from | SGS Calendar course listing for MSc/PhD, Health Services Research concentration: often HAD5772H: Intermediate Statistics for Health Services Researchers (or equivalent) |
Emphases
Students in the Health Services Research concentration have the option to complete an Emphasis by completing 4 half-year courses in a given area. The emphasis requirements will also count toward their 6 half-year course concentration requirements.
- Course requirements by Emphasis will be effective September 2019.
- Degree Requirement Fall 2018 (pre Emphases)
- Alternatives to courses listed can be taken with the approval of the Program Director and Graduate Coordinator.
- Emphases replace categories previously referred to as ‘Primary Areas of Study’.
- While most do so, MSc students are not required to pursue an Emphasis.
| Emphasis: Health Economics | |
|---|---|
| HAD5730H | Economic Evaluation Methods for Health Services Research |
| HAD5744H | Introduction to Health Econometrics |
| HAD5746H | Applied Health Econometrics (pre-requisite HAD5744H) |
| HAD5760H | Advanced Health Economics and Policy Analysis I |
| Emphasis: Health Informatics Research | |
|---|---|
| HAD5726H | Evaluation and Research Design in Health Informatics |
| + Plus 2 from | course listing for MSc/PhD, Health Services Research concentration |
| + Plus 1 from | SGS Calendar course listing for MHI, Health Informatics concentration |
| Emphasis: Health Policy | |
|---|---|
| CHL5300H | Public Health Policy (Collaborative Specialization in Public Health Policy) |
| HAD5778H | Comparative Health Systems and Policy |
| + Plus 2 from | Quantitative methods: HAD5746H – Applied Health Econometrics II Qualitative methods: HSR1001H – Introduction to Qualitative Methods for Health Services and Policy Research HAD5740H – Intermediate Level Qualitative Research for Health Services and Policy Research (NB HSR1001H pre-requisite) Case study methods: HAD5781H – Case Study Research for Health Services, Systems and Policy Mixed methods: HAD5742H – Mixed Methods in Health Services Research (NB. HSR1001H is a pre-requisite) |
| Emphasis: Health Services Organization and Management Studies | |
|---|---|
| HAD5773H | Introduction to Theories of Organizational Behaviour and Applications to the Health Care Sector |
| + Plus 3 from: | 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 – Introduction to Health Econometrics HSR1001H – Introduction to Qualitative Methods for Health Services and Policy Research |
| Emphasis: Health Services Outcomes and Evaluation | |
|---|---|
| HAD5730H | Economic Evaluation Methods for Health Services Research |
| HAD5743H | Evaluation Design For Complex Interventions |
| HAD5763H | Advanced Methods in Health Services Research |
| + Plus 1 from | SGS Calendar course listing for MSc/PhD, Health Services Research concentration |
| Emphasis: Health Technology Assessment | |
|---|---|
| HAD5301H | Introduction to Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research (or equivalent) |
| HAD5307H | Introduction to Applied Biostatistics |
| + Plus 1 from | HAD5730H – Economic Evaluation Methods for Health Services Research HAD5771H – Resource Allocation Ethics HAD5779H – Evidence Synthesis for Health Services, Systems and Policy Research |
| + Plus 1 from | SGS Calendar course listing for MSc/PhD, Health Services Research concentration |
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 (4 half-courses) regardless of Emphasis:
| Required | |
|---|---|
| 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) 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 & 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) |
Emphases
Students must select one of six Emphases, and complete the required Emphasis courses listed below.
- Course requirements by Emphasis will be effective September 2019.
- Degree Requirement Fall 2018 (pre Emphases)
- Alternatives to courses listed can be taken with the approval of the Program Director and Graduate Coordinator.
- Emphases replace categories previously referred to as ‘Primary Areas of Study’.
Comprehensives
Each Emphasis 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 Emphases fulfill this requirement through a Comprehensives course, while other Emphases do so through a final exam at the conclusion of all Emphasis required coursework.
The usual required course of study for each of the Emphases is as follows:
| Emphasis: Health Services Organization and Management Studies | |
|---|---|
| HAD5742H | Mixed Methods in Health Services Research |
| HAD5773H | Introduction to Theories of Organizational Behaviour and Applications to the Health Care Sector |
| HAD6762H | Health Services Organization and Management Comprehensive Course |
| HSR1001H | Introduction to Qualitative Methods for Health Services and Policy Research |
| + Plus 2 from | SGS Calendar course listing for MSc/PhD, Health Services Research concentration |
| Emphasis: Health Policy | |
|---|---|
| CHL5300H | Public Health Policy (Collaborative Specialization in Public Health Policy) |
| HAD5778H | Comparative Health Systems and Policy |
| HAD6763H | Health Policy Comprehensive Course |
| + Plus 2 from | Quantitative methods: HAD5746H – Applied Health Econometrics II Qualitative methods: HSR1001H – Introduction to Qualitative Methods for Health Services and Policy Research HAD5740H – Intermediate Level Qualitative Research for Health Services and Policy Research (NB HSR1001H pre-requisite) Case study methods: HAD5781H – Case Study Research for Health Services, Systems and Policy Mixed methods: HAD5742H – Mixed Methods in Health Services Research (NB. HSR1001H is a pre-requisite) |
| + Plus 1 from | SGS Calendar course listing for MSc/PhD, Health Services Research concentration |
| Emphasis: Health Services Outcomes & Evaluation | |
|---|---|
| HAD5730H | Economic Evaluation Methods for Health Services Research |
| HAD6761H | Health Services Outcomes and Evaluation Comprehensive Course |
| + Plus 2 from | HAD5728H: Performance Measurements in Healthcare: Theory and Application HAD5740H: Intermediate Level Qualitative Research for Health Services and Policy Research HAD5742H: Mixed Methods in Health Services Research HAD5743H: Evaluation Design For Complex Interventions HAD5763H: Advanced Methods in Health Services Research HAD5779H: Evidence Synthesis for Health Services, Systems and Policy Research HAD5781H: Case Study Research for Health Services, Systems and Policy |
| + Plus 2 from | generally advanced methods courses from SGS Calendar course listing for MSc/PhD, Health Services Research concentration |
| Emphasis: Health Informatics Research | |
|---|---|
| HAD5726H | Evaluation and Research Design in Health Informatics |
| HAD6764H | eHealth Innovation and Information Management Comprehensive Course |
| + Plus 4 from | SGS Calendar course listing for MSc/PhD, Health Services Research concentration or MHI (highly recommended) |
| Emphasis: Health Economics | |
|---|---|
| HAD5730H | Economic Evaluation Methods for Health Services Research |
| HAD5744H | Applied Health Econometrics I |
| HAD5746H | Applied Health Econometrics II |
| HAD5760H | Advanced Health Economics and Policy Analysis |
| HAD6750H | Advanced Health Economics and Policy Analysis II |
| + Plus 1 from | SGS Calendar course listing for MSc/PhD, Health Services Research concentration |
| Emphasis: Health Technology Assessment | |
|---|---|
| HAD5301H | Introduction to Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research |
| HAD6765H | Health Technology Assessment Comprehensive Course |
| + Plus 3 from | SGS Calendar course listing for MSc/PhD, Health Services Research concentration |
| + Plus 1 from | HAD5730H: Economic Evaluation Methods for Health Services Research HAD5771H Resource Allocation Ethics HAD5779H: Evidence Synthesis for Health Services, Systems and Policy Research |
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
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.