The School of Public Health Sciences at University of Waterloo aspires to improve and enhance health and well-being through its mission to provide high quality and rigorous educational programs in public health sciences, conduct impactful, multidisciplinary and transformative research that addresses current and emerging health challenges, and foster leadership at the interface of society, health and technology. The Master of Public Health Program was the first online MPH program in Canada and was designed specifically to upgrade the skills of those working in the public health sector, which is still its niche today.
The University of Waterloo is a world leader in experience-driven learning and is known internationally for its cooperative education program which allows students to integrate their education with relevant work experience. The BSc and BPH programs within the School of Public Health Sciences offer considerable experiential learning opportunities including co-op positions in public-health settings as well as within classes. Pictured in the image is a field trip in Professor Kelly Anthony’s advanced social determinants of health class in which students are connected with local nonprofit community agencies (e.g. homeless shelters, police services, and the Working Centre, a low income employment organization). Professor Anthony, a distinguished teaching award winner, connects students with these organizations both formally and informally at first through introducing students to the groups and then in undergraduate and graduate courses.