Family Medicine (Thesis): Global Health (M.Sc.) (45 credits)
Offered by: Family Medicine (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
Degree: Master of Science
Program credit weight: 45
Program Description
The M.Sc. in Family Medicine; Global Health emphasizes the foundational values of global primary health care including health equity, cultural safety, social participation in health, and integrated, whole-person care over the life-span. The program provides comprehensive training in quantitative and qualitative methods, the participatory research approach, and integrated knowledge translation and exchange. Topics include primary health care policy and practice, decolonizing approaches, program management, social determinants of health and heath equity, and healthcare delivery innovations. The thesis must focus on an international or Canadian global health issue.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Thesis Courses (24 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FMED 697 | Master's Thesis Research 1. | 12 |
Master's Thesis Research 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Independent work under the direction of a supervisor in a designated area of research. | ||
| FMED 698 | Master's Thesis Research 2. | 12 |
Master's Thesis Research 2. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Independent work under the direction of a supervisor in a designated area of research. | ||
Required Courses (9 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FMED 504 | Family Medicine Research Seminars. | 1 |
Family Medicine Research Seminars. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Research seminars on various topics relevant to family medicine research. | ||
| FMED 505 | Epidemiology and Data Analysis in Primary Care 1. | 3 |
Epidemiology and Data Analysis in Primary Care 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 An introduction of epidemiological concepts, data analysis, and methods applicable to primary care research. | ||
| FMED 603 | Foundations of Participatory Research . | 1 |
Foundations of Participatory Research . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Principles and main applications of modern participatory research in health organizations. | ||
| FMED 615 | Applied Knowledge Translation and Exchange in Health. | 1 |
Applied Knowledge Translation and Exchange in Health. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Intended for health care practitioners, planners, and researchers, especially in resource-poor settings in Canada and internationally, students will be exposed to behaviour change models; techniques for critical evaluation of existing evidence; accountability in health services; and scientific writing and presenting, using a blended learning approach. | ||
| FMED 625 | Introduction to Qualitative Research in Health. | 3 |
Introduction to Qualitative Research in Health. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Introduction, discussion, and practice of qualitative methodologies and methods for conducting rigorous and reflective qualitative research projects in health, with particular focus on family medicine education and health professions education. | ||
Complementary Courses (7 or 9 credits)
7 or 9 credits from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FMED 506 | Indigenous Perspectives Decolonizing Health Research. | 3 |
Indigenous Perspectives Decolonizing Health Research. Terms offered: Fall 2025 An examination and reflection of traditional Indigenous world view and ways of knowing; the Canadian colonization and assimilation experience and their outcomes and impacts; and the contemporary Indigenous health research landscape bringing Indigenous ways of knowing and practice into the field and to future studies. | ||
| FMED 527 | Inuit Health in Canadian Context. | 1 |
Inuit Health in Canadian Context. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Exploration of the cultural roots of Inuit health prior to the arrival of Europeans; the risks to health introduced by imported disease and colonial institutions; the complexity of navigating modern health systems; and the paths to regain better health. Particular focus on the Nunavik region of Quebec. | ||
| FMED 604 | Advanced Participatory Research in Health. | 3 |
Advanced Participatory Research in Health. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Overview of participatory research with community, clinical, and organisational stakeholders. Content focuses on participatory engagement and data collection methods, while students have an opportunity to work through aspects of their participatory project with the help of group discussions, small group work, roleplay, and guest presentations from actual participatory projects. | ||
| FMED 611 | Healthcare Systems, Policy and Performance. | 3 |
Healthcare Systems, Policy and Performance. Terms offered: Winter 2026 A critical review of healthcare systems, especially primary care systems, focuses on Quebec and indicative global settings. Explores options and approaches for using evidence to influence policy and to improve primary healthcare systems, and addresses methods for evaluating performance of healthcare services. | ||
| FMED 619 | Program Management in Global Health and Primary Health Care. | 3 |
Program Management in Global Health and Primary Health Care. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Program management design, theory, methods and practical applications in both domestic and global health settings, with a focus on primary health care in order to achieve rapid scale-up of effective health interventions towards universal coverage while strengthening health systems for sustained impact. | ||
| PPHS 511 | Fundamentals of Global Health. | 3 |
Fundamentals of Global Health. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This exciting and interactive course aims to give students the opportunity to broaden their understanding and knowledge of global health issues, including global burden of diseases, determinants of health, transition in health and drivers of such transition, challenges in healthcare delivery in resource-limited settings, and the variety of agencies and actors engaged in addressing global health challenges. The course consists of lectures, case studies, debates, discussions and small group work. | ||
| PPHS 613 | The Practice of Global Health. | 3 |
The Practice of Global Health. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to core competencies in the practice of global health, including historical, colonial roots of global health, project planning and implementation, equitable and ethical conduct, building partnerships, working within interdisciplinary teams, effective communication and personal-social skills. | ||
Elective Courses (3 or 5 credits)
3 or 5 credits at the 500 level or higher chosen in consultation with the student’s thesis supervisor and the Director of the concentration, based on the student's area of interest.