BA Public Health (Major) at University of Victoria

Programme overview

A four-year Bachelor of Arts in Public Health that examines why health inequities exist and how communities, systems and policies can change them, through a social justice lens. It is delivered primarily online with two onsite components.

Faculty: Faculty of Health | Department: School of Public Health and Social Policy | Duration: 4 years (60.0 units) | Location: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

What you will study

Students complete 30 units of core coursework in a five-term sequence, including Introduction to Indigenous Health in Canada, Social Determinants of Health, Health Program Planning and Project Management, Health Research Literacy, Principles of Public and Population Health, Health Systems in Canada, Health Promotion, Health Policy and Health Governance, a Practicum and a Culminating Major Paper. Students choose one applied area of focus: Ageing, Disability Studies, Indigenous Peoples' Health, or International and Global Health Development.

Career pathways

Health administrator, health advocate, health educator, health planner.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

There is no direct entry from high school; applicants first enter Social Sciences and transfer into Public Health, usually after two years at UVic. Transfer applicants normally have at least 27.0 units of first- and second-year coursework from UVic or another post-secondary institution (a minimum 2-year CEGEP diploma or 3-year Ontario CAAT diploma is needed). A GPA of at least 4.0 (B-) on the most recent 12.0 units of university-level courses, or 5.0 (B) on all diploma courses, is required, plus a letter of intent (maximum two pages), CV/resume, transcripts and other considerations such as professional experience and community service.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the courses you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Undergraduate entry points: September (fall), January and summer (May) entry; Engineering summer entry is for high school graduates only.

September entry: most degree programs January 31; Elementary Curriculum and Secondary Curriculum teacher education post-degree programs January 2; Indigenous Education ongoing; Public Administration diploma and certificate programs May 31. Early admission is possible for high school students who submit grades by early December. Late applications may be accepted where programs remain open.

January entry: Art History and Visual Studies, Computer Science, Computer Science and Health Information Science, Music (Bachelor of Arts) and all Humanities, Science and Social Sciences programs September 30; Health Information Science October 31; Public Administration diploma and certificate programs September 30.

Summer entry: Art History and Visual Studies, Computer Science, Music (BA) and all Humanities, Science and Social Sciences programs March 31; Engineering programs December 31 (high school graduates only); Public Administration diploma and certificate programs February 15.

Applications are submitted through EducationPlannerBC. The application fee is $89.50 if all transcripts come from institutions within Canada and $184.00 if any transcripts come from outside Canada.

Apply through the official page: https://www.uvic.ca/undergraduate/

Explore more study programmes

Health Sciences