Interdisciplinary Health (MA or M.Sc.)

Deadline For September 2026 Start

March 27, 2026

Program Delivery

The Interdisciplinary Health program is offered via remote, synchronous delivery (e.g., Live classes via Zoom).

Students are most welcome to take on-campus electives from other programs, study on campus and conduct their research and meet with supervisory faculty locally.

Students accepted into the program require an Honours Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Human Kinetics, Sociology, or another related field, with an overall average of at least B+ (75%). 

Students seeking to pursue the M.Sc. option are required to possess a B.Sc. degree in Psychology, Human Kinetics, Sociology, or another related field (e.g., nursing or biology), with an overall average of at least B+ (75%). 

Application Process

Step 1

Contact the Graduate Coordinator and/or individual faculty member about the possibility of becoming a student. Students are encouraged to consult the list of accredited supervisors by department (PDF) in order to identify a potential supervisor (i.e. a faculty member they would like to work with). You must find a supervisor to complete your application.

Step 2

Click here to submit the online application. Once students have applied, they will receive instructions (typically within 48 hours) from the Office of Admissions leading them to the MyLaurentian portal. Students can access the portal at my.laurentian.ca. Sign-in credentials will be provided in the correspondence received from the Office of Admissions upon successful completion of an application.

Required Documents

The following documents will be required in order to complete an application. Forms can be accessed in the myLaurentian Portal. All supplemental documentation must be uploaded to the myLaurentian Portal.

• Supplementary Application Form
  • The form must be signed by a potential supervisor, indicating a commitment to supervise your project should your application be successful. (Form found in the myLaurentian Portal)
• Three Reference Forms
  • To begin the process in the myLaurentian Portal, click on "Reference Submission" on the left-hand navigation menu.
• Statement of Interest
  • A Statement of Interest of up to 500 words that describes why the program is of interest and the health-related thesis or major paper research topic. Please consult with the proposed supervisor and include the proposed study design for the thesis (To be uploaded in the myLaurentian Portal).
• Curriculum Vitae/Resume (To be uploaded in the myLaurentian Portal).
• Official Academic Transcript(s) from all post-secondary studies
  • Current or prior Laurentian University students do not need to request transcripts.
  • Official transcripts or WES course-by-course (for institutions attended outside of North America) must come directly to the Office of Admissions from the previous post-secondary institution by requesting at the time of your application or by contacting the institution's Registrar's Office.

Step 3

Once the Admissions Office receives all information and the application is deemed complete, the application will be forwarded to the department.  An Admissions Committee meets to review the applications.

Step 4

The Admissions Committee will review all applications on file and make a decision regarding the suitability of each applicant.  The Admissions Committee will then make a recommendation to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Laurentian University. The Graduate Studies office will verify the dossier and if satisfactory, the Dean of Graduate Studies will forward the recommendation to the Office of Admissions at Laurentian University for admission. 

Step 5

If approved for admission, the Office of Admissions will send the student an Offer of Admission via MyLaurentian.  Applicants wishing to accept the offer of admission must indicate their response on MyLaurentian within 3 weeks of receiving the offer. Once the student has accepted the offer, a transition to the registration process occurs.

Students must follow these regulations while in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Approved Fields of Study

• Interdisciplinary Health

Program Requirements

As an Interdisciplinary Health student, there are three pathways that can take you towards graduating: Two lead to an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Health, and one leads to an M.Sc in Interdisciplinary Health. The program coordinators can help in deciding which path best suits your career goals.

Research Thesis option - MA  (total of 27 credits)

Required courses (9cr.):

INDH 5106E     Theoretical Perspectives in Interdisciplinary Health (3cr.)

INDH 5206E     Methodology and Research Techniques in Interdisciplinary Health (3cr.)

INDH 5426E     Health of the Canadian Population (3cr.)

Two additional 3-credit courses at 5000 or 6000 level (6cr.).

     At least one of these courses must have a disciplinary emphasis other than that from which the majority of your courses are taken.

Plus a thesis:

INDH-5000EL - Thesis (12cr.)

Major Paper option - MA  (total of 27 credits)

Required courses (9cr.):

INDH 5106E     Theoretical Perspectives in Interdisciplinary Health (3cr.)

INDH 5206E     Methodology and Research Techniques in Interdisciplinary Health (3cr.)

INDH 5426E     Health of the Canadian Population (3cr.)

Four additional 3-credit courses at 5000 or 6000 level (12cr.).

•      At least one of these courses must have a disciplinary emphasis other than that from which the majority of your courses are taken.

Plus a major paper:

INDH-5005EL - Major Paper (6cr.)

M.Sc. Students - Thesis  (total of 27 credits)

Note – a B.Sc. is required to qualify for this path.

Required courses (9cr.):

INDH 5106E     Theoretical Perspectives in Interdisciplinary Health (3cr.)

INDH 5206E     Methodology and Research Techniques in Interdisciplinary Health (3cr.)

INDH 5426E     Health of the Canadian Population (3cr.)

Two additional 3-credit courses at 5000 or 6000 level (6cr.).

• One of which must be quantitative methods, or statistics, or have a formal or computer laboratory component.
• The courses must be selected in consultation with the supervisor(s), with a view to interdisciplinarity, approved by your thesis supervisor and the INDH Program Coordinator.

Plus a thesis:

INDH-5000EL - Thesis (12cr.)

Finding a Supervisor

Graduate students in these programs experience the distinct advantage of their thesis or major paper research being guided by a personal Supervisor. Access to dedicated supervisors is intended to enhance progress and expedite program completion.

Thus, all applicants must have a potential supervisor before applying. The supervisor can also provide guidance on the application process, the proposed program of research, and is required to sign the Supplementary Application Form to confirm their review of your application and commitment to supervise. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact potential supervisors early to discuss common research interests and potential for supervision.

The program is supported by many faculty members from a variety of disciplines.

Consult the list of accredited supervisors by department (PDF)

Tips for Finding a Supervisor

• To find a supervisor, review their profiles (or look them up on Google Scholar) and see if any match with your areas of research interests and then reach out to them to see if they would be interested in supervising you. Be sure to tell them what it is you are interested in researching for your graduate program, as they will want to know that.
• It is strongly recommended that you not just tell the potential supervisor that you are interested in researching whatever you found in their profile - they will want to know YOUR research passion! Lastly, be sure to tell your potential supervisor which program stream you are interested in pursuing (i.e., MSc-Thesis, MA-Thesis, or MA-Major Paper).