Post-Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Health Sciences (PGD-HS)
Why choose the PGD program in health sciences
The PGD program in health sciences will help you develop advanced research and evaluation skills, as well as quality improvement knowledge, skills and techniques in health services. This will empower you to enact meaningful change and improvements in the specialty of your choice. If you are already working within the health care system, this program will enable you to improve outcomes within your current field. If you’re not yet working in the system, this program will help you build the foundation for a career in the field you specialize in (research, evaluation or quality improvement in health care). Research, evaluation and quality improvement in health care are essential skills for providing advanced and high-quality care to people all over the world.
Program description
Our Post-Graduate Diploma in Health Sciences (PGD-HS) is a program for health care professionals who are planning to (sub)specialize in health service research, evaluation in health services or health care quality improvement. This program, in value, is equivalent to the Master of Health Sciences programs offered by well-known public universities.
The program includes nine courses (equal to 27 credits) and a capstone project (equal to six credits). Students generally take 12–18 months to complete the program.
Learning objectives
At the end of the program, depending on the subspecialty they select, students will be able to:
Demonstrate knowledge and skills of health service research methodology
Demonstrate knowledge and skills in quantitative health service research
Demonstrate knowledge and skills in qualitative health service research
Demonstrate knowledge of measurement in research and developing, validating and testing the reliability of a questionnaire as well as the integrity of different qualitative data collection strategies/tools
Demonstrate knowledge and skills in developing, leading and implementing health service grant proposals/projects
Demonstrate knowledge of health service research ethics, identify and address ethical concerns relating to the use of human participants and apply skills of acquiring ethics approval for research projects
Critically evaluate research studies
Demonstrate knowledge and skills of health service program evaluation
Demonstrate knowledge of the logic of evaluation
Understand and apply the central concepts in evaluation
Understand the utilization of major approaches to evaluation
Describe the standards and ethical issues in evaluation
Understand the social and political nature of evaluation
Develop an evaluation plan for a health care program, implement the plan and report results of the evaluation plan
Demonstrate knowledge and skills of health care quality improvement
Demonstrate knowledge of the central concepts in quality improvement in health care
Demonstrate theoretical knowledge of anthropological, sociocultural and psychological aspects of sustainable behaviour change, system transformation and quality improvement in health care
Demonstrate skills of utilization of major theoretical approaches to behaviour change, system transformation and quality improvement by developing, implementing and reporting health care quality improvement projects
Demonstrate knowledge and skills of developing and implementing systematic literature reviews and clinical practice guidelines
Target group/participants
This program is designed for all professionals currently working or planning to work in health care, including (but not limited to) physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, recreational therapists, optometrists, respiratory therapists, perfusionists and pharmacists, as well as public health, environmental health and occupational health professionals.
Method(s) of evaluation
In addition to the evaluations included in the outlines of individual courses, you are required to:
Successfully present one poster presentation or oral presentation during an academic conference at the end of each term (typically three presentations in total). Funding support will be provided.
Successfully defend your capstone project proposal at the end of your third term.
To save you time as you complete your program, you will be advised to select class activities that align with these two requirements.
Completion requirements
Successful graduation from the program requires:
Submitting the manuscript of one article (minimum) approved by a peer-reviewed journal after your third term.
Successfully defending your capstone project after your third term.
To save you time as you complete your program, you will be advised to select class activities that align with these two requirements.
Career/occupation path
The PGD-HS will empower students in health research (qualitative and quantitative), evaluation and quality improvement. By applying the skills they have learned over the course of their studies, students will be able to develop, implement and manage research, evaluation and quality improvement projects within the organizations they work for based on the most recent advances in their field of subspecialty. Students who are not working yet will be able to pursue opportunities with a variety of organizations such as health authorities, universities, research centers and hospitals, as well as private systems or non-profit organizations in the health care field.
Program duration
This is program will take 12–18 months to complete.
Homework hours
For estimated homework hours for each individual course, please refer to the related course outline. The capstone project is a six-credit course and students are expected to work full time to complete the project on time. Each poster/oral presentation is considered to be equal in value to a one-credit course, and the expected workload for three presentations is considered to be equal in value to a three-credit course. Students will not receive any credit for their presentations; they will be gaining experience and improving their professional profile.
Program delivery methods
The program will be delivered in a blended model that will include the following methods:
- In-class instruction
- Remote learning