The Faculty of Health Sciences Graduate Program received approval from the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies to offer a Diploma in Health Services and Policy Research in September, 2003. Health services research is research that is intended to inform policy development and decision making regarding: a) the organization, funding, and delivery of health services, or b) the allocation of resources dedicated to improving health. Increasing the number of health services researchers to address critical issues in effective and efficient health care delivery has been identified as a high priority by national research funding agencies.

Students interested in applying for the Diploma program must plan to: a) do a thesis or final project/paper related to health services research and b) be enrolled in one of the following research-focused thesis or course-based graduate degree programs at the Master's or Ph.D. level: Anthropology, Business Administration, Health Research Methodology, Nursing, Rehabilitation Science, Economics, Geography, Kinesiology, Mathematics, Social Work, Sociology, or Statistics.

Deadline for submission of complete application file to the Health Sciences Graduate Programs Office (MDCL 2235) is March 31 , 2010.

For the 2009/10 academic year the fee for the Diploma in Health Services & Policy Research program is $3,574.38 above the regular graduate tuition fees.

Student stipends of up to $15,000 may be available for selected students to help cover tuition fees and other OTC program expenses.

For further information, contact Miguel Pérez (OTC Program Coordinator) by phone at 905-525-9140, extension 26203 or by email at mperez@mcmaster.ca. Or, you may visit the OTC Diploma website at: http://www.otc-hsr.ca/.