Applicants must meet the following program-specific requirements:

• Completion of a master’s degree in health sciences, public health, nursing, rehabilitation sciences, kinesiology, or a closely related field from a recognized institution
• A minimum GPA of 78% (B+), calculated over the last two years of full-time study or the last 10 half-credit courses of part-time study
• A minimum of three years of full-time equivalent professional experience within the past five years in health care, health leadership, public health, allied health, rehabilitation, or health policy
• Applicants may apply if an appropriate Dissertation in Practice (DiP) project can be arranged within their current organization or through a remote placement

Applicants without a master’s degree may be considered based on equivalent professional, community-based, or lived experience. Acceptable alternative qualifications may include:

• A four-year undergraduate degree in a related field and a minimum of five years of progressive, relevant work experience
• A three-year undergraduate degree in a related field and a minimum of seven years of relevant work experience, including leadership or project-based roles
• In exceptional cases, a college diploma in a relevant field and at least 10 years of senior-level or specialized experience may be considered on a case-by-case basis

An alternate admission pathway for applicants without a master’s degree and who meet all other requirements is entry into the FHS Applied Health Sciences graduate diploma or master’s program. Upon successful completion of APPLHSCI9001: Critical Thinking in Health Sciences and an elective course, students may apply for transfer to the DHSc, including credit for the elective course already taken.

• One academic and one professional reference
  • Referees are contacted after their names are submitted in the online application
  • The academic reference should be provided by a faculty member from the applicant’s master’s program who can attest to their scholarly abilities – particularly in writing, analysis, and critical thinking – as well as their professionalism, communication skills, and, where applicable, clinical or practice-based competence. If this is not feasible due to time since graduation or alternative academic pathways, a suitable substitute (e.g., a supervisor, mentor, or colleague who can speak to the applicant’s academic readiness and professional strengths) may be accepted.
  • The professional reference should be provided by a graduate-educated manager, or advanced practitioner or educator in the applicant’s area of practice. It is recommended that the professional reference should be provided by someone in the applicant’s current organization who can attest to the organization’s support for the DiP project and/or to the applicant’s potential to complete a DiP.
    
    
• Transcripts of any postsecondary coursework (including master’s degree(s) and any advanced degrees obtained)
• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Statement of interest – one page, describing a specific challenge, opportunity, or gap within the applicant’s area of practice that has motivated their interest in this program, and explaining how pursuing this professional doctorate will help them contribute meaningfully to addressing that issue and advancing their field.
• Applicants using work experience as an alternative qualification must submit: A signed letter from their employer confirming the organization name, applicant’s current or most relevant role, and years of service
• Entrance interview will be required. The interview will focus on topics such as local/current organization support for the DiP, alignment of the applicant’s research interests with the supervisory capacity of the program, and alignment of the applicant’s interests and prior training and experiences with key DHSc coursework.

Applications are submitted online through Western's School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

How to Apply

Applicants whose first language is not English are required to provide evidence of English proficiency prior to admission in one of the following ways:

• TOEFL (paper-based): minimum total score of 600 and minimum score of 5/6 on the Test of Written English (TWE)
• TOEFL (computer-based): minimum total score of 250 and minimum score of 5/6 on the Test of Written English;
• TOEFL (Internet-based): minimum overall score of 5, with no score less than 4 on each of the 4 skill categories
• English Language Testing System (IELTS): minimum score of 7 on the overall test and on each subcomponent
• Western English Language Centre (WELC): Successful completion of the High Advanced level of the Academic English program
  
  • Applicants whose current IELTS scores are 6.5 can complete the English Boost program
  • Students may contact WELC for a free assessment of English fluency and a determination of the length of any recommended program
  • Applicants are responsible for the costs of this program
• Duolingo: minimum score of 140

Students must make their own arrangements to write the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo and have the official results sent directly to Western's School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies by the testing agency at the time of application to the program. Scores are valid if taken within two years of application to the program. If test scores are older than two years, a new test must be written and passed before admission will be considered.

Students whose first language is not English may be exempt from providing English Proficiency test scores if they have studied academic courses on a full-time basis for at least two years in an English-speaking university located in a country whose official first language is English. While we reserve the right to require evidence of English proficiency from any applicant whose first language is not English, French Canadians do not typically need to provide an English proficiency score. However, it is expected they be bilingual.

Other formal evidence of graduate level proficiency in English may be considered in lieu of these test scores. Students must contact the graduate program to determine if test scores will not be required. A decision regarding exemption will be made at the discretion of the program, in accordance with the policies of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

• $5,000 per term; total tuition for 3 years: $45,000
• Given a fully online delivery, only non-resident fees apply

By the end of the program, DHSc students will be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

1. Demonstrate advanced leadership competencies to guide system- or program-level transformation in diverse professional contexts, drawing on evidence, values-based frameworks, and inclusive strategies to foster change.
2. Critically evaluate and apply theory, policy, and practice-based knowledge to develop and implement feasible solutions that improve health outcomes, equity, and quality within organizations, sectors, or communities.
3. Frame solutions to and solve complex problems across local, national, and global contexts by integrating interdisciplinary perspectives and drawing on diverse forms of knowledge, professional practices, and lived experience.
4. Design and lead applied, practice-based inquiries that address meaningful sectoral challenges and translate into measurable outcomes through the DiP.
5. Build collaborative relationships that can translate knowledge and mobilize change across professional settings, using inclusive engagement strategies.
6. Demonstrate core leadership and management capabilities that can effectively lead people, support team performance, and foster inclusive, respectful, and accountable work environments.
7. Translate leadership into action by effectively collaborating with and managing people, setting priorities, managing projects, and implementing communication strategies that align with strategic goals and enable sustainable impact.
8. Engage in critical self-reflection, leadership growth, and professional learning through ongoing development, coaching, and milestone-based feedback to strengthen confidence, competence, and purpose as a system leader.

For general program inquiries, please contact DHScinfo@uwo.ca.

This program addresses a gap in Canadian graduate education: the first fully online, practice-based Doctor of Health Sciences (DHSc) program designed for working professionals.

• Core Required Courses (3.0 FCE): students take the following four core courses sequentially.
  • APPLHSCI 9015 Evidence-Based Leadership in Healthcare (0.5 FCE)
  • Coming soon: Managing Teams and Communication in Healthcare (0.5 FCE)
  • Coming soon: Leading Change and Organizational Transformation in Healthcare (0.5 FCE)
  • Coming soon: Dissertation in Practice (1.5 FCE; three 0.5 courses spread across three years with structured milestones)
• Foundational Courses (1.0 FCE): students take two of the following three electives.
  • APPLHSCI 9002 Equity and Health Systems (0.5 FCE)
  • HLTHSCI 9710 Reflective Practice & Professional Knowledge in Health and Social Care (0.5 FCE)
  • APPLHSCI 9010 Health Services, Systems, and Policy (0.5 FCE)
• Electives (1.0 FCE): students select two electives from existing FHS graduate online course offerings, allowing flexibility to tailor learning to professional goals (e.g., Project Management, Program Evaluation, Indigenous Health).

Program progression summary:

The DHSc is designed to be fully online. There are no periodic, in-person requirements.

• SGPS Academic Integrity Module
• Professional Development Seminar Series: Students select at least six offerings from centrally run or Western-affiliated programs. These may include sessions from the Centre for Teaching and Learning, the Health Research Ethics Board, Western Libraries, the Preceptor Education Program, and SGPS’s Own Your Future initiative. This milestone allows students to customize their professional development experience based on personal interests, career aspirations, and academic needs.
• Knowledge Translation Seminar Series: Runs from Term 2 through the end of the program. These sessions provide space for students to share, discuss, and appraise their DiP projects in progress. The series is designed to strengthen cohort connections, promote peer learning, and build relationships with faculty and external partners. Periodic guest speakers — including Western faculty and community stakeholders — are invited to offer presentations and feedback, helping students build professional networks and refine their applied scholarship.
• Dissertation in Practice

The Dissertation in Practice is designed to support the integration of academic learning with real-world leadership challenges in health systems and organizations, public health, and clinical practice. The DiP provides a structured opportunity for students to examine a complex problem of practice, apply theoretical frameworks to its analysis, and develop an evidence-informed, actionable response that contributes to organizational or system- level change. The DiP addresses a field-relevant problem, challenge, or opportunity situated in the student’s professional context (e.g., health care delivery, health equity, leadership development, workforce planning, public health, or health system integration). Students are expected to synthesize and apply relevant literature, analyze context-specific barriers and enablers, use theoretical frameworks to inform practice, and develop a well-reasoned, evidence-informed strategy or intervention. Examples may include policy briefs, program evaluation frameworks, implementation roadmaps, workforce strategies, or applied health leadership models.

Completion of the DiP is supported by a dual-supervision model. Within this dual-supervision model, a core academic faculty member will support research methods and project management while the field mentor (i.e., content experts, industry mentors, senior leaders) will provide profession/organization-specific guidance (e.g., relevance of the DiP to the professional context; feasibility of the proposed practice solution within the organization).