COURSE CURRICULUM

The Community and Population Health program offers students a robust education with an emphasis on various aspects of health, including Aboriginal and Rural Health, and Environmental Health. The curriculum spans across four years, with a total of 97 credit hours required for graduation, depending on the chosen major. In the first year, students complete foundational courses such as Introductory Biology I & II, General Chemistry I & II, and Health Sciences-related courses like Introduction to Health Sciences I, Health Care Systems, and Functional Anatomy. Additionally, students are introduced to Aboriginal Peoples of Canada through FNST 100. Students also have the option to choose one of the following courses: Introduction to Literary Structures, Introduction to Film, or Writing and Communication Skills. The second year focuses on more specialized courses, including Microbiology, Organic Chemistry I & II, and Introductory Biochemistry, along with the continuation of health sciences coursework like Ethics and Law in Health Care, Nutrition, and Introduction to Health Economics and Policy (or Resources, Economies, and Sustainability). Students also take Basic Statistics and continue studying Psychology. In the third year, students delve deeper into health-related subjects with courses like Intermediary Metabolism, Cell and Molecular Biology, and First Nations Health and Healing. They also take Human Physiology I & II with corresponding labs, Research Design and Methods for Health Sciences, and Health Psychology. The fourth year culminates in advanced courses like Principles of Epidemiology, Human Health and Development, Health and Chronic Disease Management, and Health Promotion. Students also complete a set of elective courses, including those focusing on critical issues in aging and additional studies on health economics, medical geography, and social work. For those pursuing a Community and Population Health - Aboriginal and Rural Health major, additional courses focusing on rural community economic development and Indigenous health issues are incorporated. Similarly, for the Environmental Health major, courses in Northern Contaminated Environments and Environment and Society are part of the curriculum, emphasizing the connection between health and the environment. The program encourages students to take extra courses related to medical anthropology, environmental history, and health policy to broaden their knowledge and skills in the health field. Overall, this program equips students with the expertise needed to address health issues within communities, focusing on both human and environmental health.