Child surrounded by family.
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    Faculty

    • Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
    • Faculty of Graduate Studies

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    Degree

    • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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    Expected duration

    • 4 years full-time

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    Program options

    • Full- or part-time

Students who are working while they study may also apply to take this program part-time. Students will all be accepted as full-time students and may submit a request to the department head to switch to a part-time course load. Students may elect to revert to full-time study once in the course of their degree, but no further changes to course load will be permitted.

The four pillars

In discussion with your potential advisor, you will pick one of four research pillars and build a customized and multi-disciplinary degree track. This will be your home pillar.

Over the course of your degree, you will be required to take courses in two of the three other pillars. This will broaden your understanding of different areas in medical research and provide unique perspectives you may not otherwise get.

  • Basic sciences

    This pillar is intended for students involved in bench or wet lab research. Can involve, among other things, experimental work with animal models or cell lines.
     

  • Clinical research

    This pillar prepares students for careers in clinical trials, and clinical epidemiology among others. It is also intended for those students who are clinicians seeking further training in pediatric clinical research.
     

  • Population health

    In this pillar, students will learn about epidemiology, qualitative and mixed methods, and research that addresses non-clinical questions in preparation for employment as population-based researchers.
     

  • Practice and policy

    This pillar is intended for those whose research addresses policy and advocacy, knowledge translation, quality improvement, or medical education and ethics.

Which pillar is right for you?

In order to select a research pillar, reach out to potential supervisors first. It is recommended that you begin to reach out no later than six months before the program’s start date. Once you have communicated with and selected a supervisor you can work with them to establish what projects are available and which pillar would best suit your needs as a student.

Program details

Expected duration: 4 years

Program requirements

In addition to the minimum course requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, students must complete at least 15 credit hours of coursework. You will also need to propose and defend a thesis as part of your degree requirements.

Tuition and fees

Tuition fees are charged for the first two terms and the fourth and fifth terms. A continuing fee applies for the third term, as well as for the sixth term and each subsequent term. For more details, refer to the Graduate tuition and fees.

Program trajectory

Review the tabs below to see the typical path you’ll follow in this program. For a full list of courses and detailed descriptions, visit the Academic Calendar.

Year 1

Course codeCourse nameCredit hours
PEDS 7030Equity Diversity and Inclusion for Professionals0
PEDS 7040Intro to a Clinical Environment0
PEDS 7050Ethics and Equity in Child Health Research0
PEDS 7060Virtual Healthcare Delivery0
PEDS 7080Indigenous Child Health0
--Ethics submissionn/a
--Research proposaln/a

Year 2

Course codeCourse nameCredit hours
PEDS 7110Directed Readings in Pediatric Literature3
PEDS 7120Foundations in Bioinformatics3
PEDS 7130Multidisciplinary Immersion in Clinical Research1.5
PEDS 7140Practical Epidemiology6
PEDS 7150Multidisciplinary Immersion in Basic Sciences1.5
PEDS 7160Multidisciplinary Immersion in Population Health1.5
PEDS 7170Multidisciplinary Immersion in Practice & Policy1.5
PEDS 7180Practical Qualitative and Mixed Methods3
PEDS 7190Medical Education, Ethics, and Engagement3

Year 3

Course name Credit hours
Research project n/a
Candidacy exam (written and oral) n/a

Year 4

Item Credit hours
Thesis research should be complete by term 1 n/a
Thesis writing and defense n/a

Admission requirements

To be considered for admission to the Pediatrics and Child Health (PhD) program, you must meet the following minimum requirements. Please note that meeting these requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

Academic qualifications

  • GPA: You must have a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.25 in the last 60 credit hours of your studies.
  • Degree: A research-based master’s degree in a relevant field is typically required. If you do not have a research-based master’s degree but possess significant research experience, your application will be reviewed individually. Professional master’s degrees will also be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Additional courses

If you are admitted without a research-based master’s degree, you will need to complete the following two courses in your first two terms:

  • PEDS 7010: Pediatric biostatistics
  • PEDS 7020: Introduction to research methods

For more details on admission and English language proficiency, please refer to the Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements.

How to apply

This program only accepts applications for the Fall term. To apply, complete the online application and include the following materials:

Required materials

  • Application fee: This fee is non-refundable. Learn more about the application fee.
  • Letter of support: You must provide a letter from your proposed research advisor. Applications without this letter will not be processed.
  • Transcripts and degree certificates: Submit unofficial copies of all relevant transcripts and degree certificates.
  • Letters of recommendation: Request three letters of recommendation within the online application.
  • Proof of English language proficiency: If required, submit your test results, which must be dated within one year of your application. Learn more about English language proficiency requirements.

Please read the Faculty of Graduate Studies online application instructions before beginning your application.

Letter of intent

As part of your application, you will need to respond to two questions that provide context about your life experiences and qualifications for the program:

  1. Why do you think you’re a strong candidate for this program? Please discuss experiences in your own life that support your application. (500 words)
  2. What is a current issue in child health that you seek to address through your training and why? (300 words)

Interview process

Students may be invited to an interview as part of the application process.

NOTE: Before starting your application, please read the Faculty of Graduate Studies online application instructions.

Application deadlines

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis. The Admissions committee for Pediatrics and Child Health reviews applications in March for International application, and June for Canadian/US applications.

Applications open up to 18 months prior to start term.

Canadian and US applicants

Term Annual application deadline
Fall (September) June 1

International applicants

Term Annual application deadline
Fall (September) March 1

Applicants must submit their online application with supporting documentation and application fee by the deadline date indicated.

Start or continue your application

Learn more

Contact us

Admission and application inquiries

Faculty of Graduate Studies
Room 500 UMSU University Centre
65 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

graduate.admissions@umanitoba.ca
Phone: 204-474-9377

Monday to Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Program inquiries

TBD
501B – 715 McDermot Ave.
Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM)
Winnipeg, MB, R3E 3P4
E-mail: pgpadmin@umanitoba.ca
Phone:204-789-3251