Bachelor of One Health
Why Choose a Bachelor of One Health?
The Bachelor of One Health (BOH) is the first of its kind in Canada. Students explore the interconnections between human, animal and environmental health and integrate both biophysical and socio-cultural perspectives to find sustainable solutions to some of society’s most pressing issues.
The degree is ideal for students interested in a more holistic approach to complex health challenges such as zoonotic disease, food sustainability, environmental contamination and climate change.
Students take a combination of science and social science courses to explore the foundations of health and gain the skills needed to put a One Health approach into practice. They then apply their knowledge to real-world challenges through four One Health courses that include guest speakers, case studies and a culminating experience that connects them with external partners.
There are four areas of emphasis:
- Disease, Complexity and Health
- Environment, Food and Health
- Policy, Economics and Health
- Culture, Society and Health
To see all courses offered in this program, visit our Academic Calendar.
What is One Health?
One Health is an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to understanding, managing, and mitigating health challenges at a local and global scale – challenges such as transmission of zoonotic diseases, environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, anti-microbial resistance and food security.
Join a Unique Program
Bachelor of One Health is the only degree of its kind in Canada, providing students with an interdisciplinary understanding of complex global health challenges.
Flexible Learning
Choose courses from four areas of emphasis to reflect your interests and career goals: disease; food and environment; economics and policy; and socio-cultural.
Experiential Learning
Take advantage of experiential learning opportunities, including field courses, independent research courses, international exchanges, and community-engaged work in a fourth-year capstone course.
Gain Work Experience
Gain hands-on work experience though a 12-month co-op option or a single-semester internship course.
Access Supports
Specialized academic and career advisors are available to help BOH students navigate course selection, find opportunities that help them grow personally and professionally, and support them in achieving their academic goals.
Part of a Community
Students can take advantage of opportunities through the One Health Institute and One Health Student Committee, including regular seminars, conferences, research assistantships and networking events.
- Top Comprehensive University
- in Canada (Maclean’s)
- Only Program of Its Kind
- in North America
- Top Research-Intensive University
- in Canada
- Multidisciplinary Education
- incorporating Human, Animal and Environmental Health
Gain Valuable Experience Through Co-op
The Bachelor of One Health co-op is a five-year program that includes three paid work terms. Apply what you’ve learned in the classroom to the real world, with hands-on work experiences available in private, non-profit, and governmental organizations. Benefits of co-op include:
- Relevant work experience
- Up to 12 months of work experience
- Earning while learning
- Career exploration
- Professional networking
Students can apply for the co-op program directly from high school or later for in-course admission.
What Can You Do With a Degree in One Health?
With an interdisciplinary education, One Health graduates stand out from their peers with their innovative approaches to complex challenges. Students will develop the skills and knowledge to succeed in One Health fields such as human and animal medicine, public health, wildlife and ecosystem management, food safety and security, and environmental protection, across the private and public sectors. Students will be prepared to pursue professional programs, including human and veterinary medicine, or enter graduate school.
Some career paths include:
- Agricultural Planning & Policy Expert
- Community Health Coordinator
- Conservation Biologist
- Educator
- Food Quality Assurance & Security Consultant
- Food Systems Consultant
- Indigenous Cultural Wellness Leader
- Land Use Planner & Environmental Consultant
- Lawyer
- One Health Knowledge Mobilization Specialist
- Physician
- Policy Analyst (Health, Economics, Environment)
- Public Health Officer
- Research Scientist (Environment, Human or Organismal Health)
- Veterinarian
What Alumni and Students from the program are saying about U of G
The BOH program is focused on transdisciplinary collaborative work. It allowed me to expand my interests in developing holistic solutions while exploring multiple different disciplines, from geography and epidemiology to sociology. The community supported me immensely in this. The BOH counsellor, professors, and One Health Committee gave me the encouragement and help I needed to become Canada's first One Health graduate.
The BOH program has been the best part of my academic career. Through interdisciplinary courses, I’ve learned to see the world holistically, consider all angles of real-life problems, and empathize with all situations. I have had unique experiences, like going to Madagascar to do hands-on research, with an incredible and supportive professor. Thanks to the BOH, I have the opportunity to do things that most can only dream of!
A degree that studies animals, humans, and the environment holistically?! That was it. That’s what intrigued me about this program — a comprehensive framework. I was confident that choosing BOH would be my pathway to future interdisciplinary research or into medical sciences. Owing to BOH, I’ve been able to delve deeper into scientific methods and appreciate how everything in our world is interconnected.
The Bachelor of One Health is a unique program that offers a vast set of courses and incredibly supportive professors and TAs in fields from anthropology to ecology! This program has not only expanded my perspectives through its inclusion of courses, clubs, and labs but has also allowed me to gain an incredibly supportive and passionate community at U of G.
I love being in the Bachelor of One Health program because it allows me to study a variety of subjects that I'm interested in! It acknowledges that the problems our world faces need to be examined from a variety of perspectives and it uses a innovative, multi-faceted approach to come up with solutions.
The One Health Program here at the University of Guelph is extremely unique as it combines three big areas of interest into one. I really enjoy the diversity of classes that can be taken under this degree, it is like being able to get a taste of everything while also focusing on one of the many areas of emphasis that catch your eye.
The BOH program allowed me to explore my interests through a broad range of transdisciplinary courses. Hands-on classes, such as ONEH*4000, enabled me to apply a One Health problem-solving approach to a variety of real-world issues. Along the way, I developed a strong interest in disease ecology and community health, and I am now preparing to pursue a master's degree to explore these interests further. If you're open-minded and passionate about exploring complex problems, BOH is a great place to start!
Admission Requirements
Explore admission requirements for Canadian, international, transfer, and mature students. Start your journey today!
Scholarships & Bursaries
We offer a wide range of financial aid programs to assist with funding your education at the University of Guelph.
Tour Our Campus
Through virtual tours, presentations, webinars and in-person tours, get familiar with the University of Guelph campus.
Have Questions?
Learn more about how to connect, discover, and engage with programs, facilities and life at the University of Guelph.