Master of Public Health in the Field of Maternal and Child Health

Program Director: A. Vyas

Mission Statement

The maternal and child health program (MCH) at the Milken Institute School of Public Health (SPH) is a master of public health (MPH) degree program designed to train individuals to become responsible and productive public health professionals with an emphasis on MCH populations. This program investigates maternal and child health from a multi-disciplinary perspective that integrates the life course, biological, demographic, epidemiological, developmental, environmental, behavioral, and social characteristics that are unique to the health and well-being of women, children, and families.

Goals

The goals of this educational program are to provide and improve:

Knowledge and skills to assess the health care needs of women, children, and families; and
Ability to plan, design, implement, evaluate, and communicate programs and research targeted toward health promotion and disease prevention among women, children, and families

Visit the program website for additional program information.

Deadlines:	Fall - March 15 (December 15 for priority scholarship consideration) Spring - October 1 Summer - March 15
Individuals interested in applying to this program should submit their application and supporting documents through SOPHAS, a general online application for Schools of Public Health. A graduated fee is charged for this application, depending on the number of accredited schools to which you apply.
Standardized test scores:	GRE general test (institutional code 5268), LSAT, MCAT, or GMAT. Not required for Fall 2021 admission, although students may submit their scores if they feel it would be beneficial.
Recommendations required:	Two (2) recommendations
Prior academic records:	Transcripts are required from all colleges and universities attended, whether or not credit was earned, the program was completed, or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript. Transcripts must be forwarded to SOPHAS in their original sealed envelopes directly from the institution. Official transcripts from institutions outside the United States must be accompanied by an official transcript evaluation from an accredited independent evaluating agency. Please be sure you request a detailed evaluation that includes all course titles, credit hours, grade-point average (GPA), United States degree equivalency, and date of degree conferral. Please see the list of acceptable foreign credential evaluation services.
Statement of purpose:	In no more than 1500 words, state your purpose in undertaking graduate study in your chosen field. Include your academic objectives, research interests, and career plans. Also discuss your related qualifications, including collegiate, professional, and community activities, and any other substantial accomplishments not already mentioned in the application. The Committee reviews your Statement of Purpose to determine your motivation for pursuing a career in public health.
International applicants only:	Please review International Applicant Information carefully for details on required documents, earlier deadlines for applicants requiring an I-20 GW, and English language requirements. Detailed documentation needed for this program is available here. PLEASE NOTE that all programs in the Milken Institute School of Public Health require the following minimum English language test scores for admission: Academic IETLS: an overall band score of 7.0 with no individual band score below 6.0. TOEFL: 100 on Internet-based. Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to: Office of Admissions Suite 200 Milken Institute School of Public Health 950 New Hampshire Ave. NW Washington, DC 20052 Contact for questions: GWSPHadmit@gwu.edu ~ 202-994-2160 (phone) http://publichealth.gwu.edu/admissions 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday

The following requirements must be fulfilled: 45 credits, including 15 credits in core courses, 6 credits in departmental core courses, 16 credits in program-specific coursework, 6 credits in elective courses, and a 2-credit culminating experience.

Begin planning practicum during year 1; complete culminating experience in year 2.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required
Core courses
PUBH 6000	MPH Applied Practice Experience
PUBH 6002	Biostatistical Applications for Public Health
PUBH 6003	Principles and Practices of Epidemiology
PUBH 6007	Social and Behavioral Approaches to Public Health
PUBH 6011	Environmental and Biological Foundations of Public Health
PUBH 6012	Fundamentals of Health Policy
PUBH 6021	Essentials of Public Health Practice and Leadership I
PUBH 6022	Essentials of Public Health Practice and Leadership II
PUBH 6023	Interprofessional Education Experience
Departmental courses
PUBH 6500	Planning and Implementing Health Promotion Programs
PUBH 6501	Program Evaluation
Program-specific courses
PUBH 6550	Maternal and Child Health I
PUBH 6551	Maternal and Child Health II
Program-Specific Selectives
10 credits in courses selected from the following. Students should consult the advisor regarding modification/additions to this list.
EXNS 6242	Nutrition Throughout the Life Cycle
HDEV 6109	Child Development
PUBH 6235	Epidemiology of Obesity
PUBH 6240	Pediatric HIV/AIDS
PUBH 6269	Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology
PUBH 6335	Public Health and Law
PUBH 6359	Reproductive Health Policy
PUBH 6400	Global Health Frameworks
PUBH 6452	Social and Behavior Change Communication in Middle- to Low-Income Countries
PUBH 6455	Global Vaccinology
PUBH 6481	Global Mental Health
PUBH 6503	Introduction to Public Health Communication and Marketing
PUBH 6514	Preventing Health Disparities
PUBH 6552	Women's Health
PUBH 6553	Adolescent Health
PUBH 6555	Reproductive Health: U.S. and Global Perspectives
PUBH 6560	School Health and Safety
PUBH 6561	Maternal and Child Health Policy Analysis
PUBH 6563	Global Child Health
PUBH 6620	Designing Healthy Communities
Electives
6 credits in any graduate-level courses.
Culminating experience
PUBH 6015	Culminating Experience

MPH graduation requirements

Graduate credit requirement: 45 graduate credits.
Course requirements: Successful completion of core and program-specific courses.
Practicum Requirement: Students are required to fulfill all requirements of the Applied Practice Experience (Practicum) to receive credit for PUBH 6000 MPH Applied Practice Experience.
Interprofessional Education Experience (IPE): Students are required to enroll and participate in an authorized IPE activity (PUBH 6023 Interprofessional Education Experience).
Minimum grade-point requirement: minimum 3.0 (B) cumulative grade-point average.
Time limit requirement: The degree must be completed within five years.
Transfer credit policy: With approval, up to 12 graduate credits that have not been applied to any previous graduate degree may be transferred to the master of public health program. External credits must have been earned from an accredited institution in the last three years with a minimum grade of 3.0 (B) in each course. Students in SPH graduate certificate programs can transfer as many credits earned toward the certificate to the MPH degree as meet MPH degree requirements, to a maximum of 18 credits.
Graduate certificate students wishing to transfer to a degree program may apply to do so after completion of three or more courses with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 via the online change of concentration petition. A minimum grade of B is required for a specific course to be eligible for transfer.
CITI Training requirement: All students are required to complete training regarding human subject protection regulation and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
Integrity Quiz and Plagiarism requirement: All students are required to review the George Washington University Code of Academic Integrity and take the SPH Academic Integrity Quiz at GWSPH Source. within their first semester of study.
Professional Enhancement requirement: Students must participate in eight hours of public health-related lectures, seminars, and symposia, related to their field of study.