Public Health: Maternal and Child Health Ph.D.
(MCHS)
Abstract
Maternal and child health is an interdisciplinary field in which empirical research, epidemiological data, and policy analyses are used to understand individual, family, community, and sociocultural factors that influence health behaviors, health outcomes, and use of health services by mothers, children, adolescents, and their families (including fathers). The MCH program prepares students to advance research, policy, and practice to improve the health, safety, and well-being of these groups, with a particular emphasis on low income and ethnic minority populations. The program equips students to address MCH issues at both the family and population levels. It is unique in its focus on the whole family system and family health policy. Ph.D. graduates in MCH are prepared for academic and research positions in colleges and universities; high level administrative or research positions in city/county/state/national health and human service agencies; and leadership positions in nongovernmental and advocacy organizations. MCH graduates are also increasingly hired by private health care organizations such as hospitals, HMOs, and health insurers.
Admissions Information
Application Deadlines
Type of Applicant Fall Spring Domestic Applicants; US Citizens and Permanent Residents with foreign credentials; International Applicants seeking admissions under A, E, G, H, I and L visas and immigrants
Deadline: December 15
International Applicants seeking admission under F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas
Deadline: December 15
Application Requirements
Applicants to the MCH Ph.D. program should have an MPH degree or a social/behavioral science master's degree that focuses on family, maternal, and/or child health issues (including mental health). Prior to entry, students must also have completed at least one semester of a university-supervised, graduate level professional experience in a public health or mental health setting. Students without the MPH degree must complete the required 5 public health core courses (biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, health services administration, and social and behavioral sciences) within one academic year of their entry into the program. Applicants should also have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 and a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0. GREs of at least 1000 (verbal and quantitative combined) are required.
Degree Requirements
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
The Ph.D. program requires 48 graduate credit hours beyond the master's degree, including a maternal and child health core (24 credits), a research methods core (12 credits), and the dissertation (12 credits). Students in the Ph.D. program advance to candidacy after completing required coursework and passing a written comprehensive examination. After advancement to candidacy, students must complete a dissertation proposal and oral defense, followed by the doctoral dissertation and oral dissertation defense.
Financial Assistance
Fellowships and Graduate Assistantships are available to students admitted into the MCH Ph.D program.
Contact Information
For additional information contact: Dr. Sally Koblinsky (Chair), Dr. Edmond Shenassa (MCH Program Director), or Dr. Leigh Leslie (Graduate Director). Maternal and Child Health Ph.D. Program Department of Family Science 1204 Marie Mount Hall University of Maryland Phone 301-405-3672 Fax 301-314-9161 http://www.sph.umd.edu/fmsc
Courses:
Related Programs and Campus Units
Family Science
Public Health: Master of Public Health--Biostatistics
Public Health: Health Services Ph.D.
Public Health: Master of Public Health--Behavioral and Community Health
Public Health: Master of Public Health--Environmental Health Sciences
Public Health: Epidemiology Ph.D.
Public Health: Behavioral and Community Health Ph.D.
