MHS Online
The MHS Online program in Population, Family and Reproductive Health is designed for part-time working professionals who desire skills to enable them to conduct research and evaluation in Maternal and Child Health (MCH). The program provides students with fundamental understanding of statistical methods and their application; epidemiology; research methods in a selected methodological area (epidemiologic methods, behavior sciences, or health services research and evaluation); leadership; expertise in MCH; and the application of life course perspectives on health.
The program is intended for students with one to two years of public health experience prior to entry. The specialized skills and knowledge gained during the program are essential for the workforce to promote the health of MCH populations.
The department is home to a Center of Excellence in MCH Education, Science, and Practice. Faculty are recognized experts in MCH in the areas of maternal, perinatal, child and adolescent health. Faculty are also experts in population studies and women's, sexual and reproductive health
PFRH has several centers and large initiatives linked to MCH that offer research and evaluation opportunities for students:
- Center for Adolescent Health
- Center for Early Life Origins of Disease
- Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative
- Early Childhood Services Research Program
- Women's, Infants, and Children's Program
Our online coursework in MCH is highly rated, including MCH Legislation and Policies; Demographic Methods for Public Health; and Life Course Perspectives on Health along with other courses in specific areas of MCH such as Growth and Nutrition in MCH and Infant Mortality.
Students complete the program in 1-3 years, with 64 credits (4 full-terms equivalents of coursework) including: an MHS essay and presentation; five courses in MCH; and schoolwide and departmental requirements.
A certificate in MCH is available at the completion of the program.
All PFRH MHS students must attain proficiency in the following three (3) competencies:
- Applying statistical methods to address the health of populations.
- Applying epidemiological methods to address the health of populations.
- Applying ethical concepts and tools to population health research and practice.
CEPH Learning Objectives
All PFRH MHS students must attain proficiency in the following twelve CEPH Learning Objectives:
- Explain public health history, philosophy and values
- Identify the core functions of public health and the 10 Essential Services
- Explain the role of quantitative and qualitative methods and sciences in describing and assessing a population's health
- List major causes and trends of morbidity and mortality in the US or other community relevant to the school or program
- Discuss the science of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention in population health, including health promotion, screening, etc.
- Explain the critical importance of evidence in advancing public health knowledge
- Explain effects of environmental factors on a population's health
- Explain biological and genetic factors that affect a population's health
- Explain behavioral and psychological factors that affect a population's health
- Explain the social, political and economic determinants of health and how they contribute to population health and health inequities
- Explain how globalization affects global burdens of disease
- Explain an ecological perspective on the connections among human health, animal health and ecosystem health (e.g., One Health)
Area of Interest Competencies
All PFRH MHS students must attain proficiency in five competencies in maternal and child health:
- Applying a life course framework to understand population health problems related to their area of interest, including multiple determinants framework for the health of populations across the life course.
- Identifying and assessing the causes and consequences of population change using demographic methods.
- Assessing the principal health concerns for the populations relevant to the area of interest , the associated population-based risk factors, and the relative impact of each risk factor.
- Evaluating strategies to promote population health, including health services and systems delivery strategies used to address health concerns in populations relevant to the area of interest.
- Applying frameworks specific to the area of interest (beyond life course) for improving the health of the relevant populations.
