Department of Maternal and Child Health (GRAD)
The Gillings School's Department of Maternal and Child Health was founded in 1950 and is one of the world’s leading academic departments for research, teaching and practice.
We are dedicated to improving the health of women, children, and families — domestically and globally. Our teaching program provides students with broad exposure to maternal and child health population needs and priorities, as well as with the skills to become leaders of tomorrow. Our faculty members represent a rich mix of academic backgrounds and interests and contribute their expertise and leadership in a wide range of disciplines. We invite you to join us as we embark upon an exciting new year of scholarship, leadership, and service.
Degrees and Programs
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) Programs
Master of Public Health (M.P.H. Residential)
The Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) concentration in Maternal, Child and Family Health (MCFH) focuses on the determinants, mechanisms, and systems that promote and maintain the health and safety of women, children, and their families to enhance the future health and welfare of society. Our field is population-based and interdisciplinary, and we provide a strong foundation of knowledge, frameworks, and methods for program monitoring, process/impact evaluation, and program planning and implementation. As graduates, students will be equipped with a highly adaptable toolkit and prepared to lead interdisciplinary efforts that require multiple perspectives and competencies in domestic and global contexts. The degree is designed for students who have a bachelor’s degree and is intended for applicants who plan a practice career. It requires 42 credit hours, entailing SPH integrated core courses, MCFH core courses, and three elective courses.
Dual Master of Public Health and Master of Social Work (M.P.H.-M.S.W. Residential)
A cooperative arrangement between the Gillings School and the School of Social Work (SSW), the Dual Master of Public Health and Master of Social Work provides knowledge of the major factors associated with maternal health and child health, principles and methods for improving the health of mothers and children, and principles and methods of program planning, management, consultation, and policy analysis in the U.S. and in international settings. The program provides skills related to program planning, implementation, and evaluation; limited scientific investigation; computer applications; interdisciplinary functioning; and consultation as they relate to maternal and child health. The program objective is to develop a public health perspective consistent with population-based strategies for solving community health problems, addressing the responsibility of government and the contributions of scientific investigation and the interdisciplinary approach.
Dual Master of Public Health and Doctor of Pharmacy (M.P.H.-Pharm.D. Residential)
The objective of the Pharm.D./M.P.H. dual degree is to prepare students for an ever-expanding pharmacist role that increasingly requires proficiency in medication therapy management and health promotion on an individual patient, regional, state, and national level. A public health pharmacist is expected to use their pharmacotherapeutic knowledge and skills, in combination with their public health skills, to “plan, organize, manage, and perform drug-related activities within a specific public health focus or within a public health setting.
Doctoral Program (Ph.D.)
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is a residential degree program which develops research scholars capable of producing and disseminating new knowledge and methods for the public health profession in the field of maternal and child health. Each doctoral student is expected to develop and demonstrate competence in at least three areas: core maternal and child health content, research methods, and a chosen area of specialization. The specialization area will be related to the student’s dissertation research.
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) - Maternal, Child, and Family Health Concentration
At the Gillings school, we're dedicated to improving the health of women, children and families - in North Carolina and around the world. Women and children are the largest component of the global population, but experience has shown that — absent categorical attention — their needs are not equitably addressed.
Moreover, the health of this critical population provides key indicators of the well-being of the population as a whole across the life course. The World Health Organization’s current mission and global strategy reflect these realities, and women, children and adolescents are at the heart of the new United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Degree Requirements
Requirements for the M.P.H. degree in the Maternal, Child, and Family Health concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| M.P.H. Integrated Core | ||
| SPHG 711 | Data Analysis for Public Health Fall 1 | 2 |
| SPHG 712 | Methods and Measures for Public Health Practice Fall 1 | 2 |
| SPHG 713 | Systems Approaches to Understanding Public Health Issues Fall 1 | 2 |
| SPHG 701 | Leading from the Inside-Out Spring 1 | 2 |
| SPHG 721 | Public Health Solutions: Systems, Policy and Advocacy Spring 1 | 2 |
| SPHG 722 | Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating Public Health Solutions (MPH Comprehensive Exam administered in class) Spring 1 | 4 |
| M.P.H. Practicum | ||
| SPHG 703 | MPH Pre-Practicum Assignments Spring 1 | 0.5 |
| SPHG 707 | MPH Post-Practicum Assignments Fall 2 | 0.5 |
| M.P.H. Concentration | ||
| MHCH 701 | Foundations of Maternal and Child Health I Fall 1 | 3 |
| MHCH 702 | Foundations of Maternal and Child Health II Spring 1 | 2 |
| MHCH 713 | Research Methods in Maternal and Child Health Spring 1 | 3 |
| MHCH 713L | Research and Evaluation Methods in Maternal and Child Health Lab Spring 1 | 1 |
| MHCH 728 | Introduction to Implementation Research and Practice in Maternal, Child and Family Health Fall 2 | 3 |
| MHCH 723 | Introduction to Monitoring and Evaluation Spring 2 | 3 |
| M.P.H. Electives | ||
| Elective (Graduate-level courses, 400+ level at Gillings, 500+ level at UNC) | 3 | |
| Elective (Graduate-level courses, 400+ level at Gillings, 500+ level at UNC) | 3 | |
| Elective (Graduate-level courses, 400+ level at Gillings, 500+ level at UNC) | 3 | |
| M.P.H. Culminating Experience | ||
| MHCH 992 | Master's (Non-Thesis) Spring 2 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 42 | |
Admissions
Please visit Applying to the Gillings School first for details and information. Application to the residential M.P.H. is a 2-step process. Please apply separately to (1) SOPHAS and (2) UNC–Chapel Hill (via the Graduate School application). Visit the Graduate School website for more details. If you are interested in the online M.P.H., please visit the MPH@UNC website and fill out an inquiry form.
Milestones
- Master's Committee
- Master's Written Examination/Approved Substitute (Comprehensive Exam)
- Thesis Substitute (Culminating Experience)
- Residence Credit
- Exit Survey
- Master's Professional Work Experience (Practicum)
Maternal and Child Health, Doctoral Program (Ph.D.)
The Ph.D. program develops research scholars capable of producing and disseminating new knowledge and methods for the public health profession in the field of Maternal and Child Health. Each doctoral student is expected to develop and demonstrate competence in at least three areas: core Maternal and Child Health content, research methods, and a chosen area of ‘specialization.’ The specialization area is topic-specific and should be related to the area chosen for the student’s dissertation research.
Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Public Health Foundational Courses | ||
| SPHG 600 | Introduction to Public Health 1 | 3 |
| Core Courses | ||
| MHCH 701 | Foundations of Maternal and Child Health I 2 | 3 |
| MHCH 702 | Foundations of Maternal and Child Health II 2 | 2 |
| MHCH 801 | Doctoral Research Seminar | 3 |
| MHCH 859 | Proposal Development for Maternal and Child Health | 3 |
| Two Research Method Courses 3 | 6 | |
| Two Analytic Courses 4 | ||
| MHCH 862 | Program Impact Evaluation | 3 |
| Minor | ||
| Ph.D. students must declare a minor course of study in another department or program in the School of Public Health. Minors in departments in other Schools can be considered (e.g. Public Policy) but must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor and the Associate Chair for Academics. 15 hours of coursework in the minor department are required. | 15 | |
| Electives | ||
| A minimum total of 13 elective credit hours required. Must be graduate level courses. | 13 | |
| Thesis/Substitute or Dissertation | ||
| MHCH 994 | Doctoral Research and Dissertation (Two semesters for 3 credits each) | 6 |
| Minimum Hours | 57 | |
- 1
Students with a prior public health degree are not required to take SPHG 600; exemptions are available for those with non-public health degrees from accredited SPHs. Students should discuss with their Academic Coordinator.
- 2
Students who have an M.P.H. in Maternal and Child Health do not need to take the MHCH 701 and MHCH 702 sequence.
- 3
All students must complete at least two 3-credit courses in research methods (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed). These courses can be taken outside of the MCH Department but must be approved by the student’s faculty mentor.
- 4
One of the analytic courses is MHCH 862. Students must take a minimum of two other quantitative analytic courses that include multivariate analysis. The two additional courses may be taken in other UNC departments, must be approved by the student’s faculty mentor, and have no minimum credit hour requirement attached to the non-MHCH 862 courses.
Elective Course Options
Milestones
- Doctoral Committee
- Doctoral Oral Comprehensive Exam
- Doctoral Written Exam
- Prospectus Oral Exam
- Advanced to Candidacy
- Dissertation Defense
- Doctoral Dissertation Approved/Format Accepted
- Residence Credit
- Exit Survey
- Doctoral Research Experience
Following the faculty member's name is a section number that students should use when registering for independent studies, reading, research, and thesis and dissertation courses with that particular professor
Professors
Dorothy Cilenti (036), Improved Care Systems for Vulnerable Women and Children, Build Foundational Capabilities of Governmental Public Health Agencies, Systems Integration, Workforce Development, Evidence-Informed Decision-Making
Sian Curtis (049), International Reproductive and Maternal Health, Including Family Planning and Abortion, Monitoring and Evaluation of Population and Health Programs
Julie Daniels, Epidemiology of Reproductive Health, Infant and Child Growth and Development, Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Environmental and Nutritional Exposures Related to Reproductive and Developmental Outcomes
Claudia Fernandez (031), Workforce and Leadership Development, Inter-Professional Teams, Leadership Issues in Healthcare and Related Fields
Herbert Peterson (001), Global Health, Maternal and Newborn Health, Including Family Planning, Implementation Science
Ilene Speizer (015), Unintended Pregnancy Prevention, Evaluation of Reproductive Health Programs in Developing Countries, Adolescent Health, Male and Couple Involvement, Gender-Based Violence, HIV Prevention
Alison Stuebe (069), Breastfeeding, Maternal Depression, 4th Trimester Needs
Clinical Professors
Pierre Barker, Improving the Reliability of Effective Health Programs in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australasia, and Latin America
John Thorp Jr., Preterm Birth, Birth Asphyxia, Episiotomy, Community Child Health
Associate Professors
Sherri Green (025), Maternal Health, Public Health Leadership, Substance Abuse, Violence Prevention
Larissa Jennings Mayo-Wilson, Improved Sexual and Reproductive Health and HIV in Adolescents and Young Adults, LGBTQ Health, Economic-Strengthening Interventions Reducing Sexual and Reproductive Health Inequities, Biostatistical, Epidemiologic and Respondent-Driven Sampling and Qualitative Analysis
Kavita Singh Ongechi (010), Evaluation of Maternal and Child Health Interventions in Low and Middle Income Countries, Role of Social Factors on Maternal and Child Health Outcomes, Measurement of Maternal and Child Health Outcomes, Newborn Health
Meghan Shanahan (067), Diagnosis and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, Program Evaluations, Prescription Drug Overdose
Bharathi Zvara (055), Early Childhood Adversities, Parent-Child Relationships, Childhood Health and Development Lifetime Consequences of Trauma across Generations
Assistant Professors
Janine Barden-O’Fallon (033), Family Planning, Reproductive Health, International Health, Monitoring and Evaluation Methods for Global Health Programs in Developing Countries
Kristin Black (081), Community-Based Participatory Research, Mixed Methods and Racial Equity Approaches to Understand and Address Inequities in Reproductive Health and Chronic Disease Outcomes
Angela Parcesepe (048), Violence, Mental Health, Substance Use Disorders, Global HIV Prevention, Treatment in Low-Resource Settings
Catherine Sullivan (072), Breastfeeding, Lactation, Birth Practice, Nutrition Education and Support Services, Pediatric Obesity, Maternal Weight Management, Fourth Trimester
Christine Tucker (013), Maternal Health, Birth Outcomes, Practice-Based Research and Program Evaluation, Latino Health, Migrant Farmworker Health
Lindsey Yates, Social Justice, Health Equities, Healthcare Access for Underrepresented Minorities
Teaching Assistant Professor
Caroline Chandler (85), Early Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health and Well-Being, Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
Jon M. Hussey (34), Child Abuse and Neglect, Child and Adolescent Health, Injury Prevention, Population
Adjunct Professors
Jose Belizan, International Maternal and Child Health, Implementation Science
Janie Benson, Global Reproductive Health, Program Monitoring and Evaluation
Pouru Bhiwandi, Gynecology, International Women's Health, Public Health, Maternal and Child Health
Dorothy Browne, High-Risk Individuals and their Families (Drugs, HIV and AIDS, Sexual Behavior, etc.) Maternal and Child Health Disparities
Martha Carlough, Global Maternity Care, Global Health Education
Roldolfo Gomez Ponce de Leon, Global Sexual and Reproductive Health
Phillip Graham, Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention, Program Evaluation
Marcia Herman-Giddens, Child Development, Abuse and Advocacy, Infectious Diseases
Vijaya Hogan, Infant Mortality, Prematurity, Health Equity
Marian Johnson-Thompson, Microbiology, Environmental Health
Michael Kafrissen, Clinical Research, Product Development, Aging
Baker Maggwa, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Operations and Implementation Research
Elizabeth McClure, Maternal and Newborn Health in Low and Middle-Income Countries
Tekleab Mekbib, Implementation Science
Logan Nickels, Biochemistry, Family Planning, Male Contraception
Krista Perreira, Immigrant Health, Reproductive Health, Mental Health, Cardiovascular Health, Public Policy Analysis
Rohit Ramaswamy, Implementation Science, System and Improvement Science with Maternal and Mental Health Focus
Doris Rouse, Maternal and Child Health, Global Health, Public and Private Partnerships
Robert Schepbier, Implementation Science
Wendee Wechsberg, HIV Prevention, Women and Gender Issues, Substance Use, Gender-Based Violence
Adam Zolotor, Child Maltreatment, State Health Policy
Adjunct Associate Professors
Joy Baumgartner, Maternal and Child Health, Global Mental Health, Health Services Research and Evaluation
Mary Jane Benson, Global Reproductive Health, Program Monitoring and Evaluation
Deborah Billings, Global Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice, Pre- and Post-natal Care, Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence, Abortion and Post Abortion Care
Shelah Bloom, Reproductive Health, Gender-Based Violence in Global Context
Dalia Brahmi, Sexual and Reproductive Health (Safe Abortion and Contraception), Primary Care
Holly Burke, Family Planning, Contraception, HIV Prevention, Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health, Health Communication, Program Evaluation
Cynthia Cassell, Reproductive Health, Global Health, Children with Special Healthcare Needs
Kerith Conron, Social and Psychiatric Epidemiology, LGBT Health
Abigail English, Adolescent Health, Policy and Law, Human Trafficking
Jennifer Fehringer, Global Health Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning, Technical Leadership of Awards, Mixed-Methods Impact Evaluations and Qualitative Components Impact
Alfredo Fort, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Population and Facility-Based Survey Design
Jean Fotso, Maternal and Child Health, Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health
Dana Hagele, Policy and Program Development for At-Risk Child Populations, Child Behavioral and Emotional Difficulties
Dilshad Jaff, Global Public Health
Nathalie Kapp, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Most Significantly in the Areas of Contraception and Abortion
Gerri Mattson, Child and Adolescent Preventive Health, Perinatal Depression and Substance Abuse, Foster Care, Mental Health
Donna McCarraher, International Health, Research and Programs in Maternal Health, Family Planning, Service Integration
Robert Murphy, Childhood Traumatic Stress
Aunchalee Palmquist, Ethnographically Informed Research on Human Lactation, Breastfeeding, Bioethics and Human Rights Frameworks, Reproductive Health Inequities
Tammy Ringel-Kulka, Children's Oral Health, Health Promotion, and Disease Prevention
Lucy Siegel, Health Care Access, Quality, Effectiveness and Cost
David Sokal, Family Planning, Promoting Research on New Male Methods
John Stanback, International Family Health, Reproductive Health
Elizabeth Tolley, Health Behavior, Contraception, HIV Prevention and Treatment
Sarah Verbiest, Maternal and Child Health, Health Equity, Leadership, Implementation Science
Yudan Wang, Policy Evaluation, Injury Prevention, Quantitative Research Methods
Adjunct Assistant Professors
Kathryn Andersen, Global Health, Abortion, Contraception, Reproductive Health
Mary Ashinyo, Planning, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation of Global Healthcare Facility Quality Improvement
Courtney Bonner, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Mental Health, Substance Use, and Violence, Sustainable Intervention Development
Amy Bryant, Family Planning, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Cecilia Casanueva, Child Maltreatment, Maternal and Child Health
Renee Ferrari, Qualitative Methods, Preventative Health Services, Health Services Research, Maternal and Child Health
William Oscar Fleming, Capacity of the Public Health Workforce to Understand Complex Systems and Collaboratively Design and Implement Public Health Innovations
Shoshana Goldberg, LGBT, Adolescent and Sexual Reproductive Health, LGBT Socioeconomic Disparities and Social Determinants across Life Course
Melissa Green, Leadership, Social Media, Health Inequity
Joumana Haidar, Implementation Science
Stephanie Hernandez, Health Disparities, LGBT Health, Quantitative Methodology, Population Health
Nicole Kahn, Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health, Disability, the Life Course, Child Development, Teaching Skills and Course Development
Priya Nanda, Population Reproductive Health and Gender Equality
Constance Newman, Gender and Sexual Reproductive Health, Gender Based Violence in the Workforce
Logan Nickels, Family Planning, Male Contraception, Biochemistry
McLean Pollock, Adolescents and Young Adults, Substance Abuse, Violence Against Women, Child Maltreatment
Marcia Roth, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, Family-Centered Care, Cross-Sector Efforts Addressing Health Care Access Inequities and Disparities
Mallory Turner, Child Development, Racial and Early Life Inequities and Disparities
Nana Twum-Danso, Quality Improvement, Large-Scale Change, Community Health and Maternal, Newborn and Child Health
Stephanie Watson-Grant, Global Health Policy Effects on Health Systems and Health Outcomes, Monitoring and Evaluation
Andra Wilkinson, Adolescent Health Issues, Program Implementation and Outcomes
Katie Wouk, Breastfeeding, Mixed Methods Quality Improvement, Equity Improvement for Quality Care Access
Jennifer Yourkavitch, Equity, HIV and Infectious Disease, Health Systems and Service Delivery, Data Quality, Infant Feeding; Domestic and Global
Adjunct Instructors
Leslie deRosset, Maternal and Child Health Inequities and Disparities
Rebecca Greenleaf, MCH, Developmental Disabilities, Curriculum Development, Early Childhood
Amy Mullenix, Workforce Development, Women's Preconception Health
Faculty Emeriti
Trude Bennett
Anita M. Farel
Jonathan B. Kotch
Lewis Margolis
Diane Rowley
MHCH
Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate-level Courses
This survey course will briefly cover the principal topics in this broad field of knowledge, including domestic and global issues.
Permission of the instructor. For students outside the department of MCH who desire a survey of current issues and programs in maternal and child health. Three lecture hours per week.
This course covers nutrition during the life cycle. Units include women during preconception, pregnancy, and lactation; infancy; childhood; adolescence; and older adults (65+). Nutrient and energy needs, assessment of nutritional status, and cultural and socioeconomic barriers are discussed for each phase.
This course examines unintentional injuries from a public health perspective. The course covers core concepts in injury prevention and control, including the epidemiology of unintentional injury, prevention strategies, behavioral models, child and adolescent injury, messaging framing, the Haddon matrix, and injury surveillance.
This course covers core concepts in violence prevention and control, including the epidemiology of violence, prevention strategies for inter-personal and intra-personal violence, behavioral models that describe power structures that reinforce personal and societal factors affecting self-harm and violence towards others, and violence directed towards children and adolescents.
Globalization--its economic, environmental, political, technological, institutional, and sociocultural dimensions--historically and currently contributes to beneficial and adverse effects on population, community, and family and individual health.
Eliminating health disparities is a national goal for improving the health of Americans. Little to no progress has been made on eliminating disparities among racial/ethnic subpopulations compared to the population of the United States. This course treats basic concepts about the origins of and contributing factors for health disparities.
Featuring international experts from UNC-Chapel Hill and Triangle-based nongovernmental organizations, this course will offer a series of lectures, panel discussions, and debates to inform students' critical thinking on key public health issues in global sexual and reproductive health.
Through lectures and panel discussions this course will use a life span framework to examine selected aspects of sexual development, including perspectives on sexuality; the physical self; sexual attraction, behavior, and relationships; and the implications of these factors for physical and mental health. No prerequisites; all students are welcome.
Special topics in maternal health and child health. Content will vary from semester to semester.
Graduate-level Courses
This course introduces the major issues affecting the health and well-being of women during the reproductive years, infants, children, and adolescents in domestic and international settings. First semester of a two-semester course. Permission of the instructor for non-majors.
Permission of the instructor for nonmajors. Second part of a two-part course that introduces the major issues affecting the health and well-being of women during the reproductive years, infants, children and adolescents in domestic and international settings. Second semester of a two-semester course.
This independent study will include selection of a research area that would allow preparation of a coauthored paper for peer-review publication on an approved subject related to infant and young child feeding and care and associated maternal health and nutrition issues.
This course is designed to integrate the theory, research literature, and evidence-supported practices related to leadership in maternal and child health. Students will consider each of the twelve core MCH Leadership Competencies within the spheres of influence that leaders experience as they advance in their careers. Students will hear from public health professionals in the field, consider perspectives of various stakeholders and examine/apply new skills.
The art and science of MCH research, with an emphasis on the critical evaluation of research design and findings. Focuses on the principles of strong quantitative and qualitative study designs, analytic approaches, and secondary data analysis. A practice-based course. Three lecture hours per week. Permission of the instructor for nonmajors.
Permission of the instructor for nonmajors. The MHCH 713 lab, which is a companion course to MHCH 713, introduces students to statistical analysis using Stata. One hour and 15 minutes of lab per week.
Permission of the instructor for nonmajors. Course provides overview of critical issues including major theoretical frameworks, patterns and trends over time, and overview of history of family planning and reproductive health policy development. Three lecture hours per week.
Permission of the instructor. This course focuses on the design, organization, and delivery of services for children with special needs and their families, and examines current program development and public policies. Participants analyze the range of services needed by these children.
This course covers the main causes of maternal and under-five morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries and also the interventions, policies, and research which address these causes. Emphasis is placed on social, biological and environmental determinants, measurement and conceptual frameworks. Lectures, class discussions and in-class activities are used to delve into the material. Emphasis is placed on both country-driven and global initiatives to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
This course provides students with the basic concepts and methodologies needed to monitor and evaluate global health programs. The course covers M&E systems, conceptual frameworks/logic models, indicators, information sources, evaluation designs, and other related topics for health programs in global settings. This course is a requirement for the MCFH and GH concentrations. The course format consists of a seminar-style class that meets weekly.
This course will provide an overview of the critical issues in abortion care and policy, both in the US and globally. We will cover the epidemiology of abortion globally and nationally and will explore the historical, legal, cultural, bioethical and clinical dimensions of abortion care and policy.
Topics covered include the epidemiology of health problems, developmental issues, health services, and psychosocial influences on adolescent problem behaviors. Course materials are useful for research generation and practical application. Three seminar hours per week.
Permission of the instructor for nonmajors. Implementation research and practice addresses the gap between the development of innovations in public health and their delivery in routine practice. Course provides an overview of core theories/methods in implementation research and practice plus implementation determinants and strategies at the intervention, individual, organizational, and policy levels.
This course examines contributions of implementation science to global maternal and child health with a focus on research methods. The course builds on introductory implementation science courses to highlight further the application of implementation science theories, frameworks, and tools to challenges in global health.
The MHCH Gender-Based Violence (GBV) course provides a forum for students to explore contemporary issues in GBV from both a research and practice standpoint. Students will be introduced to a myriad of domestic and international GBV issues, such as intimate partner violence and campus sexual assault.
Prerequisites to be arranged with departmental faculty in each individual case for this self-/independent-study course. Two to six hours a week.
MHCH 745 will integrate theory, research literature, and evidence-supported practices that promote optimal population health outcomes in women, children, adolescents, and family. The course will allow participants to examine and apply knowledge and skills that lead to health transformation in the 21st century. Topics include: Title V assessment, current funding for MHCH; equity and the social determinants of health; workforce development; change management and leadership; community engagement; systems thinking; evidence-based decision making; and implementation science.
Master's or clinical four-year degree required. This two-semester clinical course is structured to provide supervised breastfeeding support education in the context of clinical lactation services and public health practice.
Master's or clinical four-year degree required. This two-semester clinical course is structured to provide supervised breastfeeding support education in the context of clinical lactation services and public health practice.
This introductory qualitative research methods course focuses on understanding the meaning, purpose, and basic concepts of qualitative research for public health practice. Through applied work, students will learn how to formulate qualitative research questions, develop interview guides, collect data, analyze data, and report findings.
Cultural Humility is part of the required training sequence for first-year MPH students in the Global Health concentration. This course provides students with the skills to work in culturally complex settings and to apply cultural humility when engaging in global health research and practice. This course is also designed to give students the skills to identify and effectively address ethical issues that arise in global health research and practice. MPH Global Health Concentration students only.
This graduate seminar provides Maternal and Child Health (MCH) students with an opportunity to examine key theories and qualitative methodologies that advance anti-racist, abolitionist, intersectional feminist, and emancipatory scholarship for health equity and reproductive justice. Students gain a deeper understanding of the intellectual foundations of research justice. And learn to design research questions, data collection strategies, and analytic techniques that decolonize knowledge production. Preference given to students enrolled in the MCH department or MCFH concentration.
The MCH Doctoral Seminar provides a forum for first year MCH doctoral students to hone their skills in developing research questions, searching scientific literature, and preparing comprehensive literature reviews for publication. It introduces students to several types of literature reviews used to inform health practices, programs and policies. MCH doctoral students only.
Enrollment in MCH doctoral program required. MCH internship to enhance doctoral training in teaching.
Enrollment in MCH doctoral program required. This MCH internship is to enhance doctoral training in research through exposure to and participation in various stages of research.
Epidemiology of reproductive and perinatal health outcomes, including infertility, fetal loss, preterm birth, birthweight, congenital malformations, and infant mortality. Includes current knowledge regarding epidemiology of these outcomes and discussion of methodologic issues. Three lecture hours per week.
Critical review of current topics in, and methods for, perinatal and pediatric epidemiology.
A course in the development and preparation of a research proposal of high public health significance and methodological rigor, following the format of an NIH application. Students will also be introduced to the NIH review process and engage in critical evaluation of peer assignments. This is a required course for doctoral students. Permission required for non-majors, masters & 1st year doctoral students.
The course follows the research process from the formulation of a research question and the design of a research methodology to the addressing of the question through the design of an appropriate analysis strategy. Three lecture hours a week.
Required preparation, knowledge of Stata or SAS; proficiency in inferential statistics and multiple regression analysis. Instructor permission required for non-second year MCH doctoral students. Program impact evaluation analytic skills seminar. Topics: selectivity, research designs, instrumental variables, difference-in-differences, fixed and random effects, regression discontinuity, matching, and selection models.
Special topics in Maternal and Child Health for graduate students only. Content will vary semester to semester.
Master's independent learning experience for MCFH students. Please sign up under your faculty mentor's section number.
For MCH doctoral students in their dissertation phase. Doctoral students must have passed the Doctoral Written Comprehensive Exams before registering for this course. Please sign up under your faculty advisor's section number.
Department of Maternal and Child Health
