MHS in Population, Family and Reproductive Health (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 a 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 school-wide and departmental requirements.

A certificate in MCH is available at the completion of the program.

This program modality is pending Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Approval for the modality of the curriculum structure. The pending approval will not affect admitted applicants’ ability to enroll in the program.

Graduates combine prior experience and educational training to pursue careers in policy, research, and advocacy in government, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions.

• Life Course Perspectives on Health
• Demographic Methods for Public Health
• Preventing Infant Mortality and Promoting the Health of Women, Infants and Children
• Adolescent Health and Development
• Maternal and Child Health Legislation and Programs
• Child Health and Development

OR

• Nutrition and Growth in Maternal and Child Health

OR

• Adolescent Health and Development

OR

• International Adolescent Health

Graduates of the MHS Online program in PFRH, go on to careers in organizations such as the Census Bureau, government ministries, non-governmental health organizations, state, and local MCH agencies, managed health care organizations, research institutions, health care delivery organizations, advocacy groups, and academic institutions.

MHS Online- Alumni Employment

Learning Outcomes

1. Explain public health history, philosophy and values
2. Identify the core functions of public health and the 10 Essential Services
3. Explain the role of quantitative and qualitative methods and sciences in describing and assessing a population’s health
4. List major causes and trends of morbidity and mortality in the US or other community relevant to the school or program
5. Discuss the science of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention in population health, including health promotion, screening, etc.
6. Explain the critical importance of evidence in advancing public health knowledge
7. Explain effects of environmental factors on a population’s health
8. Explain biological and genetic factors that affect a population’s health
9. Explain behavioral and psychological factors that affect a population’s health
10. Explain the social, political and economic determinants of health and how they contribute to population health and health inequities
11. Explain how globalization affects global burdens of disease
12. Explain an ecological perspective on the connections among human health, animal health and ecosystem health (e.g., One Health)