Maternal and Child Health, Graduate Certificate

Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution to be considered for admission to the Maternal and Child Health Graduate Certificate (MCHGC) program.

Application Requirements

• Online application and $50 application fee
• College transcripts
• Personal statement
• Resume (work experience is valuable but not required)
• Three reference letters
• The GRE is not a requirement for admission to the MCHGC program.

While most students who apply to the MCHGC program are public health graduate students — specifically students completing the MPH degree due to the overlap in courses between the two programs — maternal and child health leaders come to the graduate certificate program from a variety of disciplinary areas, including but not limited to, pediatrics, nutrition, nursing, psychology, counseling, social work, family and self-advocacy. Leaders from these areas and other allied public health professions who want to build upon their expertise to reach this population through the acquisition of maternal and child health specific knowledge and skills are encouraged to apply. However, they will be required to complete the MPH foundational core courses that are prerequisite to and required within this MCHGC program, specifically:

• seven credit hours of MPH foundational core courses that are prerequisite and do not apply to the MCHGC (PHPH 7011/PHPH 7711 and PHPH 7017 courses), and
• six credit hours of MPH foundational core courses are required within and do apply to the MCHGC (PHPB 7140 and PHPB 7160 courses).

Because it is possible for most or even all MCHGC program courses to apply to the MPH program, depending on the student’s MPH concentration, students pursuing the MCHGC program often also apply to and concurrently complete the MPH degree program, though earning the two credentials concurrently is not required.

Because it is possible for some MCHGC program courses to apply to the Graduate Certificate in Public Health, students pursuing the MCHGC occasionally also apply to and concurrently complete the Graduate Certificate in Public Health program, though earning the two credentials concurrently is not required.

Some MCHGC program courses apply to the public health doctoral programs (Dr.P.H. and Ph.D.), depending on the student’s concentration and focus. Some doctoral students pursue the MCHGC while concurrently completing their doctoral-degree program, though concurrently earning the two credentials is not required.

Certificate Requirements (18 Credit Hours)

• Prerequisite Public Health Foundational Courses (7 credit hours)
• Public Health Foundational Courses (6 Credit Hours)
• Core Curriculum (12 Credit Hours)

Visit the catalog for curriculum details.

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Students enrolled in the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Graduate Certificate program may be eligible to apply and receive graduate assistantships.

The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Graduate Certificate provides students the knowledge and skills needed to effectively promote and improve the health and well-being of mothers, children, and families. The program’s design is for students working in public health or professionals coming from a variety of backgrounds, including physicians, nurses, health educators, clinical research professionals, policy experts, and more.

Competencies

The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Graduate Certificate program focuses on the following key competencies:

1. Knowledge Base/Context – Understand the knowledge of maternal and child health history, systems and practice
2. Self-reflection – Assess the impact of personal values, beliefs, communication styles, cultural influences, and experiences on one’s personal and professional leadership style
3. Ethics – Learn conduct congruent with generally accepted principles and values
4. Critical Thinking – The ability to identify an issue or problem, frame it as a specific question, consider it from multiple perspectives, evaluate relevant information, and develop a reasoned resolution
5. Communication – The verbal, nonverbal, and written sharing of information
6. Negotiation and Conflict Resolution – Resolving or managing disputes and finding a solution that meets the legitimate interests of involved parties
7. Cultural Competency – Knowledge and skills necessary to communicate and interact effectively with people regardless of differences
8. Family-Professional Partnerships – Understand how to build partnerships with families to honor the strengths, culture, traditions, and expertise that everyone brings to the relationship.
9. Developing Others through Teaching, Coaching, and Mentoring – Designing the learning environment, providing guidance and structure needed for people to examine their assumptions, and influencing the career development and professional growth of another
10. Interdisciplinary/Interprofessional Team Building – Provide a supportive environment in which the skills and expertise of team members from different disciplines are acknowledged and seen as essential and synergistic
11. Working with Communities and Systems – Recognize the complexity and examine the linkages and interactions among components, norms, laws, resources, infrastructure, and individual behaviors that influence outcomes
12. Policy – Understand the resources necessary to improve health and well-being for children, youth, families, and communities, and be able to articulate those needs in the context of policy development and implementation