Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) in Maternal & Child Health
OFFERED ON CAMPUS IN TUCSON Accredited Program
The DrPH is an advanced, professional degree program that focuses on developing future leaders in public health practice, who will advance the public's health through the integration and application of a broad range of knowledge and analytical skills in leadership, practice, policy analysis, teaching, research, program management and professional communication. Knowledge and skills are based on the DrPH competencies from the Association of Schools of Public Health.
The DrPH in Maternal and Child Health is offered by the Department of Health Promotion Sciences. The DrPH in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) focuses on the population-based study of health and health care of families, infants, children, adolescents, and women of child bearing age. The program is designed to prepare students for administrative, research and teaching positions at local, state, tribal, federal, or global levels. Graduates have obtained positions as instructors/faculty in academic settings, as MCH program developers, policy analysts, research/evaluation specialists, and program directors.
Students entering without a prior MPH degree will be required to complete the five core MPH courses offered through MEZCOPH, or their equivalent, in addition to the minimum DrPH credit hours of course work in the major.
Curriculum
Required Courses: Of the 55 credit hours in the major, 14 are required DrPH courses; 16 are required DrPH course units specific to the area of concentration; 7 units are from electives or electives approved by the major advisor; and 18 units of dissertation hours. All students are required to designate a minor area of study that will be outside of the courses required for the DrPH.
DrPH Required Courses (14 units)
- PHPM 569 Fundamentals of Health Budgeting and Financial Management (3)
- PHPM 608A Public Health Law and Ethics (3)
- HPS 609 Evaluating Public Health Literature (1 unit - 2 times)
- HPS 544 Fundamentals of Evaluation (3) Or alternate evaluation course (Faculty Advisor approval) (3)
- HPS 704 Doctoral Public Health Leadership for Health Equity (3)
DrPH Maternal and Child Health Required Courses (16 units)
- HPS 565 Public Health Advocacy (3)
- HPS 682 Women and Children Health Policy (3)
- HPS 620A Advanced Research Methods in Health Promotion I (3)
- HPS 605 Community Based Participatory Action Research to Decrease Health Disparities (3)
- HPS 618 Introduction to Systematic Reviews (3)
- Service Learning Course (Choose from several 597-level courses in the series) (1)
Concentration Electives (minimum 7 units)
Minor (minimum 9 units)
The minor area of study can be in other academic doctoral programs in Public Health, or in other doctoral programs throughout the university. The minor area of study specifies the number of required minor units (minimum = 9 units).
Dissertation (minimum 18 units)
The dissertation experience provides students a mentored opportunity to analyze an important public health problem by applying state-of-the-art theoretical and applied practices.
Total Minimum Credit Requirements = 64 units
One deadline: December 15
Admissions Criteria
- The program is designed for students who have a previously awarded Master's degree, preferably a Master of Public Health, and at least two years of public health experience
- GPA of 3.2 or higher
- Three letters of recommendation
- Resume or CV
- Statement of purpose and objectives
- Research Statement
- Writing Sample
- Mission and values statement
- Official GRE scores are waived for Fall 2025 admissions
- TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for international applicants
- Relevant work/volunteer experience strengthens all applications
- Detailed admissions criteria
Apply online through SOPHAS, the centralized application service for all of the accredited schools and programs of public health.
View more details on the steps to our application process.
Admissions Events > Join us for an upcoming admissions event.
Meet Our Students > Get to know our students.
International Students > Find admissions information specific to international students.
Typical time to completion: 3-5 years (2-3 years for coursework, 1-2 years for dissertation work) for full-time students. 5-8 years for part-time students.
Average time to completion: 4.64 Program
Steps to Completion (Full-time student timeline):
- Attend mandatory new student orientation
- Students are expected to serve as a Teaching Assistantship at least once during their time in the program
- First year is devoted to course work (Students entering without an MPH must complete the MPH core courses in addition to degree requirements)
- Work with Faculty Advisor to form an initial, tentative Plan of Study
- Each Spring, complete an Annual Progress Report with Faculty Advisor
- Second year is devoted to course work and forming Comprehensive Exam Committee
- Formalize Plan of Study by end of second year
- Second/third year formalize Committee Chair and Comprehensive Exam Committee
- Take and pass Comprehensive Exams (written and oral)
- Form and formalize Dissertation Committee
- Develop a Dissertation Research Proposal
- Defend and gain approval for Proposal before Dissertation Committee
- If necessary, begin process for human subjects approval for dissertation
- Third/fourth year, research, develop and write dissertation
- Fourth/fifth year, successfully defend dissertation and finalize revisions