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)
  • OR EPID 673 Mixed Research Methods- Design, Conduct, and Application in Health Research (3)
  • OR HPS 607 Qualitative Research Methods in Public Health (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

Download Program Competencies