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Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health MPH

The UC Berkeley Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Program develops the next generation of leaders equipped to solve the health challenges facing women, children, adolescents, and families of the 21st century. Our multifaceted and interdisciplinary curriculum and dynamic learning environment are designed to respond to newly emerging issues in MCAH and to the unique needs of the diverse communities and cultures of the San Francisco Bay area, State of California, and the world.

Students are trained to use their skills and expertise to achieve health equity for all. Students will learn basic principles and applications of quantitative research and epidemiology for addressing MCAH problems. They will identify the major sources of information related to MCAH populations, assess their strengths and limitations, and use data to assist in determining the needs of a population for the purposes of designing programs, formulating policy, and conducting research or training.

By the end of their studies, graduates will be able to:

  • Discuss a problem facing MCAH populations with an evidence-based rationale for why it is a topic of importance.
  • Identify and evaluate the relative contribution of individual and environmental factors associated with maternal and child health.
  • Identify a maternal and child health issue and evaluate a policy solution.
  • Interpret results of epidemiologic studies of maternal and child health problems and synthesize published epidemiological literature in order to summarize current
  • knowledge and develop and test strong research questions that will advance knowledge in the field of maternal and child health.
  • Apply basic principles of quantitative research and epidemiology for understanding and addressing MCH problems.

Curriculum

Our program is a quantitative, research-based program. The required coursework and capstone project are designed to ensure our students gain the necessary knowledge, skills and tools to comprehensively understand and conduct epidemiologic research. Students may choose to take electives in qualitative methods.

MCAH Program at UC BerkeleyMinimum Units
11-Month MCAH MPHThe 11-month MCAH program is designed for public health professionals who already hold an advanced degree (typically health professionals with experience in health services for maternal, child and adolescent populations including physicians, nurses, dentists, social workers and psychologists) or are current medical students.42 units
2-Year MCAH MPHThe two-year MCAH program is designed for students with a bachelor’s degree who demonstrate great potential for leadership and have a keen interest in research, including quantitative data collection and analysis.48 units
4+1 MCAH MPHA 4+1 MPH program in MCAH is offered to UC Berkeley Public Health Undergraduate Majors & Alumni only. Please see the 4+1 MPH program page for more information.42 units
MCAH MPH/MSW Concurrent DegreeA three-year Concurrent Degree in Social Welfare and Public Health (MSW/MPH) that combines the epidemiological approach from public health with a bio-psychosocial approach from social work. For the concurrent MSW/MPH you must apply through the UC Berkeley, School of Social Welfare to learn more about the MSW application requirements and instructions.90 units in both Social Welfare and Public Health

In addition to the school-wide breadth courses and leadership requirement, students are required to complete the program’s core courses listed below, an additional biostatistics course, one programmatic course, and capstone research project.

Core Courses

  • PBHLTH 210: Foundations of MCH Policy, Practice and Science
  • PBHLTH 210J: Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Journal Club
  • PBHLTH 210E: Practicum in MCH Data Analysis I
  • PBHLTH 210F: Practicum in MCH Data Analysis II

Capstone Research Project

As part of the requirement, students must complete a quantitative capstone research project. This project consists of a written and an oral component and is considered to be the comprehensive examination for students. Students enroll in seminars designed to support them in the capstone process.

For more information on the curriculum and recommended course sequence, please refer to the MCAH Program Handbook.

Applied Practicum Experience

The MCAH MPH curriculum also includes the Applied Practice Experience, where students apply public health skills and concepts outside of the classroom setting. Students in the two-year, MSW/MPH, and 4+1 programs fulfill this requirement by participating in a 400-hour summer practicum (10-week, full-time work experiences with a host organization). Two-year students and MSW/MPH concurrent students complete their practicum during the summer between the first and second year of the program. For 4+1 students, these placements occur in the following summer after all coursework is completed. Students in the 11-month program typically fulfill the Applied Practicum Experience through an alternative requirement (i.e., a project for a community-based organization within a service-learning course).

Careers

Graduates of our program become leaders at the local, national and global level. We have alumni working in almost every state, as well as in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. We also have alumni working across the globe in dozens of countries across six continents. Approximately 83% of our alumni continue to work in maternal, child and adolescent health; and 88% specifically address issues related to underserved or vulnerable populations (e.g., immigrant populations). Our alumni also work across a variety of public health sectors. Approximately 33% work in clinical health care settings (e.g., hospitals or health clinics), 28% in academic settings, 28% in private or non-profit settings, and 5% work in government agencies.*

*Data based on a sample of 2008, 2013 and 2016 graduates surveyed in 2018.

Admissions

Please visit the Berkeley Public Health graduate admissions requirements page to evaluate our admission requirements and determine if our program is the right fit for you. Specific program requirements and qualifications are listed under “Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health” within the Two-year MPH, 11-month MPH, 4+1 MPH sections.

  • 11-month MPH

    Applicants to this accelerated 11-month MPH program must have a prior master’s or doctoral degree. We also accept current medical students.

    • Note: We will not accept applicants who only have a bachelor’s degree, unless they are currently enrolled in medical school.
    • Common master’s or doctoral degrees held for admitted applicants: medicine, nursing, social work.

    Work experience in a health-related field, particularly with women, children, adolescents, and/or families.

    • Common work experience for admitted applicants includes health professionals (e.g., pediatricians, obstetricians, gynecologists, nurses and social workers, and other qualified master- or doctoral-level trained health professions) and/or research in a public health setting.
  • Two-Year MPH

    Recommendations for Competitive Applicants:

    • Applicants to this program should be post-baccalaureate students who possess public health work and research interests in the field of maternal, child, and adolescent health.
    • Common undergraduate majors for admitted applicants: biology, medicine, sociology, anthropology, global studies, political science, and public health.
    • Applicants should have or express aspirations to gain knowledge and skills in MCAH focused epidemiology and quantitative data analysis.
    • Applicant should have a minimum of two years of significant post-baccalaureate work/volunteer experience in the field of maternal, child, and adolescent health.
      • Examples of experience in the field of MCAH include: epidemiological and/or quantitative research, data analysis, program planning, implementation and/or evaluation.
      • The admissions committee may occasionally consider applicants who do not meet this requirement if other measures of performance, such as research experience, are particularly strong.
    • Applicants must demonstrate leadership potential.
    • Applicants must Demonstrate academic and professional capability to study at the graduate level in a quantitative and epidemiological focused program.
    • Application materials should be focused on work completed after the bachelor’s degree program and in all post-baccalaureate coursework.
    • GRE scores are optional for the fall 2023 admissions cycle. We recommend submitting a GRE if you have no other evidence of quantitative, verbal, or analytical abilities in your application.
    • Applicants must have completed at least one college-level mathematics or statistics course with at least a grade of B or equivalent, reflected on an official transcript.

Funding for Admitted Students

Our program can provide some financial support to admitted and enrolled students in a variety of ways. Almost all funding provided is through our Center of Excellence in Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH), which is a funded training center through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

  • Students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible for financial support from our Center of Excellence in MCAH and efforts are made to support all students in need for at least one semester during their time in the program.
  • Admitted students who would like to participate in Spring Visit Day but need financial assistance to attend can contact the program manager to see if funding is available for travel support.
  • A limited number of traineeships are awarded to students annually. Traineeships are small financial awards that typically cover a portion of tuition and fees for the semester. These awards are based on faculty review and student applications, so we recommend making applications as strong as possible.
  • The program also provides some financial support for summer internships. Students are asked to submit an application if they are requesting financial support for a summer placement.
  • The program also supports students through Graduate Student Instructors (GSI) and Graduate Student Researchers (GSR) positions. The availability of these positions are not guaranteed each semester.
  • Lastly, students may be eligible for GSI or GSR positions through our affiliated research centers.

Students who wish to work during the program are usually able to do so and both on-campus and external employment possibilities exist.

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