Behavioral and Community Health (MBCH)

Graduate Degree Program
College: Public Health

Abstract

The Department offers graduate study leading to the Master Public Health (MPH) in Behavioral and Community Health and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Behavioral and Community Health. The graduate programs are designed to prepare behavioral health professionals with specific skills and the ability to implement theoretical knowledge in a practical setting.

The mission of the MPH program is to promote the development of behavioral and community health professionals who understand the science, theory, and practice of public health and can apply this knowledge toward the enhancement of health status of communities. The MPH program is designed as a professional degree to prepare behavioral and community health professionals working in public health service as practitioners, administrators, supervisors, educators, consultants, and researchers. Students will participate in both academic and applied training in program planning and implementation, program evaluation, public policy analysis, research, and management.

Degree programs may be completed either full-time or part-time. All classes are held from either 4:00pm-6:45pm or 7:00pm-9:45pm Monday through Friday. Faculty support coursework, research and practice experiences in many areas, including: health communication; health behavior; adolescent health; women’s health; health literacy and health disparities. Faculty hold doctoral degrees in public health, psychology, health education, sociology, and epidemiology. The Department offers excellent research and laboratory facilities including the Center for Young Adult Health and Development, Laboratory for Health Behavior Assessment and Intervention and The Center for Health Behavior Research.

Financial Assistance

The Department offers a limited number of fellowships, and graduate teaching and research assistantships. Contact the Director of Graduate Studies for further information.
Contact Statement

Contact

Katherine Sharp
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Behavioral and Community Health
1234V School of Public Health Building
4200 Valley Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: 301.405.2464
Fax: 301.314.9167
Email: ksharp1@umd.edu

Website: http://www.sph.umd.edu/bch

Courses: HLTH SPHL

Relationships: Epidemiology (EPID), Health Administration (HLSA), Maternal and Child Health (MCHS)

Admission Requirements

• Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA
• GRE scores for exam taken within the past five years (UMD SPH code = 0485)
• Three Letters of recommendation that address your academic capabilities
• Statement of goals and interests
• Resume or CV

An undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 is required for admission to the MPH program. For best consideration, completed admission applications (those that include all supporting materials including GRE scores and letters of recommendation) must be received by December 15th to be considered for Fall enrollment. The final deadline in April 15th.

How to Apply: Applications should be submitted through the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) at www.SOPHAS.org. Remember to designate the University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, as one of your school choices along with your desired program. The University of Maryland School of Public Health GRE Code in SOPHAS is 0485 (the GRE is required in all applications).

For information please see http://sph.umd.edu/content/graduate-admissions.

The Department has research specializations in a variety of areas including:

• Minority health/social inequalities in health
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• Safety and health
• Sexual health
• Adolescent health and risk behavior
• Violence prevention/community violence
• Public health communication
• Treatment of nicotine dependence

Specialized laboratories operating within the Department include:

• The Laboratory for Health Behavior Assessment and Intervention
• The Center for Health Behavior Research
• The Center for Young Adult Health and Development

The proximity of the nation’s capital, the National Institutes of Health, the National Library of Medicine, the Food and Drug Administration, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and numerous public health focused private and not-for profit organizations/agencies render the University of Maryland unusually well suited for graduate work in behavioral and community health.