Maternal and Child Health (MCHS)
Graduate Degree Program
College: Public Health
Abstract
Maternal and Child Health (MCH) is an interdisciplinary field in which empirical research, epidemiological data, and policy analyses are used to understand individual, family, community, and sociocultural factors that influence health behaviors, health outcomes, and use of health services by mothers, fathers, children, adolescents, and their families. The MCH doctoral program prepares students to advance research, policy, and practice to improve the health, safety, and well-being of these groups, with a particular emphasis on low income and ethnic minority populations. The program equips students to address MCH issues at both the family and population levels. It is unique in its focus on the whole family system and family health policy.
Ph.D. graduates in MCH are prepared for academic and research positions in colleges and universities; high level administrative or research positions in city/county/state/national health and human service agencies; and leadership positions in nongovernmental and advocacy organizations. MCH graduates are also increasingly hired by private healthcare organizations such as hospitals, HMOs, and health insurers.
The Department of Family Science prepares students to describe, explain, and improve the quality of family life through applied research, education, therapy, human services, policy analysis, and advocacy. The approach is interdisciplinary, emphasizing individual, interpersonal, and social change. The program of study is based on a systems or ecological paradigm, combining the perspectives of interrelated professional fields of maternal and child health, family science, couple and family therapy, family policy, behavioral science, and human services. Graduates are prepared for careers in the public, non-profit and private sectors, including university teaching, research, family policy analysis, and administrative positions in human service and public health programs.
Financial Assistance
Fellowships and Graduate Assistantships are available to students admitted into the Ph.D. program in MCH
Contact
Dr. Mia Smith-Bynum
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of Maternal and Child Health Ph.D. Program
1142 School of Public Health Building
4200 Valley Drive
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Phone: 301.405.3672
Fax: 301.314.9161
Email: msbynum@umd.edu
Department Email: fmsc@umd.edu
Website: https://sph.umd.edu/academics/doctoral-degrees/phd-maternal-and-child-health
Relationships: Family Science (FMSC)
Courses: FMSC
The Ph.D. in Maternal and Child Health program has a two-part application process: applicants must submit the SOPHAS application (www.sophas.org), the centralized application service for schools and programs of public health, and the UMD Supplemental application. Both applications must be submitted and verified by the scheduled deadline. Applications will be reviewed when the SOPHAS and the UMD Supplemental applications are completed.
GENERAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor's degree
- Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA
- Transcripts from all previous coursework
- English proficiency test score (TOEFL, IELTS or PTE) (international applicants)
- Statement of purpose and objectives including career and educational goals, professional experience, and research areas of interest
- Response to personal experiences question(s)
PROGRAM SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
- SOPHAS application & UMD Supplemental application
- Master's degree in a relevant field
- Three letters of recommendation
- Resume or curriculum vitae
- One writing sample is required. Examples of writing samples include published manuscripts, undergraduate or graduate theses, research papers, etc. If you submit a published manuscript and you are not the first author, describe the contributions you made to the publication
- Supplemental Application (required):
- Please provide a personal statement (1 page) addressing the following: (1) how your personal and professional experiences contribute to the social, intellectual, or cultural diversity within a campus community and the discipline and (2) any past experiences with advancing social justice as well as your vision for how your scholarship will contribute to advancing social justice in the discipline
- Upload the statement using the specific form (linked above)
- GRE scores are not required for this program and won’t be reviewed
- Fit between applicant's goals, expectations, research interests, program competencies, and faculty expertise
- GRE scores are waived for this program. Please do not submit GRE test scores
- Applicants being considered for the program will be invited for an interview
IN-PERSON INTERVIEW DATES: January 28, 2025, January 30, 2025, February 4, 2025, and February 6, 2025
Note for applicants with foreign credentials:
- The SOPHAS application requires that applicants submit a WES credential evaluation.
- TerpEngage requires the upload of unofficial transcripts issued in the original language with a literal English translation. Visit the Graduate School website for additional information
- Evidence of English Language proficiency is required if the applicant does not hold a degree from a U.S. institution or from one of the English-speaking countries listed on the Graduate School website
-
Language Scores must be submitted both to SOPHAS and UMD supplemental application
For detailed instructions on how to apply, please visit the School of Public Health Website: https://sph.umd.edu/graduate-application-process
Application Deadlines
| Type of Applicant | Fall Deadline |
|---|---|
| Domestic Applicants | |
| US Citizens and Permanent Residents | December 5, 2024 |
| International Applicants | |
| F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas; A, E, G, H, I and L visas and immigrants | December 5, 2024 |
| In-person interview dates: January 28, 2025, January 30, 2025, February 4, 2025, and February 6, 2025 |
RESOURCES AND LINKS
Program website: https://sph.umd.edu/academics/doctoral-degrees/phd-family-science
Application Process: https://sph.umd.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions/graduate-application-process
Admissions FAQ: https://sph.umd.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions/graduate-application-faqs
Department Graduate Assistantship Policies: https://umd.app.box.com/s/ivvw3ccbchudy4vj18e0yth5eg82r9qv
Center for Healthy Families: This Center is the training and research arm of the Couple and Family Therapy Program in the Department of Family Science. Departmental graduate students and faculty provide clinical and educational services to families from surrounding communities in this state-of-the-art facility. Master’s and doctoral students use data collected at the Center for research projects.
The University’s close proximity to the nation’s capital, the state capital in Annapolis, federal executive departments, and headquarters of national professional and public interest associations provide research and internship placements for studying family policy unmatched by any other graduate program in the discipline. The Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area offers rich opportunities for research on culturally and socioeconomically diverse families. The campus and department have excellent computer facilities. Students have ready access to the University’s extensive library systems, as well as holdings from the Library of Congress, the National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, National Archives, and many other library collections.
| Last Name | First/Middle Name | Graduate Faculty Status | Academic Credentials | Positions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barros | Patricia B. | Full Member | B.S. Universidade Catolica de Pernambuco, Psychology, 2005; M.S. Kansas State University, Psychology, 2010; M.S. Kansas State University, Marriage and Family Therapy, 2012; Ph.D. Kansas State Uniersity, Marriage and Family Therapy, 2015 | Assistant Clinical Professor, Maternal and Child Health |
| Fish | Jessica N. | Full | B.S. Central Michigan University, 2008; M.S. Purdue University Calumet, 2010; Ph.D. Florida State University, 2014 | Assistant Professor, Family Science Assistant Professor, Maternal and Child Health |
| Jones | Marian Moser | Full Member | A.B., Harvard, 1992; M.P.H., Columbia University, 2005; Ph.D. Columbia University, 2008. | Assistant Professor, Family Science Assistant Professor, Maternal and Child Health |
| Kim | Jinhee | Full Member | B.S., Seoul National University, 1993; M.S., 1995; Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2000. | Associate Professor, Family Science Associate Professor, Maternal and Child Health |
| Lewin | Amy | Full Member | B.A., Duke University, 1989; Psy.D., Rutgers University, 1995. | Associate Professor, Family Science Associate Professor, Maternal and Child Health |
| Maring | Elisabeth F. | Full Member | B.A., Emory University, 1993; Ed.M., Harvard University, 1996; Ph.D., University of Maryland, 2006. | Research Assistant Professor, Family Science Research Assistant Professor, Maternal and Child Health |
| Mittal | Mona | Full Member | B.S., Lady Irwin College, 1996; M.A., Tata Institute of Social Sciences, 1998; Ph.D., Texas Tech University, 2002; M.A., University of Rochester, 2014. | Associate Professor, Couple and Family Therapy Assistant Professor, Maternal and Child Health |
| Mokhtari | Manouchehr | Full Member | B.S., University of Tehran, 1977; M.A., University of Houston, 1984; Ph.D., 1986. | Associate Professor, Family Science Associate Professor, Maternal and Child Health |
| Quinn | Sandra Crouse | Full Member | B.S., Virginia Commonwealth University, 1973; M.E., The American University, 1977; Ph.D., University of Maryland, 1993. | Professor, Family Science Professor, Maternal and Child Health |
| Roy | Kevin | Full Member | B.S.F.S., Georgetown University, 1988; M.A., Northwestern University, 1995; Ph.D., Northwestern University, 1999. | Associate Professor, Family Science Associate Professor, Maternal and Child Health |
| Shenassa | Edmond D. | Full Member | B.A., University of California-Los Angeles, 1986; M.A., 1990; Sc.D., Harvard University, 2000. | Associate Professor, Family Science Associate Professor, Maternal and Child Health |
| Steinberg | Julia | Full Member | B.A., University of Toledo, 2001; M.A., Arizona State University, 2004; Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2008. | Assistant Professor, Family Science Assistant Professor, Maternal and Child Health |
| Thoma | Marie Elizabeth | Full | B.A.,University of Pennsylvania, 2000; M.H.S. Johns Hopkins, 2009;Ph.D., 2009 | Assistant Professor, Family Science Assistant Professor, Maternal and Child Health |