Master of Applied Science in Humanitarian Health, MAS

Program Overview

Please note: The Master of Applied Science (MAS) program in Humanitarian Health is not open to new matriculants in AY24-25. Students previously admitted to the program should consult the prior catalogue/guidebook under which they were admitted or review the MAS Student Resources site in CoursePlus. For additional information, please follow up directly with the MAS Office to verify program requirements at MAS-Office@jh.edu.

The Master of Applied Science (MAS) is a fully online, part-time degree designed for working professionals. Programs focus on emergent industry sectors in public health and healthcare that have a need for highly skilled professionals. By building on the strengths of the School, they provide unmatched opportunities for advanced training and focus on both local and global health issues. Students are prepared to create innovative solutions through multidisciplinary approaches that apply the latest scientific knowledge. All MAS programs will culminate in a final Integrative Activity. The goal of this activity is for students to synthesize knowledge and skills obtained through coursework in a final project that demonstrates mastery of program competencies, as applied to real-world public health and healthcare questions. Students can complete their degree program in as little as two years but are allowed up to four years.

Graduates gain necessary tools to adopt and adapt to the rapidly changing roles of the humanitarian professional and to support humanitarian organizations in service delivery, applied research, and public health advocacy. The Humanitarian Health Master’s program focuses on both local and global issues and prepares students to address public health problems through multidisciplinary approaches that apply the latest scientific knowledge.

LinkedIn Group

We have established a LinkedIn group for each of the MAS program areas in order to strengthen connections between current students, faculty, and alumni of MAS programs, as well as to facilitate student-to-student peer networking.

Participation is voluntary, but we encourage you to join this professional networking community.

BSPH MAS Humanitarian Health

Additional Public Health Learning Resources

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Public Health Training Center provides links to many of its online learning resources, as well as external resources, databases, and public health organizations. These can be used to supplement learning on a particular topic or provide background material. Many of these resources are available for free via their website.

The Welch Medical Library at Johns Hopkins has many resources related to research, writing, and documentation on its YouTube channel.

The School has a number of research and practice-related seminar series that occur throughout the year and contribute to the intellectual community of the School, for students, staff, and faculty. The Bloomberg School has a website that provides some additional resources for practitioners as well.

Practitioners can also access dozens of courses from Bloomberg School faculty on Coursera. Practice-focused offerings include courses on topics such as gun violence, food systems, health equity, biostatistics, and epidemiology, among others. 

MAS in Humanitarian Health Contact Information

MAS Program Advisers

Paul Spiegel, MD, MPH
Professor of the Practice and Program Co-Director, MAS programs in Humanitarian Health
Email: pbspiegel@jhu.edu

W. Courtland Robinson, PhD
Associate Professor and Program Co-Director, MAS programs in Humanitarian Health
Email: wrobins2@jhu.edu

For Program-wide Issues

Elizabeth F.  Topper, PhD, MEd, MPH
Research Professor and Director, MAS Program Office
Email: etopper2@jhu.edu

Program Requirements

Course location and modality is found on the BSPH website.

Please note: The Master of Applied Science (MAS) program in Humanitarian Health is not open to new matriculants in AY24-25. Students previously admitted to the program should consult the prior catalogue/guidebook under which they were admitted or review the MAS Student Resources site in CoursePlus. For additional information, please follow up directly with the MAS Office to verify program requirements at MAS-Office@jh.edu.

The Master of Applied Science (MAS) in Humanitarian Health curriculum is delivered entirely online and designed for working students. The part-time, 49.5-credit degree program consists of intensive graduate-level coursework culminating in the Integrative Activity, which requires students to synthesize knowledge and skills obtained through coursework in a final project that demonstrates their mastery of the program competencies. Students may complete the degree over a minimum of eight 8-week terms in two years to a maximum of four years.

Courses reflect the breadth of global public health; students are trained in epidemiology and biostatistics, form practical skills derived from workshops in professional development, and understand critical issues in the humanitarian and disaster fields.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

The Bloomberg School of Public Health requires students to maintain satisfactory academic progress for the duration of the degree program. For the MAS program, satisfactory academic progress is defined as follows:

Maintaining a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 and grades of C or better in all required courses. Grades of P are sufficient in courses that are graded as Pass/Fail. Students falling below this minimum should consult with the MAS Program Office and their Academic Adviser in order to develop a course plan to allow them to raise their GPA above 2.75 as soon as possible in order to return to good academic standing.

Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by any of the criteria above may be grounds for dismissal from the program and financial aid status will be affected. Full details of the School's Satisfactory Academic Policy can be found here.

Program Plan of Study

Students should follow the plan outlined below if they wish to complete the MAS program in two years. This plan will also allow students to maintain minimum credits needed for financial aid eligibility each term and to follow any prerequisite sequencing. Courses can be taken at a slower pace if needed, so long as course prerequisites are met.

Integrative Activity

Master of Applied science (mas) Integrative Activity: Human Subjects Research and Other Activities

This culminating experience will provide Master of Applied Science students with the opportunity to synthesize lessons learned via the application of concepts and techniques. Please note that individual degree programs may have specific guidelines related to their particular Integrative Activity course including, but not limited to, the format, presentation, and composition of final course deliverables.

As you begin planning the research for your Integrative Activity within the MAS program, please review the information below and proceed accordingly. Regardless of whether IRB review is required, all MAS students should apply ethical principles in their interactions with humans and/or their data. Please follow the BSPH Ethical Code for Student Activities that Involve Human Interactions.

1. As long as the project is limited to the context of the course or courses if components of the Integrative Activity are spread among more than one course, there is no need for IRB approval, even if the project involves human subjects research. These types of student projects are considered learning exercises when there is no plan to disseminate beyond the class, School, or affiliated agency.
2. If you do wish to publish your project while you are a student, you will need to test to see if you are conducting Human Subjects Research (HSR) which would necessitate IRB approval. You can test your project for HSR by using the IRB worksheet or consulting the IRB guidance flowchart. You will need to go to IRB for official/final determination before beginning your research in order to be approved for publication. All student-initiated research projects which you intend to publish must have a preliminary review by the IRB Office to determine whether they are human subjects research requiring IRB oversight, unless: (1) the student is working with a Principal Investigator (PI) from another institution, or (2) the PI is adding you as a student investigator to an existing IRB-approved study. If you are using human subjects data, you must obtain a determination from the BSPH IRB. If you are collecting primary new data, complete the IRB Office Determination Request Form for Primary Data Collection or if you are using existing data, complete the IRB Office Determination Request Form for Secondary Data Analysis in collaboration with your adviser and submit it to the BSPH IRB  Office e-mail address: bsph.irboffice@jhu.edu. Be sure to include your adviser in your e-mail submission.
3. If you do not intend to publish the project while you are a student, IRB approval will not be required. However, if you would be interested in publishing it after graduating from JHU, you should note that the project must meet the ethical standards of your institution and that many institutions will not allow you to present/publish human subjects research without having prior IRB approval. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you consult your organization now if you think that you may wish to publish in the future.

Program Policies

For a full list of program policies, please visit the MAS Office page where students can find our handbook.

PROGRAM COMPETENCIES

Please note: The Master of Applied Science (MAS) program in Humanitarian Health is not open to new applicants in AY24-25. Students previously admitted to the program should consult the prior catalogue/guidebook under which they were admitted or review the MAS Student Resources site in CoursePlus. For additional information, please follow up directly with the MAS Office to verify program requirements at MAS-Office@jh.edu.

The Master of Applied Science (MAS) in Humanitarian Health curriculum is delivered entirely online and designed for working students. Courses reflect the breadth of global public health; online students are trained in epidemiology and biostatistics, form practical skills derived from workshops in professional development, and understand critical issues in the humanitarian and disaster fields.

According to the requirements of the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), all BSPH degree students must be grounded in foundational public health knowledge. Please view the list of specific CEPH requirements by degree type.

By the end of the program, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of humanitarian architecture, including key organizations, international and UN systems, and sectors, including health; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); shelter; nutrition; food security; and protection.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of core humanitarian and human rights principles, treaty instruments, and codes of ethical conduct in humanitarian and disaster settings.
3. Apply skills in assessment, monitoring and evaluation, and research relevant to humanitarian contexts—including qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods.
4. Apply skills in humanitarian health project design, planning and implementation, including awareness of appropriate interventions and how to contextualize them in operational settings.
5. Critically assess and synthesize information relevant to humanitarian health interventions, prioritize decisions and actions, and communicate decisions and actions effectively.
6. Demonstrate key management and leadership skills needed to function in humanitarian and disaster contexts, including developing and maintaining collaborative relationships, operating safely and effectively, adapting and coping, and maintaining professionalism and critical judgment.
7. Apply leadership and management skills, as well as program evaluation methods, to inform decision-making in humanitarian and disaster settings.