Mental Health, MHS

The Master of Health Science (MHS) degree is organized around a core set of four terms of graduate courses and a final research paper that demonstrates mastery of what has been learned in the coursework experience. The MHS degree is completed in one academic year when completed full-time. The program can be completed in any of these formats (or a combination of them): fully onsite, fully online, full-time, or part-time. If the program is done part-time, students are expected to complete it in a two-year period. The MHS degree in the Department of Mental Health may be combined with a certificate program offered in another department within the Bloomberg School of Public Health, e.g., Health Education, Health Finance & Management, Health Policy, Health and Human Rights, Health Communication, Health Disparities & Health Inequality, Injury Control, and Maternal and Child Health. These certificate programs are at no extra cost to full-time students and are available to enhance the mental health research educational experience. Courses taken during Winter or Summer sessions will require additional payments.

Dr. Jeanine Parisi (Director, MHS program) and Dr. Lindsey Webb (Associate Director, MHS program) serve as the academic advisers of record for all MHS students. Drs. Parisi and Webb serve as a resource for MHS students, advising on the choice of courses, career planning, guiding students in selecting a topic for their MHS paper, and connecting them with an appropriate faculty co-adviser in relation to the final MHS paper.

Bachelor's/MHS

The Bachelor's/MHS in the Department of Mental Health is designed exclusively for undergraduate students currently enrolled at Johns Hopkins University.  We encourage all JHU undergraduates to apply to this program during the regular admissions cycle.

JHU undergraduates may formally apply for early admission before completing their Bachelor's degree, preferably during the summer between their junior year and senior year or within the first month of their senior year. As soon as a student is admitted to the MHS degree program, our department will assign a graduate adviser to work with the student while the undergraduate degree is being completed. Admitted students must complete the Bachelor's degree before formally enrolling in the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Program requirements for the Bachelor's/MHS program are the same as requirements for other MHS students in our department. However, up to one-half of the PH graduate credits earned inter-divisionally toward the Bachelor's degree may also apply to the master’s degree. (This is the equivalent of no more than 16 credits, which is one full-time term of graduate-level study in the School of Public Health.) Thus, the Bachelor's/MHS degree program will require fewer than 64 credits taken as a matriculated student for those who have taken up to 16 units of coursework offered by the Bloomberg School, only if grades of A or B are earned.

Students in this program will receive co-advising from both schools to optimize their academic experience.

Contact:
Jeanine Parisi, PhD
Email: jparisi1@jhu.edu

Lindsey Webb, PhD, MHS
Email: lwebb7@jhmi.edu

Requirements

Applications for the Bachelor's/MHS degree should be submitted through SOPHAS Express by July 1st between the junior and senior years to ensure completion of the review process prior to the first day of the academic year. JHU seniors can also apply from the beginning of their senior year until October 15 once the application reopens in mid-August.  Please note that admitted students must complete the Bachelor's degree before formally enrolling in the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Applicants must submit the following:

• Transcripts from Johns Hopkins University and, if applicable, transcripts from any other college-level institutions you have attended.*
• Three letters of recommendation.
• Resume or curriculum vitae.
• Statement of purpose and objectives.
• No GRE Test scores are required for JHU students.

Program Requirements

Course location and modality is found on the BSPH website.

¹

PH.330.661 Social, Psychological, and Developmental Processes in the Etiology of Mental Disorders is taught in 3rd term. PH.330.612 Introduction to Behavioral and Psychiatric Genetics is taught in 4th term.

A minimum of 64 credits (16 credits per term) is required to complete the degree; a maximum of 22 credits is allowed in any single term. Students in the MHS program must take six credits of electives (i.e. additional courses beyond those required and described above) in the Department of Mental Health, which must be taken for a letter grade.

CEPH Courses

According to the requirements of the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), all JHSPH degree students must be grounded in foundational public health knowledge. Grounding in foundational public health knowledge is measured by the student’s achievement of the learning objectives listed below or higher-level versions of the same objectives.

CEPH Requirements

PH.552.601 Foundational Principles of Public Health (.5 credit) (offered in August,  term 1A, term 2A and term 3A)
PH.552.603 The Role of Qualitative Methods and Science in Describing and Assessing a Population's Health (.5 credit) (offered in August, term 1B, term 2B and term 3B)
PH.552.607 Essentials of Environmental Health (.5 credit) (offered term 1A, term 2A, and term 3A)
PH.552.608 Biologic, Genetic and Infectious Bases of Human Disease* (.5 credit) (offered in August, term 1B, term 2B, and term 3B)
PH.552.610 The Social Determinants of Health ** (.5 credit) (offered in August, term 1B, term 2B and term 3B)
PH.552.611 Globalization and Population Health (.5 credit) (offered in August, term 1B, term 2B and term 3B)
PH.552.612 Essentials of One Health (.5 credit) (offered term 1B and term 4A)

The CEPH courses must be completed by fourth term in order to meet graduation requirements.
* Students taking PH.330.612 Introduction to Behavioral and Psychiatric Genetics or PH.260.600 Introduction to the Biomedical Sciences  do not need to take this CEPH course.
** Students taking the PH.330.661 Social, Psychological, and Developmental Processes in the Etiology of Mental Disorders course do not need to take this CEPH course

Final Research Paper

All MHS students must complete a final research paper in their area of interest. The paper may either be a critical and comprehensive review of the literature pertaining to a specific area of interest or an original analysis of existing data. Alternate formats may also be possible (e.g., policy brief, program evaluation) with faculty approval. This paper should be of sufficient quality to be considered by the Department faculty as worthy of publication in a recognized journal or be used to inform policy or practice. A brief proposal of the final research paper should be submitted to the academic advisor during the second term and approved by the academic advisor and faculty co-advisor before work on the project is started. Special studies credits with a faculty member may be taken to allocate time and mentoring to working on this research paper. In order to graduate in May, all degree requirements are due in April. The final draft of the paper must be completed and approved by the student’s academic advisor and faculty co-advisor by the first week of April. Requirements for the MHS degree will not be fulfilled until the Department receives a copy of the research paper and a letter confirming completion of the degree requirements is filed in the Office of Records & Registrar (BSPH E1002).

For a full list of program polices, please visit the MHS in Mental Health page where students can find our handbook.

Academic Plans

During the first quarter of each academic year, each master’s student will complete a plan describing how academic and career goals will be achieved through their learning experience in the department. The plan will contain broad, general goals to be attained during the entire experience at the Department of Mental Health and list of courses to be taken to ensure success is met. A copy of the academic plan template is provided by the MHS Program Director and the Academic Program Administrator. The plan is prepared in collaboration with the advisor, and signed by the student and the advisor. The MHS Program Director will review all MHS academic plans.

Academic Progress

The performance and progress of each student is reviewed by the student’s advisor and the Academic Program Administrator for their degree.  The MHS Program Director along with the Academic Program Administrator review each student's transcripts every quarter. When the academic achievement of any student comes into question (typically this involves a grade of “C” or lower), the advisor may consult with faculty and/or the Chair about the student’s progress. Satisfactory academic progress is earning a grade of C or better in the required coursework, earning a minimum of 64 credits, a satisfactory written paper and maintaining a minimum GPA of 2.75.  Unsatisfactory or incomplete grades may constitute grounds for removal of a student from a degree program (see Dismissal Policy).

A student’s overall academic standing and progress will be judged not only on grades received, but also successful completion of a final research paper.

Mental Health Seminar Series

Attendance at the Mental Health Seminar series is required for all MHS students and first year doctoral students. Credit is obtained for attendance via a one course credit per term 330.604 Seminars in Research in Public Mental Health. All other students and fellows are expected to attend the Seminar Series throughout the course of their program to gain exposure to a wide range of mental health issues and research.

At the beginning of each term a schedule of speakers and presentation topics is shared with all of the students and faculty and is posted on the departmental bulletin board. Once per month, there will be a student-only session during this seminar time that coincides with faculty meetings. Topics for these sessions include grant writing, job search tips, reviews of recent seminars, etc. Students are welcome to suggest topics and formats. This is intended to provide students with an informal forum for peer communication and advice.

The curriculum for the MHS in the Department of Mental Health includes coursework to build knowledge in public mental health with a foundation in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. The degree can be tailored to meet the student's interests and electives can be taken from different departments throughout the school.

Upon successful completion of the Master of Health Science in Mental Health, students will have mastered the following competencies:

• Articulate key questions addressed in the study of public mental health and appropriate measures for the assessment in public mental health research.
• Describe the epidemiology and etiology of mental and behavioral disorders in populations, factors that affect their disorders in populations, and factors that affect their incidence and prevalence.
• Examine the clinical presentations, characteristics, population burden, incidence and prevalence, natural history, and risk/protective factors for major mental and behavioral health disorders.
• Describe a public health approach to the prevention and control of mental disorders and substance abuse, and apply concepts to the development and evaluation of preventive interventions for individuals, families, neighborhoods, and communities.
• Critique and synthesize public mental health research; identify frameworks, strategies, and methodological approaches in public mental health.

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.