Non-Degree Training

Post Doctoral Fellows

The Department welcomes individuals who have completed doctoral degrees to postdoctoral fellow (PDF) affiliations. PDFs identify a mentor and enjoy advising from faculty and use of the School’s facilities.

Prospective PDFs should submit a PDF application. The Application requires proof of sponsorship by either the School or an outside agency for the entire period of the program. Post-doctoral fellows may not use personal funds to support themselves during their program. PDFs will not be able to register, be paid, and/or buy health insurance until verification of their official receipt of the doctoral degree is filed and their PDF application is formally approved.

After being admitted to the Program, each fellow should design, in collaboration with their faculty mentor, an Individualized Development Plan for their research time with the Department. PDFs should discuss the anticipated duration of their fellowship with their mentor when they begin the fellowship. PDFs are evaluated annually and must maintain an appropriate level of professionalism and scientific research for the duration of their program.

PDFs must adhere to the student code of conduct (“Student_Conduct_Code”) for all students of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

PDFs are considered non-degree-seeking students and should register for 16 credits during each course term. The Postdoctoral Research Credits course number is PH.330.830 POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH MENTAL HEALTH. Tuition for PDFs is set at $200 per term by the School and a postdoctoral scholarship covering tuition is generally granted. PDFs have the option of taking up to 16 credits of courses during their fellowship period. PDFs who wish to take academic courses should discuss this with their research mentor as part of their Individualized Development Plan; these courses cannot be transferred into a degree program at a later date. Please visit the School's PDF website and PDF guidebook for additional critical information.

The NIH requires that Postdoctoral fellows supported by an NIH training grant receive training in the responsible conduct of research. Courses that fulfill this requirement are PH.550.600 LIVING SCIENCE ETHICS - RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH and PH.306.665 RESEARCH ETHICS AND INTEGRITY: U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES.  These courses must be taken for pass/fail. Postdoctoral Research fellowships are generally for two years. The postdoctoral programs differ from program to program. Most postdoctoral fellowships are tailored to the needs and abilities of the individual fellow.

Upon satisfactory completion of their program, PDFs are issued a Certificate of Completion from the School of Public Health.

Further questions may be directed to the Academic Program Administrator, Patty Scott, at patty.scott@jhu.edu.

Helpful Links

Certificate Programs

Certificate Programs offer focused academic training in specific areas of public health. They provide a focused way of integrating elective courses into a research area of interest. The School offers over 30 certificate programs.

Hopkins students who are enrolled in a degree program are required to send an email to the Academic Program Administrator Patty Scott, patty.scott@jhu.edu to notify the department of their intent to pursue the certificate prior to the start of taking courses for the certificate. Upon enrolling in the last course to complete the certificate, the student would then email the Academic Program Administrator and also enter the certificate completion information located here. Students must take the courses for academic credit and earn a grade of B or better.

Tuition, application fee, and book costs are subject to change from one academic year to another academic year. The student should review the section of the website that addresses completion before completing the certificate program requirements. The student's transcript will not indicate that the certificate was earned until the Notification of Completion has been submitted, verified by the certificate program, and processed by the School of Public Health Registrar. 

Department of Mental Health sponsored certificates are:

Certificate Program in Public Mental Health Research

Our certificate program provides graduate training in understanding the causes and consequences of mental disorders in populations. The courses describe the clinical and behavioral features and prevalence of mental and behavioral disorders. They also identify factors that influence the occurrence, persistence, or severity of these disorders. The goals of the program are to increase the epidemiologic expertise of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, as well as the number of epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and health policy makers interested in psychiatric disorders. This certificate cannot be earned by enrolled MHS and PhD students in the Department of Mental Health.

Mental Health Policy, Economics and Services

The certificate introduces current issues in mental health policy including economic evaluation of mental and substance disorders and their treatments; access to mental health care treatments and utilization patterns; and mental health care financing, insurance, and delivery system issues in the US. The certificate program also strives to orient mental health policy, economics, and services training within the broader context of ongoing national healthcare debates. It is open to Johns Hopkins University graduate students interested in policy, advocacy, and research careers within the field of mental health and junior and mid-level public health professionals interested in expanding their knowledge base and expertise in mental health services and economics and related policy issues.

Summer Institute in Mental Health Research

The Institute focuses on methodological and substantive topics in mental health and substance-use research. It is intended for working professionals or students who are interested in developing research expertise in the epidemiology of mental health and substance use disorders, the implementation and evaluation of mental health services and interventions, and/or the methodological issues encountered in mental health research in the population. Our experts are not only training the next generation of public health leaders, but they are also leading the way in research areas, including the mental health implications of Covid-19.

After completing the program, participants will understand the latest findings on the occurrences of mental health and substance use disorders in the population and their implications for public mental health; know the steps involved in the scientific, empirical evaluation of services and interventions targeted for mental health outcomes; and acquire the skills and knowledge needed in using the state-of-the-art methodological tools for collecting and analyzing mental health data. Where academic credit leading to a degree is desired, students are required to pay the standard school tuition. No scholarship and/or grant support is available.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Michelle C. Carlson, PhD

DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Pamela Collins, MD, MPH

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR
Patricia Scott, BS
telephone 410-955-1906  fax 410-614-7469; patty.scott@jhu.edu