Population, Family and Reproductive Health, MHS

The academic Master of Health Science (MHS) in Population, Family and Reproductive Health program is a full-time, one-year, 64 credit program designed for those with a desire to enhance their research skills in public health and includes both methods and content courses. The curriculum is intended for students with two or more years of public health or related experience to inform their area of research inquiry prior to entry into the program. 

Faculty in the PFRH Department have expertise in health throughout the life course with specific focus on certain populations and areas. MHS students select courses related to these areas of study:

• Child and Adolescent Health
• Maternal, Fetal, and Perinatal Health
• Population and Health
• Women's, Sexual and Reproductive Health

Program Requirements

Course location and modality is found on the BSPH website.

MHS Departmental Competencies

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
1. Explain the life course approach to understanding population health
PH.380.604	Life Course Perspectives on Health	4
2. Compare different sources of demographic data including their strengths and limitations (Choose 1)
PH.380.600	Principles of Population Change	4
PH.380.603	Demographic Methods for Public Health	4
3. Describe risk factors and/or causes of health outcomes in select populations across the lifecourse (Choose 1)
PH.380.623	Adolescent Health and Development	3
PH.380.616	Child Health Epidemiology	3
PH.380.664	Reproductive and Perinatal Epidemiology	4
PH.380.655	Social and Economic Aspects of Human Fertility	3
PH.380.750	Migration and Health: Concepts, Rates, and Relationships	3
PH.380.666	Women's Health	3
PH.380.765	Preventing Infant Mortality and Promoting the Health of Women, Infants and Children	3
4. Describe the strengths and limitations of key interventions, policies, and/or programs designed to promote the health of selected populations across the lifecourse (Choose 1)
PH.380.665	Family Planning Policies and Programs	4
PH.380.661	Clinical Aspects of Maternal and Newborn Health	3
PH.380.667	Women's Health Policy	3
PH.380.768	Selected Topics in Women's Health and Women's Health Policy	4
PH.380.760	Clinical Aspects of Reproductive Health	3
PH.221.627	Issues in the Reduction of Maternal and Neonatal Mortality in Low income Countries	4
5. Identify theoretical frameworks used to assess the health of select populations (Choose 1)
PH.380.725	The Social Context of Adolescent Health and Development	3
PH.380.642	Child Health and Development	3
PH.380.744	Nutrition and Growth in Maternal and Child Health	3
PH.380.762	HIV Infection in Women, Children, and Adolescents	4
PH.380.668	International Perspectives on Women, Gender, and Health	3
PH.380.747	International Adolescent Health	3
6. Describe a range of study designs for addressing research and evaluation questions about the health of populations (Choose 1)
PH.340.722	Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health II	4
PH.380.611	Fundamentals of Program Evaluation	4
PH.380.711	Issues in Survey Research Design	3
7. Communicate research and evaluation methods related to assessment of the health of populations to a variety of audiences (Choose 1)
PH.380.612	Applications in Program Monitoring and Evaluation	4
PH.340.770	Public Health Surveillance	3

CEPH Learning Objectives

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
CEPH Learning Objective 1:
PH.380.624	Maternal and Child Health Legislation and Programs	4
CEPH Learning Objective 2:
PH.380.624	Maternal and Child Health Legislation and Programs	4
CEPH Learning Objective 3:
PH.140.611	Statistical Reasoning in Public Health I (Must take 140.611 and 140.612)	3
OR
PH.140.621	Statistical Methods in Public Health I (Must take 140.621, 140.622 and 140.623)	4
AND
PH.224.690	Qualitative Research Theory and Methods	3
OR
PH.550.604	Qualitative Reasoning in Public Health	2
OR
PH.552.603	The Role of Qualitative Methods and Science in Describing and Assessing a Population's Health	0.5
CEPH Learning Objective 4:
PH.340.721	Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health I	5
CEPH Learning Objective 5:
PH.340.721	Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health I	5
CEPH Learning Objective 6:
PH.340.721	Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health I	5
CEPH Learning Objective 7 (Choose 1):
PH.380.616	Child Health Epidemiology	3
OR
PH.552.607	Essentials of Environmental Health	0.5
CEPH Learning Objective 8:
PH.380.604	Life Course Perspectives on Health	4
CEPH Learning Objective 9:
PH.380.604	Life Course Perspectives on Health	4
CEPH Learning Objective 10:
PH.380.604	Life Course Perspectives on Health	4
CEPH Learning Objective 11 (Choose 1):
PH.380.600	Principles of Population Change	4
OR
PH.552.611	Globalization and Population Health	0.5
CEPH Learning Objective 12:
PH.552.612	Essentials of One Health	0.5

Departmental and Schoolwide Requirements 

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
PH.380.850	PFRH Master's Essay This course is taken for two consecutive terms (terms 3 and 4)	3 - 6
AND
PH.380.850	PFRH Master's Essay This course is taken for two consecutive terms (terms 3 and 4)	3 - 6

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Applying statistical methods to address the health of populations
PH.140.621	Statistical Methods in Public Health I	4
AND
PH.140.622	Statistical Methods in Public Health II	4
AND
PH.140.623	Statistical Methods in Public Health III	4

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Applying epidemiological methods to address the health of populations
PH.340.721	Epidemiologic Inference in Public Health I	5

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Applying ethical concepts and tools to population health research and practice.
PH.550.860	Academic & Research Ethics at JHSPH	0
AND
PH.306.665	Research Ethics and integrity	3
OR
PH.550.600	Living Science Ethics - Responsible Conduct of Research	1
If student takes 550.600, must also take one of the following:
PH.221.616	Ethics and Global Public Health Practice	2
OR
PH.340.683	Human Rights in Public Health Practice	2

For Program Policies, please visit About the MHS found on the Population, Family and Reproductive Health page.

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.

MHS Departmental Competencies

1. Explain the life course approach to understanding population health.
2. Compare different sources of demographic data including their strengths and limitations.
3. Describe risk factors and/or causes of health outcomes in select populations across the lifecourse.
4. Describe the strengths and limitations of key interventions, policies, and/or programs designed to promote the health of selected populations across the lifecourse.
5. Identify theoretical frameworks used to assess the health of select populations.
6. Describe a range of study designs for addressing research and evaluation questions about the health of populations.
7. Communicate research and evaluation methods related to assessment of the health of populations to a variety of audiences.
    

CEPH Learning Objectives

1. Explain public health history, philosophy and values
2. Identify the core functions of public health and the 10 Essential Services
3. Explain the role of quantitative and qualitative methods and sciences in describing and assessing a population’s health
4. List major causes and trends of morbidity and mortality in the US or other community relevant to the school or program
5. Discuss the science of primary, secondary and tertiary prevention in population health, including health promotion, screening, etc.
6. Explain the critical importance of evidence in advancing public health knowledge
7. Explain effects of environmental factors on a population’s health
8. Explain biological and genetic factors that affect a population’s health
9. Explain behavioral and psychological factors that affect a population’s health
10. Explain the social, political and economic determinants of health and how they contribute to population health and health inequities
11. Explain how globalization affects global burdens of disease
12. Explain an ecological perspective on the connections among human health, animal health and ecosystem health (e.g., One Health)