Area of Dual Concentration:

Maternal and Child Health and Health Education & Communication

Mission Statement

The purpose of the Maternal and Child Health Education program is to prepare students for leadership roles uniquely equipped to meet health promotion needs in the broad range of programs that serve the MCH population. Students will develop skills to identify the social and environmental determinants of the health of women and children. Coursework provides students with a background in the biologic, social, and policy issues that impact the health of the MCH population as well as the skills needed to develop, implement, and evaluate public health education interventions addressing the health of the MCH population. Dual major students receive advanced training in health communication and promotion theories, implementation, and evaluation.

Program Description

This section provides students with skills to promote health at the population level. Our strength is in working with communities to assist them in promoting health of their own members. Faculty members have expertise in planning of health education programs, evaluation of health education programs, working with communities to bring about change, and social marketing. Through the coursework, students learn concepts of community and how to work with community groups, approaches to planning prevention programs, and rigorous methods of evaluating programs. HEDC graduates will be qualified for the Certified Health Educator Specialist (CHES) exam. Students are encouraged to seek the skills they deem necessary beyond 45 credits.

Program Competencies

It is expected that students will acquire the core public health competencies through successful completion of the school core courses. The expected terminal knowledge and skills provided by the program and expected of the student in Community Health Sciences will vary by student because of the self-direction inherent in this program.  It is expected, however, with the guidance by an advisor, that students will be well-versed in planning and evaluating community programs (CHSC 611 and CHSC 612), have the knowledge and skills required for community-based work, and obtain hands-on experience in community-based work by completing a community-based practicum.

Upon completion of the program, the graduate should be able to:

HEALTH EDUCATION KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

• Analyze a given health-related problem from a behavioral and systems point of view and identify the factors that can be changed through education or communities
  (All HEDC Courses)
  
• Conduct a community needs assessment
  (chsc6110;chsc6220)
  
• Collect and analyze information necessary to planning a program
  (chsc6110;chsc6210;chsc6220)
  
• Design health education and communication programs for specific populations and in a variety of settings
  (All HEDC courses)
  
• Identify and collaborate with lay people and health professionals, and community, government, and health organizations in planning and implementing programs
  (chsc6110;chsc6220)
  
• Develop and use appropriate and ethnical health education and communication techniques in implementing health education or communication programs
  (All HEDC Courses)
• Provide consultation, training, and technical assistance to expand and improve health education and communication programs and services in his or her organization and the larger community
  (chsc6800)
  
• Identify obtain, and manage resources needed to implement and evaluate health communication and education programs
  (chsc6110;chsc6120)
  
• Participate actively in the monitoring and impact evaluation of health education and communication programs
  (chsc6110)
  
  

MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Describe MCH problems in terms of time, magnitude/severity, scope, dispersion/location, and co-occurrence/co-morbidity and identify the scientific underpinnings and determine the validity of evidence for interventions addressing MCH problems;
  (sphl6010;chsc6410;chsc6420;chsc6460;chsc6510;chsc6550;chsc7510)
  
• Apply knowledge of demographic, health, familial, socio-cultural, environmental and community factors to the design of MCH programs and services
  (chsc6030;chsc6100;chsc6110;chsc6410;chsc6460;chsc6510)
  
• Recognize different strengths, needs, values, and practices of diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups and determine how these factors affect health status, health behaviors, and program design
  (chsc6030;chsc65100;chsc6110;chsc6420;chsc6460;chsc6510;chsc7510)
  
• Prepare and interpret data from vital statistics, censuses, surveys, service utilization, and other relevant reports on the health of MCH populations, and have the ability to detect meaningful inferences from data and the translation of data into information.
  (bios6030;chsc6130)
  
• Evaluate the integrity and comparability of data and identify existing gaps
  (hsmg6030;chsc6130)
  
• Integrate population-based health promotion and disease prevention strategies within primary care and other service delivery systems
  (hsmg6030;chsc6100;chsc7510)
  
• Develop mechanisms to monitor and evaluate program and service networks for their effectiveness and quality, including use of performance measures.
  (chsc6110;chsc6120;chsc6820)
• Develop strategies to assure integrated service systems for MCH populations
  (chsc6420;chsc6460;chsc6510)
  
• State the feasibility and expected outcomes of and barriers to achieving each policy option and decide on the appropriate course of action
  (chsc6100;chsc6420;chsc6510;chsc6550;chsc7510)
  
• Promotion of cultural competence concepts within diverse MCH settings.
  (sphl6030;chsc6100;chsc6420;chsc6460)
  

Admissions Requirements

In addition to the general admission requirements of the school, the applicant’s career goals must be consonant with the educational objectives of the program, namely public health work centered in community programs.

Program Requirements

To graduate with this dual degree, the student must complete 45 academic credits. The program requires the satisfactory completion of the School Core Requirements, the HEDC programmatic requirements, and Maternal and Child Health programmatic requirements, including a practicum and culminating experience

SPH Core Requirements (18 Credits)

CHS Core Requirements (9 Credits)

MCH Requirements (11-12 Credits)

HEDC Requirements (5-6 credits)

Approved Electives- partial listing (other courses require advisor approval)

Students must also complete the School Practicum requirement. It is recommended that students in this program carry out a 300-hour field practicum related to health education/communication or maternal & child health for their Practicum. Students with substantial professional experience in health education/communication or maternal & child health may elect other Practicum options in consultation with their advisor, but are still required to meet the School's 60-hour field requirement.

Students who intend to apply for national health education certification (CHES) must complete at least 20 credits in Health Education courses and the Practicum to meet the minimum eligibility requirements.

Sample Course Schedule

View a sample course schedule

Practicum

A 300-hour advanced field experience (practicum) that allows students to develop competencies in advanced practice skills, under the direction of a qualified preceptor in the practice setting, is required. This practicum should focus on developing advanced leadership skills in public health disciplines. The advisor works with each student to develop measurable learning objectives prior to their practicum experience. Self assessment and reflection as well as assessment of teams, peers and supervisors are important skills in future public health leaders.

Culminating Experience

Students in the Department of Community Health Sciences can choose one of two options for their culminating experience:

1.     Public Health Analysis

2.     Comprehensive Examination

Public Health Analysis

The Public Health Analysis is an in-depth written report that considers a topic of relevance to public health practice.  It involves a thorough review of the literature, discussion, and recommendations for public health policy and practice.  The content and format of the report are described in school and departmental  guideline documents.

Comprehensive Examination

The Comprehensive Examination consists of two parts:  Part A – a school-wide examination based on core competencies, as well as cross-cutting competencies, established by the American Schools of Public Health; and Part B – a departmental-specific examination based on principles and concepts of Community Health Sciences, as covered in the required departmental core courses.

Additional Information

Graduation will also be contingent upon successfully completing a two-part comprehensive exam:  Part I to be administered by SPHTM and based on competencies acquired through the school core; Part II to be administered by CHS and based on competencies acquired through the required departmental core.

School of Public Health Handbooks and Guides

Additional Information for all CHS MPH degrees

For more information, contact: Zarie Riley, 504-988-6596, lhodges@tulane.edu.