Graduate Certificate Program in Maternal and Child Health

The Graduate Certificate Program in Maternal & Child Health offers a coherent course of study for students interested in maternal and child health (MCH) content and tools. Students currently enrolled in any graduate program at the University of Washington may apply. Preference is given to students with demonstrated experience in MCH.

Students may apply to the Graduate Certificate in Maternal and Child Health any time during the year. To apply, please submit the following items:

  1. Application form (PDF)
  2. Goal statement (1 page maximum)
  3. Current resume (5 pages maximum)
  4. UW transcript

MPH/MCH students are automatically entered in the program and do not need to apply.

Certificate Requirements

The following list of courses (minimum 15 credits) gives graduates an overview of the historical, political, and legislative basis for health and social services for mothers and children in the United States, and introduces students to the etiology and prevention of maternal mortality and major health problems, and the etiology and prevention of child mortality and morbidities associated with biomedical or psychosocial risk.

A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for all courses counting toward the certificate, and a grade of 2.7 or above is required of any individual course.

When you have completed all course requirements, submit the Checklist of Requirements (PDF) to the MCH Program Administrator.

Required Courses

HSERV 541, Topics in Maternal and Child Health I, autumn quarter, 3 credit

HSERV 542/EPI 521, Topics in Maternal and Child Health II, winter quarter, 4 credit

Select one of the following for spring quarter:

  • EPI 514: Application of Epidemiologic Methods I, 4 credits
    (prerequisite, EPI 510)
  • or HSERV 526: Qualitative Research Methods for Public Health, 3 credits
  • or HSERV 527: Survey Research Methods, 4 credits
  • or HSERV 561A: Introduction to Health Promotion Planning, 3 credits
  • or HSERV 581: Strategies of Health Promotion, 3 credits

Capstone Project, spring quarter, 1 credit

In the capstone project, students analyze an actual or hypothetical MCH problem or goal, and present their results at a poster session at the MCH Research Festival.

Students develop their projects over the first year of course work as they learn about:

  • the legislative, historical, and current bases of health and social service systems that support optimum development of women, infants, children, youth and their families (fall quarter)
  • the major maternal and child health problems, including pregnancy outcomes, infant and child morbidity and mortality, maternal morbidity and mortality, abnormal child growth and development, and early-life factors in adult health problems (winter quarter)
  • research methods, such as descriptive or analytic epidemiology, health services research, or program planning and evaluation (spring quarter).

The project provides students the opportunity to integrate and apply what they've learned during their first year of course work. Topics and research methods are as varied as students' interests.

For examples of capstone posters, go to 2007 MCH Research Festival

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Elective Courses

School of Public Health and Community Medicine:

  • BIOST/STAT 578A
  • EOHS 532
  • EOHS 517
  • EPI 511 (non-MPH only)
  • EPI 512/513 (non-MPH only)
  • EPI 522
  • EPI 523
  • EPI 544
  • EPI 546
  • HSERV/EPI 592 (MCH track students only)
  • HSERV/EPI 600 (3 cr max)
  • NUTR 526
  • NUTR 527
  • NUTR 530

School of Medicine:

  • PEDS 506
  • PEDS 512P
  • PEDS 530P

School of Nursing:

  • NURS 500
  • NURS 501
  • NURS 528
  • NURS 530
  • NURS 531
  • NCLIN 502
  • NURS 544
  • NURS 548
  • NURS 558
  • NCLIN 510
  • NURS 569

School of Social Work:

  • SOC WF 402
  • SOC WF 403
  • SOC W 501
  • SOC W 536U