The Zilber College of Public Health offers a Certificate in Maternal and Child Health (MCH). The satisfactory completion of a sequence of courses will lead to a certificate in this national and global growing area. Preparation includes development of a strong foundation in MCH policy, programs, advocacy and interventions, and program planning and evaluation among other skills.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Application
- Students wishing to obtain this certificate must declare their intention by applying to the program office or director.
- All graduate certificate applicants—even those already enrolled in a UWM graduate program—must apply to the Graduate School.
- Graduate degree and previously admitted graduate non-degree students who decide to pursue a certificate program must submit the application before completing 6 credits in the certificate sequence.
- Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree and have a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average to be admitted into a certificate program.
Credits and Courses
The certificate in Maternal and Child Health consists of 17-18 credits, with the following courses (or equivalents) required:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| PH 730 | Overview of Children with Special Health Care Needs | 3 |
| PH 790 | Field Experience in Public Health | 1-2 |
| PH 820 | Maternal and Child Health Foundations, Policy and Practice | 3 |
| PH 830 | Leadership and Advocacy in Maternal and Child Health | 1 |
| PH 831 | Community Engagement and Participatory Research Approaches in Public Health | 3 |
| Electives (see table below) | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 17-18 | |
Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Content Electives | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | ||
| PH 708 | Health Systems and Population Health | 3 |
| PH 725 | Theories and Models of Health Behavior | 3 |
| PH 752 | Public Health and Mental Health | 3 |
| PH 781 | Public Health Administration | 3 |
| SOC WRK 630G | Families and Poverty | 3 |
| SOC WRK 771 | Development of the Family Over the Life Span | 3 |
| SOC WRK 774 | Trauma Counseling I: Theory and Research | 3 |
| SOC WRK 932 | Theories and Research on Behavior Change | 3 |
| NURS 708 | Global Maternal and Child Health: From Evidence to Action | 3 |
| NURS 763 | Issues in Women's Health and Development | 3 |
| ED PSY 640G | Human Development: Theory and Research | 3 |
| Applied Methods Electives | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | ||
| PH 702 | Introduction to Biostatistics | 3 |
| PH 704 | Principles and Methods of Epidemiology | 3 |
| PH 726 | Community Health Assessment | 3 |
| PH 727 | Program Planning & Implementation in Public Health | 3 |
| PH 728 | Program Evaluation in Public Health | 3 |
| PH 729 | Survey Research Methods in Public Health | 3 |
| PH 777 | Quantitative Research Methods for Public Health Policy | 3 |
| PH 779 | Public Health Policymaking and Policy Analysis | 3 |
| GEOG 726 | Geographic Information Science | 4 |
| SOC WRK 750 | Social Welfare Policy Development and Implementation | 3 |
| Other courses as approved by advisor. | ||
Some of the courses required for the certificate (e.g. PH 704) may have prerequisite or other requirements that are not counted in the 17 credits. Additional MCH population focused electives may be allowed with permission from the program director.
Field experience (PH 790) requirements may vary based on student’s background program, prior experience in MCH and permission from the program director. Students in the certificate program with two years of MCH public health experience in a government or non-profit setting will complete a one-credit practicum for 80 hours, while students with no experience will have a two-credit practicum, for 160 hours.
Additional Requirements
Transfer Credit
A minimum of 15 credits must be taken at UWM. Transfer courses to the MPH program do not double count for the certificate program. Relevant certificate course work may be applied towards the MPH degree.
Grade Point Average Requirement
A minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average in certificate courses taken at UWM is required.
Articulation with Degree Programs
- Credits and courses required for a certificate may double count toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions:
- Degree programs must approve the courses from certificates that can double count toward the degree.
- All credits taken in completion of certificate requirements may count towards a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree. (Note: Students in PhD programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements)
- Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit.
- Courses completed for a degree may be counted toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements.
- A course may count toward no more than one certificate and one degree.
- Students may not earn a certificate subsequent to a concentration in the same area.
Time Limit
Certificate program time limits shall be established as follows:
- 18 or fewer credits/Three years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.
- 19 or more credits/Four years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.
For certificates that are designed as add-ons to degree programs and are awarded concurrent with the degree, the time limit shall be the same as that of the degree program.