UA offers Graduate Certificate Program in Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology

Native American populations in rural and underserved regions and Appalachian counties have disproportionately worse maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes than national averages. Public health professionals serving these populations have identified the need for training in MCH epidemiology. To meet this need, the University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health in collaboration with the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, have developed a graduate certificate program in Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology.

Faculty from both Universities have worked with representatives from Indian Health Service, the United South and Eastern Tribes, and maternal and child health providers in rural, underserved counties of the southeast and Appalachian Kentucky to develop a 15-credit graduate certificate in MCH Epidemiology that is offered entirely online. The program is designed to fill a gap in MCH epidemiology education of professionals who have limited resources and work in difficult settings with underprivileged communities.

The program is supported by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and the Department of Health and Human Services. Through a grant program, tuition scholarship is provided to support the participation of 10 students annually.

The program is open to MCH professionals nationally and internationally. The next course begins in June 2011. The application deadline is March 31, 2011. Further information can also be obtained by contacting Maribel Tobar at (520) 626-6560.