MPH Concentration: Women, Youth and Child Health

Meet the Evolving Needs of Health Care with MPH@GW

Located in the heart of Washington, D.C. – the epicenter of health policy and advocacy – The Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University trains public health leaders to be innovative, well-connected and society-minded.

Our MPH@GW program allows you to customize your education to fit your specific career goals. The Women, Youth and Child Health concentration is designed for professionals looking to explore the social, behavioral and systems-related determinants that are unique to the health and well-being of women, children and families around the world.

Understand and assess individual, community, organizational and societal needs of women, children and families.

Examine social and behavioral theory, behavior change models and strategies and policies that have been proven to successfully improve the health and wellness of diverse populations.

Develop and implement strategies, policies, interventions and programs to improve the health of women, children and families.

MPH@GW Curriculum and Program Competencies

Designed to accommodate full- and part-time students, MPH@GW offers two accelerated options — 12 months and 18 months — that mirror the on-campus degree requirements.

These requirements include 45 total credits:

17

core public health course credits

9

required concentration course credits

3

general electives

10

program-specific course credits

4

selective concentration course credits

2

culminating experience credits

Graduates will finish the program with the following competencies:

Assess the individual, community, organizational and societal needs of women, youth, or children.

Apply social and behavior change models and strategies that have been shown to be successful in improving the health and well-being of women, youth, or children.

Develop a behavioral change model-based strategy or intervention logic model to improve the health of women, youth or children.

Develop an evaluation plan for a behavioral change model-based strategy or intervention to meet the health needs of women, youth or children.


Apply a life course perspective to the health and well-being of women, youth, or children.

Women, Youth and Child Health curriculum

Required program-specific courses

Students must complete the following program-specific courses:

  • PUBH 6500 Program Planning and Evaluation 
  • PUBH 6052 Practical Data Management and Analysis for Public Health 
  • PUBH 6442 Comparative Global Health Systems
  • PUBH 6503 Introduction to Public Health Communication and Marketing

Required courses

After completing MPH@GW core courses, you will transition into concentration-specific courses. The following courses are required for the Women, Youth and Child Health concentration:

  • PUBH 6550 Maternal and Child Health I: Foundations
  • PUBH 6552 Women’s Health
  • PUBH 6563 Global Child Health
  • PUBH 6451 Sexual and Reproductive Health Monitoring

Elective courses

You may also choose from the following recommended electives when completing your course requirements:

  • PUBH 6054 Community Engagement & Advocacy
  • PUBH 6058 Researching Violence Against Women and Girls
  • PUBH 6335 Public Health & Law
  • PUBH 6400 Global Health Frameworks
  • PUBH 6480 Public Health in Humanitarian Setting
  • PUBH 6514 Preventing Health Disparities
  • PUBH 6452 Social and Behavior Change Communication in Middle- to Low-Income Countries
  • PUBH 6489 Evaluation of Nutrition Programs
  • PUBH 6455 Global Vaccinology

These courses will give you a holistic understanding of health and behavior systems, change models, and effective strategies so you can effectively support the health and well-being of women, children and families everywhere.

Professional Enhancement

Students in the Women, Youth and Child concentration must participate in eight hours of public health-related lectures, seminars and symposia. This requirement is to prepare students to actively participate in professional communities.

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Learn how our online Master of Public Health program can prepare you to make a difference where it matters most.

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