Academic Programs MPH/PhD Social Work

The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health Center for Maternal and Child Health Leadership Training in Public Health Social Work is based in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences. The program is funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Services and Resources Administration, and has been in operation since 1965 and represents a unique collaboration with the School of Social Work. The program's primary objectives are to train social workers for leadership positions in public health systems and prepare them for research and teaching posts.

The program emphasizes a broad range of maternal and child health issues, including infant mortality reduction, adolescent health, youth and maternal substance abuse, services to children with disabilities, injury and violence prevention, child abuse and neglect, pediatric AIDS, and others. The program has excellent links with both the local and state maternal and child health systems as well as with the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau. Students have numerous opportunities to work with local organizations on a variety of planning, evaluation, and research activities. In recent years, a number of students have participated in federally sponsored summer internship experiences.

The program offers two distinct options for students: (1) students may pursue only the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree; or (2) they may enter a joint program to study for both the MPH and a PhD in social work.

The MPH with emphasis on maternal and child health, as well as the joint MPH/PhD program, is designed for social workers seeking administrative, policy, and/or academic positions. The overall training program clearly emphasizes leadership training rather than basic professional preparation. All trainees are Masters of Social Work (MSWs) (or equivalent) with at least two years of professional practice experience.

Objectives

The overall educational objective of the project is to provide the trainees with a "public health approach" to maternal and child health.

This involves:

a primary focus on populations at risk rather than individuals
use of an interdisciplinary approach
a focus on primary prevention of social and health problems
reliance on systematic data collection and analysis for administrative decision making

The learning objectives include:

Understanding incidence, prevalence, prevention, treatment, and epidemiological trends of the health and social needs of mothers and children
Becoming aware of the health and social work systems available for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation
Understanding the interrelationship of the identified population-at-risk with other populations needing maternal and child health services
Understanding the impact of socioeconomic, racial, cultural, geographical, and financial factors on health service delivery and use
Understanding the technical and legal issues related to service delivery to the population-at-risk
Understanding the implications of legislation and policy on program funding, planning and development, and patterns of service delivery

It is expected that graduates also will be prepared through the educational experience to:

Coordinate maternal and child health services within primary, secondary, and tertiary sites
Effectively access and allocate federal, state, county, and local resources for maternal and child health services
Develop and coordinate regional public health and social work services for mothers and children
Develop social work consultation and training skills and apply them to interdisciplinary settings
Use epidemiological data and statistics, and conduct community needs assessments to support program and policy development
Prepare technical reports, proposals, and publications

Academic Curriculum

The MPH program requires 45 academic credits. Students in the maternal and child health leadership program are typically given six to nine hours of advanced standing. They are required to complete a master's essay and some type of relevant practicum experience. Students in the MPH/PhD in social work track take a mix of public health and required social work courses, with a heavy emphasis on research methods and statistics.

Course work for the MPH will include Graduate School of Public Health core courses, Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences core courses, and elective courses.

The public health social work program also requires additional course work in maternal and child health and public health social work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I attend full time or part time? How many credits are considered full time?

Students are encouraged to enter on a full-time basis (requires a minimum of nine credit hours per term, but students will need to take 12–15 credit hours per term to complete the program in a timely fashion).

How long does it take to complete the program? Are the core courses offered every term?

It takes one to one and a half years of full-time course work (12–15 credits/term) for students pursuing the MPH degree only, two to three years for the PhD/MPH course work, and approximately two additional years to complete doctoral research.

What kinds of jobs can I get when I'm finished? What are the graduates of the program doing?

The majority of graduates assume teaching and research positions in schools of social work, although some pursue research or policy development positions with agencies. MPH-only students typically acquire agency leadership and management roles.

What are the research areas of the faculty?

The research interests of the faculty include evaluating services to children and families, minority health, child development and child mental health, programs for children with special healthcare needs, HIV/AIDS, and STDs.

What kinds of backgrounds do students have who enter the program? How many students do you accept each year into the program?

Two to three new students come into the program each year. Students have an MSW or equivalent and at least two years of post-MSW experience, preferably in services to children and families.

Is financial aid available?

At least one student in the MPH track of the program is funded full time through the public health social work project annually. Other students who meet the program requirements may also enter the program on a part-time or full-time basis even though they are not funded directly by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau training grant.

A formal agreement is in place between the Graduate School of Public Health and the School of Social Work regarding the MPH/PhD program. Joint students generally will receive financial support from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau training grant only during their initial three terms of study, during which time most of the requirements for the MPH are completed. The School of Social Work provides financial support during the second three terms of study and also attempts to assist students during their dissertation research phase as much as possible. At least two funded student trainees enter this track of the program annually.

Admission Requirements

The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health Center for Maternal and Child Health Leadership Training in Public Health Social Work provides academic public health training leading to the Master of Public Health (MPH) to experienced social workers.

Within the Public Health Social Work (PHSW) program are two academic tracks:

MPH: Students in the MPH track enter the program with a Master of Social Work and at least two years of professional experience and receive only the MPH degree.
MPH/PhD: Students in the MPH/PhD track complete the MPH degree and the PhD in social work as part of the formal joint program between the Graduate School of Public Health and the School of Social Work.

All trainees in the project will meet the following criteria for admission to the program:

Master of Social Work (MSW) from a Council on Social Work Education-accredited program
Post-MSW professional experience (usually at least two years)
Prior professional experience in health/human services setting, with particular emphasis on maternal and child health experience

Applicants to the program (for the MPH or for the MPH/PhD) must first meet the admission requirements of the school and department, and be accepted for admission.

Specific course requirements are as follows:

Three college credits in biology, including a basic course in biology (a course in animal or human physiology is desirable)
Six college credits in behavioral sciences, including a course in sociology or social psychology and additional credits in such subjects as sociology, anthropology, psychology, political science, or economics
Three college credits from a department of mathematics in either mathematics or statistics
A basic computing course

Those students seeking the MPH/PhD are admitted to both the Graduate School of Public Health and the School of Social Work as joint students. Therefore, applicants must also meet the admission requirements of the doctoral program of the School of Social Work, and formal applications must be submitted to both programs. All successful applicants are reviewed by a committee consisting of the PHSW project director and representatives from the Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences and the School of Social Work, to determine awarding of traineeships.

Tuition and fees

Visit the Graduate School of Public Health Web site for information about tuition and fees.

For more information, contact:

University of Pittsburgh
Graduate School of Public Health
Eileen Tuccillo
209 Parran Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
412-624-3102
emtuc@pitt.edu