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Graduate Programs

The Graduate School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, offers master's (MS) and doctoral (PhD) degrees in health, biomedical, population and social sciences.  In conjunction with the professional schools, it also offers the opportunity to complete joint degrees including the MD/PhD, PharmD/PhD and the DDS/PhD. Of all the schools at the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB), the Graduate School has the highest enrollment, with over 1400 students. More than 300 of these are graduate students pursuing studies in the School of Medicine graduate programs. 

PhD students in the School of Medicine are generally provided financial support for the entire course of their studies. This support comes in the form of Graduate Research Assistantships (stipend, tuition remission and health insurance), provided by the Graduate School and/or by the School of Medicine, during the initial years of study. When a student begins dissertation research, he/she is supported by the research funds of his/her mentor. In recent years, external research funding to all schools has increased dramatically, with major support coming from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Veteran's Administration, various agencies of the state of Maryland and the private sector.

The Graduate School at UMB is part of the University of Maryland Graduate School, Baltimore (UMGSB). The UMGSB governs the graduate programs located at UMB and the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) campuses, and bears primary responsibility for program review, approval of new courses and admission of faculty to Graduate Faculty status. The linkage between the two universities also permits enhanced academic, research and student life opportunities for students on both campuses. 

In addition to its degree-granting programs, the Graduate School, in collaboration with the campus office of Student Services, sponsors a Writing Center. It also offers programs in the responsible conduct of research and a professional development seminar series. The latter aims to provide professional enrichment and addresses topics such as giving good oral presentations, grant writing and mentor selection. These offerings are open to all students and faculty on campus.

Students also participate in the governing of the Graduate School through the Graduate Student Association (GSA), a student-run organization represented by several degree programs on campus. The GSA coordinates a variety of services and programs that address the specific professional and social needs of graduate students. The Graduate School also sponsors an annual Gradate Research Conference, an event that allows UMB graduate students to present their research projects in a professional setting. 

The following graduate programs are offered through the Graduate School and the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore:

Graduate Programs in Life Sciences

Other Graduate Programs in the School of Medicine

A complete list of all Graduate School programs with accompanying program descriptions is available from the Graduate School Catalog, also available online at http://graduate.umaryland.edu/

Interdisciplinary education and training is a cornerstone of the graduate experience at UMB. Such programs make efficient use of resources while allowing the school to move quickly into emerging research areas of national importance. So, in July 2005, the PhD-granting programs in the School of Medicine were reorganized into a new administrative structure to further capitalize on the measurable success of these inter-disciplinary programs.  These PhD granting programs now fall under the administrative umbrella of the Graduate Program in Life Sciences, http://lifesciences.umaryland.edu. Over the past few years there have been quantifiable improvements with regard to the quality and quantity of applicants as a result.

Master of Public Health Program
Director: Renee Royak-Schaler, PhD, MEd
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine

The Master of Public Health Program (MPH) is a professional degree program that is administratively based in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine within the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). The MPH Program provides graduate students, medical and other health professional students, and health professionals with graduate training in public health. The MPH Program is dedicated to improving the health status of populations and reducing health disparities. This mission is accomplished by integrating advances in the medical, pharmaceutical, nursing, dental, social work, legal, allied health and other health services disciplines represented across the professional schools, research and clinical centers on the UMB campus. 

The MPH Program provides a set of skills and principles essential for students who intend to apply their training in a professional setting, provide leadership in public health specialties, and improve and protect the health and well being of populations. Coursework is designed to prepare public health professionals to actively and effectively contribute to population-based, culturally appropriate and innovative approaches to current and emerging public health problems. The MPH degree requires 42 credit hours, including 17 credits from core courses and a six- hour supervised project, the Capstone Experience.

The MPH Program is closely aligned with existing degree programs in the UMB professional schools and offers the following dual degrees: JD/MPH, MD/MPH, MSN/MPH, MSW/MPH, PharmD/MPH. Admission into the MPH program is contingent upon the student's acceptance into the relevant UMB professional school. Students must fulfill all of the respective degree requirements of both programs and are advised to plan for an additional year to complete the requirements for both degrees.

The MPH Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine is a two concentration program. The two concentrations in Epidemiology and Community & Population Health emphasize the development of public health skills in core concentration requirement courses that are skills based. The MPH core areas of study involve course work in biostatistics, epidemiology, health policy and management, environmental and occupational health, and social and behavioral sciences. In addition to the public health core, students further focus their skills by completing course work in one of two concentration areas: community and population health and epidemiology. Within the two concentrations, suggested electives are available in aging and public health, environmental and occupational health, epidemiology, global health, social and behavioral sciences, and veterinary public health. 

The MPH concentration in Epidemiology is designed for students who desire quantitative research skills in epidemiologic study design and data analysis. The Epidemiology concentration provides skills in risk factor analysis, specifically understanding the distribution, characteristics, causes, risk factors, and prevention of disease, disability, and mortality in the population. Students will be trained in ecological approaches to public health, including strategies for understanding and assessing the impact of political, socioeconomic, cultural, and behavioral factors on population health. Students can tailor their programs of study with suggested electives in the areas of environmental and occupational health; epidemiology; global health; and veterinary public health. 

The MPH Concentration in Community & Population Health is designed to prepare students to apply the conceptual and methodological approaches of the social and behavioral sciences to public health practice and research. This concentration focuses on developing an understanding of the influence of the political, economic, socio-cultural and behavioral contexts and processes on population health. Particular attention is given to examining the root causes of disparities in disease risk, access and utilization of preventive and health care services, and health outcomes. A major goal of this concentration is to train students in the skills and knowledge needed to apply mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) approaches in designing, implementing and evaluating public health programs and translation of public health approaches to health policy.  Students can tailor their programs of study with suggested electives in the areas of aging and public health; global health; health policy and management; and social and behavioral sciences. 

For additional information contact:

MPH Program Office
Teena Maultsby, Academic Coordinator
Phone 410: 706-0539
Email: tmaults@epi.umaryland.edu
http://medschool.umaryland.edu/epidemiology/masters_mph.asp

Master of Science in Clinical Research
Director: Mary-Claire Roghmann, MD, MS
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine

The Master of Science degree in clinical research is designed specifically to meet the needs of the clinician or clinician-in-training by providing a combination of course work and research experiences needed for a successful career in clinical investigation. The curriculum provides students with a thorough understanding of clinical research methodology, biostatistics and research ethics, and will provide participants with the necessary skills to conduct independent clinical research, to teach and to mentor others.

Graduates will gain the ability to identify important research questions, develop research protocols, generate pilot data, conduct clinical investigations, analyze and write the results in a publishable form and develop and submit grant proposals. The program will prepare students to be competitive in seeking external support and be knowledgeable in the complex issues associated with conducting sound clinical research.

A total of 36 credits is required for the degree, which can be completed on a part-time basis within two years. Students may select from three concentration areas: Epidemiologic Research, Human Genetics and Outcomes/Health Services Research. The completion of a research project in the student's area of research interest is one unique aspect of the program. Students can fulfill this requirement through a Master's thesis or a two-semester course, Research Practicum.

Applicants complete the University of Maryland, Baltimore's graduate school application for admission. More information on graduate admissions can be found at: http://graduate.umaryland.edu/admissions/instructions.html. Physicians or other health professional may substitute MCAT (or equivalent) scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) requirement. Applications are due in the graduate school admissions office by March 1 and can be requested by calling the Department of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine academic office at 410 706-3338 or by e-mail, epiacademicprograms@epi.umaryland.edu. Only 6 credits of coursework may be taken as a coursework only student prior to applying as a Master's degree student.

For additional information contact:
epiacademicprograms@epi.umaryland.edu

 

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