Understanding the BA/MHS and BA/MSPH Programs

What is it?  The Bachelor of Arts/Masters of Health Sciences and Bachelor of Arts/Masters of Sciences in Public Health programs are a coordinated academic collaboration between the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH).  The following JHSPH Academic Departments participate: Environmental Health Sciences Epidemiology Health Policy and Management International Health Mental Health

IMPORTANT: What is it not? It is NOT a degree program, but a pathway of transition from the BA to a Master’s Degree in Public Health

What is the difference between an MHS and an MSPH?  An MHS is an academic degree.  An MSPH is a professional degree.

How does it work?  A current PHS major applies for admission to the department of their interest during the summer between their junior and senior years.  Please refer to the handout for each department’s details and deadline.  In doing so, you express your desire to matriculate in this department after receiving your Bachelor’s Degree.  In return, the application fee and GRE requirements are waived for you.  AND you benefit from receiving JHSPH guidance as you begin your JHSPH coursework in senior year.  Half of the JHSPH credits taken during the senior year, up to a total of 16, can be applied toward the Master’s degree credit requirement.  JHSPH courses taken during the senior year can be used to fulfill course requirements in the Master’s degree.

At a glance – please refer to your handout for more detail: DepartmentDegreeDurationDeadline Environmental Health Sciences MHS ScM MSPH 1 year 2 years 1½ - 2 years July 1, 2016 EpidemiologyMHS1-2 yearsJune 1, 2016 Health Policy and Management MSPH2 yearsJuly 1, 2016 Mental HealthMHS4 termsJuly 1, 2016 International Health MSPH1½ - 2 years June 1, 2016

A bit more on each department…

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES Dr. Bill Spannhake

Mission  The Department of Environmental Health Sciences integrates diverse scientific disciplines in its quest to discover, translate and disseminate new knowledge critical to understanding the impact of environmental factors on individuals and human populations—a goal that is central to public health.  Paramount to our mission is a commitment to the education and training of public health professionals to solve environmental health challenges ranging in scale from molecular to global.

1 year, Academic Program Coursework and Essay-based 3 Specialty Tracks: Human Toxicology and Pathophysiology Population Environmental Health Sustainability and Global Environmental Health Master of Health Science (MHS) 2 year, Research-based Program Coursework and Research-based Same tracks as MHS Students enroll in the MHS, then transfer to ScM Master of Science (ScM) months, Professional Program Coursework & Internship-based 2 Tracks: Occupational & Environmental Hygiene Toxicity Testing & Human Risk Assessment Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) Environmental Health Sciences Master’s Degree Programs

EPIDEMIOLOGY Dr. Terri Beaty

Mission  The mission of the Department of Epidemiology is to improve the public’s health by training epidemiologists and by advancing knowledge concerning the causes and prevention of disease and the promotion of health.  As the oldest autonomous academic department of epidemiology in the world, the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has maintained leadership in fulfilling this mission.

Epidemiology: an observational science  Epidemiology is the study of how diseases are distributed in populations:  Distribution partly reflects the causes or “etiology” of disease  Understanding etiology creates opportunities for controlling/preventing disease  Ultimate goals of epidemiology are:  to identify causal agents or risk factors  to develop effective control/prevention strategies  Applications include:  Identifying & confirming risk factors for disease  Evaluating intervention strategies  Building a scientific foundation for public policy  Epidemiology is largely an observation science.  Clinical trials represents an experimental arm, however

Research Tracks  Cancer Epidemiology  Clinical Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology  Clinical Trials & Evidence Synthesis Methods  Epidemiology of Aging  Environmental Epidemiology  General Epidemiology and Methodology  Genetic Epidemiology  Infectious Disease Epidemiology  And some sample projects underway:  HIV/AIDS: large cohort studies of at-risk groups  Cardiovascular disease: cohort & case-control studies of CVD & kidney disease  Cancer: Community based cohorts & hospital based studies of prostate, breast, colon & other cancers  Genetic Epi: Studies of autism, birth defects, asthma, kidney disease, eye diseases etc.  Clinical trials & systematic reviews of numerous diseases

HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGEMENT Christine King

Mission  The Department of Health Policy and Management seeks to improve health, and prevent disease and disability through the education of future public health leaders, and through research on the causes and possible remedies of significant public health problems facing our nation and other industrialized countries.  The Department seeks to improve our capacity to identify:  Policy options that promote and protect the health status of populations  Strategies that improve access to health and preventive services, particularly among the most vulnerable  Methods that enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of health care for medical and mental illnesses  Models for improving the financing, organization and delivery of preventive and curative health services

Application Requirements The following courses MUST be completed before you apply for the BA/MSPH:  The Environment & Your Health  Fundamentals of HPM  Biostatistics (minimum ‘B’ grade)  Fundamentals of Epidemiology (minimum ‘B’ grade)  Calculus (AP or transfer credit)  Cumulative GPA = 3.0+  PHS Major GPA = 3.5+  No ‘C’s in the major

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH Dr. Peter Winch Ms. Karen Charron

Mission The Department of International Health seeks to understand health problems and develop means of disease reduction and health protection in underserved populations around the world.

Two BA/MSPH Program options: GDEC and SBI Prerequisites: Undergraduate students applying must have completed the following coursework and received a B or higher on each:  AS Global Health Principles and Practices  AS Public Health Biostatistics  AS Fundamentals of Epidemiology

The GDEC MSPH Program (16-21 mo)  The GDEC Program trains students to be future leaders in identifying disease etiologies, and in the design, implementation and evaluation of biomedical interventions to prevent, mitigate or treat diseases of global public health importance.  Accomplished, innovative, and involved faculty are leaders in the fields of infectious disease epidemiology (including emerging infections), vaccinology, and spatial and epidemic modeling of infectious diseases. Faculty are also global leaders in shaping disease control policy.  MSPH graduates are public health practitioners who design, implement and evaluate programs to address global public health problems.

The SBI MSPH Program (16-21 mo)  The SBI program offers multidisciplinary training for researchers and public health practitioners who wish to use the social sciences in the design, implementation and evaluation of public health programs, particularly community-based interventions.  The combined use of qualitative and quantitative methods is a defining characteristic of the program.  Upon completion of the program, students are able to provide technical assistance in assessing the socio-cultural context surrounding public health interventions, and in the development, implementation and evaluation of social and behavior change programs to improve the health of underserved communities in a variety of settings.

Note:  Dr. Winch teaches [Global Health Principles and Practices] in Shaffer :15 in Spring Semester.  Students can ask him questions between 8:30 and 9 any Tuesday or Thursday

MENTAL HEALTH Dr. Jeanine Parisi

Mission The mission of the Department of Mental Health is to advance the understanding of mental and behavioral disorders, to develop, implement, and evaluate methods to prevent and control these disorders, and to promote mental health in the population.

Data Collection Methods Population-based surveys to understand the causes and consequences of mental health in order to improve health in the general population Intervention trials to prevent disorders in individuals who are currently healthy to minimize future consequences for those with a current disorder or a history of the disorder

Department of Mental Health The first and the only department-level unit in a school of public health Faculty 22 Full-time faculty 48 Part-time faculty 31 Jointly appointed Mental Health Seminar Series Wednesday 12:15-1:30 pm; Hampton House

Research Areas Psychiatric Epidemiology International Mental Health

Research Areas School and Community- based Interventions Youth Violence Prevention Programs

Research Areas Drug and Alcohol Dependence Epidemiology Cognitive Health and Aging

Research Areas Quantitative Methods in Mental Health Research Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics

Degree Programs BA/MHS Open to JHU Public Health Studies students Apply end of Junior year; JHSPH courses in Senior year (up to 16 credits) Transition into MHS program upon graduation Master in Health Science (MHS) 9-month academic program Coursework and final research paper Can be combined with a certificate program

Degree Programs Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Research-oriented (not clinically-based) degree Coursework, Comprehensive Exam, Preliminary Exams, Thesis Students typically complete program in 4-5 years

Courses First Term : The public health approach to psychopathology Second Term : Prevention and control of alcohol and drug abuse : Mental health and the law

Courses Third Term : Social, Psychological and Developmental Processes of Mental and Behavioral Disorders : Introduction to Behavioral and Psychiatric Genetics Fourth Term : Prevention and Control of Mental Disorders: Public Health Interventions

Thanks!

Is the MHS degree associated with the BA/MHS different from a regular MHS degree from the School of Public Health? Can I apply to more than one department’s BA/MHS? I am not certain that I want to pursue the MHS – am I locked in if I become a part of the BA/MHS? Is it possible to apply during the regular cycle as a senior? By what date must I decide to accept an offer of admission to the BA/MHS program? Application includes: Online JHSPH form with narrative Transcript with grades thru Junior year Fall & Spring courses Three letters of recommendation FAQs

General Questions? Enjoy speaking with the representative of each department!