OUR GOAL
To improve the health status of children and families through interdisciplinary research, clinical, and advocacy training of graduate and post-doctoral level trainees from a wide range of disciplines, practicing professionals, and family advocates.
THE PROGRAM
The Maternal & Child Health Training program (formerly Child & Family Health Leadership program) is a graduate and post-doctoral level training program, federally funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at HRSA. We are one in a national network of 13 programs.
MCHT provides interdisciplinary training using population health and Life Course Health Development (LCHD) framework to prepare our fellows to assume leadership roles in the field of maternal, child, and family health.
The learning and leadership opportunities our program offers increases capacity for high quality, comprehensive care of MCH populations.
part of a national MCH network
inter-
disciplinary
approach
life course health develop-ment
THE CURRICULUM
The Maternal & Child Health Training program is generally a 1.5 to 2 year program for fellows.
All fellows are expected to earn at least 16 units in Maternal & Child Health courses: a child policy course, a methods course, and 4 units of elective courses that have been approved by our program. In addition, students in a 2-year program must complete their degree project in the area of maternal and child health.
Upon completion of units, students will have earned a Maternal & Child Health Certificate from a HRSA-funded and nationally recognized MCH Center of Excellence.
Recruitment occurs in Fall Quarter, and students are notified of acceptance to start in Winter Quarter. If accepted fellows have already taken one of the required courses, it will still count towards eligibility for the certificate. Fellows are generally expected to complete their required courses in 2 years, however the timeline of each fellow to complete their required courses is flexible.
MCH Courses
A total of 16 units in MCH courses is required, however, eligible courses are constantly being evaluated and added once approved by our core faculty. Listed below is the current course menu as of March 2021. This list is also available via Google Doc MCH Course Menu.
POLICY COURSE in Child Health (6 units req)
HPM 449A / CHS 436A
Child Health, Programs, and Policy (4 units)
HPM 428 / CHS 428
Child & Family Health Community Leadership Seminar (2 units)
HEALTH SYSTEMS COURSE in MCH (4 units req)
*NURS courses are only available to current nursing students at UCLA
HPM 420 / CHS 420
Children with Special Health Care Needs: A Systems Perspective (4 units)
HPM M290 / CHS 237
Evolving Paradigms in Preventio: Interventions in Early Childhood (4 units)
CHS 247
Population Change and Public Policy (4 units)
NURS 462
Maternity Nursing (5 units)
NURS 464
Pediatric Nursing (5 units)
ELECTIVE COURSES in Maternal, Child & Family Health (4 units req)
*NURS courses are only available to current nursing students at UCLA
CHS 224
CHS 226
Women’s Health and Well-Being (4 units)
CHS 231
Maternal & Child Nutrition (4 units)
CHS 238
Evolving Paradigms in Prevention: Interventions in Adolescence
CHS 246
Women’s Roles & Family Health (4 units)
CHS 431
Foundation to Reproductive Health (4 units)
CHS 448
Food Policies and Programs (4 units)
EPI 247
Lifecourse Epidemiology (2 units)
HPM 243
Population Health Approach to Autism Spectrum Disorder (4 Units)
HPM 249
Advanced Research Topics in HPM: Mental Health Policy-Investing in Children’s Mental Health (4 Units)
HPM 253
Transformation of Health Care in the US (4 units)
HPM 434 / CHS M430
Building Advocacy Skills (4 units)
NURS 223
Childhood Development: Research and Application to Nursing (3 units)
NURS 252A
Health Promotion: Growth and Development in Culturally Diverse Populations (2 units)
NURS 204
Research Design and Critique (4 units)
NURS 467
Healthcare Policy (3 units)
NURS 268
Leadership in Health Care Systems (4 units)
METHODS COURSE in Systems Analysis/Systems Change (2-4 units req)
HPM 214
Measurement of Effectiveness of Outcomes of Health Care (4 units)
HPM 215 A
FOR MPH STUDENTS — Healthcare Quality and Performance Management (4 units)
HPM 215 B
FOR MS or PhD STUDENTS — Applied Methods for Improvement/Implementation Science (4 units)
HPM 266B
Community Based Participatory Health Research: Methods and Applications (4 units)
HPM 441
Data Analytics: Identifying, Collecting, and Analyzing Data in Health Care (4 units)
CHS M209
Population Models and Dynamics (4 units)
CHS M216A
Qualitative Research: Design and Data Collection (4 units)
EPI 203
Topics in Theoretical Epidemiology (2 units)
EPI 217
Social Networks and Public Health (4 units)
EPI 267
Methodologic Issues in Reproductive Epidemiology (2 units)
EPI M403
Computer Management and Analysis of Health Data Using SAS (4 units)
NURS 269
Quality Improvement & Population-Based Quality of Practice
FEATURES of MCH Training
The Maternal & Child Health Training program is generally a 2-3 year program for fellows.
In addition to the 16 required courses, MCH fellows will:
- Participate in the the UCLA MCH Student Interest Group with leadership opportunities
- Be matched with an MCH faculty mentor
- Have available assistance in securing field placements for degree projects
- Have the opportunity to work with LA County Dept of Public Health (Office of Health Assessment and Epidemiology)
- Present at the MCH Symposium (occurs in Spring Quarter)
- Have the opportunity to mentor MCH undergrads in the Pathways for Students into Health Professions program or provide a leadership talk
- Be part of a national network of MCH trainees
- Receive program support to attend MCH-related conferences
FAQs
Yes, it is the same program. In summer 2020, this program name was officially changed to the UCLA Maternal & Child Health Training Program after being the Child and Family Health since 1994. The reason for this is because “maternal and child health” is more widely recognized in the field.
No, this program is not limited to specific departments, however students from other disciplines should consider the extra 16 units on top of their respective degree requirements. We welcome any graduate students from different departments at Fielding, nursing, education, social work, and psychology to apply. If you’d like to speak with the program administrator regarding the MCH course requirements on top of your current degree course load, please email Pearl Omo-sowho (pomosowho@mednet.ucla.edu).
Yes, accepted fellows will receive a $2500 stipend.
Students will also have the opportunity to fund MCH-related conference registration and travel with $2500 which is different from their stipend. Students will have to submit a request for conference funds with justification that would then be approved by program faculty and staff
A goal of this program is to provide training to as many students who wish to pursue a career in the MCH workforce. We still ask that all interested students apply online (www.mch.ucla.edu/mch-admission) and submit two letters of recommendation in addition to a statement addressing the ways in which this program may help the student.