ABOUT THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN MATERNAL, CHILD AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH
The mission of the Centers of Excellence in MCH in Education, Science and Practice (Centers of Excellence) is to improve the health of women, infants, children, youth, and their families. This program, administered by the Human Resources & Services Administration's Maternal & Child Health Bureau, funds accredited schools of public health to support graduate education at the masters and doctoral levels. Centers of Excellence programs prepare students for leadership in MCH through exposure to the knowledge and skills needed to build public health capacity, through practical experience, and through collaboration with communities and Title V MCH partners. The UCB Center of Excellence in Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (T76MC00002) provides graduate-level training in maternal, child, and adolescent health research and practice. UCB MCAH has provided superior graduate training, continuing education, research and service since its founding in 1953. The program has over 1,200 alumni across the country and around the world. It is our mission to develop the next generation of leaders equipped to solve the health challenges facing women, children, adolescents and families of the 21st century. As a CoE in MCAH, the MCAH Program’s multifaceted and interdisciplinary curriculum and dynamic learning environment are designed to respond to newly emerging issues in MCAH and to the unique needs of the diverse communities and cultures of the San Francisco Bay area, State of California, and the world; and to inspire students to use their skills and expertise to achieve health equity for all.
PROGRAM GOALS
As a Center of Excellence in MCAH education, science, and practice, our three overall goals are:
- To provide the best education possible to develop graduates who are prepared to lead Title V and other MCAH organizations and promote and protect the health status of diverse MCAH populations.
- To prepare public health and health care professionals to be leaders in the field of MCAH with a culturally competent, multidisciplinary, community oriented, ethical, and cost-effective vision of maternal, child and adolescent health, with the skills that can help solve the health challenges of the 21st century.
- To work closely with Title V and other MCAH programs at the state, local, national, and global levels to mobilize large scale, synergistic efforts to reduce and eliminate health disparities and barriers to health that affect MCAH populations.
As a Center of Excellence (CoE in MCAH), our objectives and activities are designed to:
- Prepare future leaders in the service of MCAH populations across the state, nation and world;
- Recruit, train and mentor a diverse cadre of MCAH students responsive to changing economic, political and demographic trends;
- Train students to identify how health equity, social determinants, and risk and protective factors contribute to health outcomes for women, children, adolescents, children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), and families; analyze data that support these observations; and design interventions to improve health outcomes;
- Develop, foster and sustain cultural and linguistic competence in MCAH across all aspects of our academic curriculum, research, and programmatic activities;
- Conduct cutting-edge research that addresses priority needs of MCAH populations, nationally and globally, and increases the evidence base for decision makers and practitioners; and
- Build strong partnerships with other MCAH Training Programs and CoE, Title V stakeholders and MCAH communities to advance and share knowledge and skills, strengthen professional networks, and provide technical assistance and continuing education in MCAH.
CURRENT DEGREE PROGRAM OFFERINGS
Please visit the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) Program page on the Berkeley Public Health website for more information.
No online degree programs with a concentration in MCAH are available at this time.
Images created by Grace Rajan, MCAH