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
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:
Department
Degree
Duration
Deadline
Environmental
Health Sciences
MHS
ScM
MSPH
1 year
2 years
1½ - 2 years
July 1, 2015
Epidemiology
MHS
1-2 years
June 1, 2015
Health Policy and
Management
MSPH
2 years
July 1, 2015
Mental Health
MHS
4 terms
July 1, 2015
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.
Environmental Health Sciences
Master’s Degree Programs
Master of
Health Science
(MHS)
• 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
Science (ScM)
•
•
•
•
Master of
Public Health
(MSPH)
1 year, Academic Program
Coursework and Research-based
Same tracks as MHS
Students enroll in the MHS, then transfer to ScM
• 16 - 24 months, Professional Program
• Coursework & Internship-based
• 2 Tracks:
• Occupational & Environmental Hygiene
• Toxicity Testing & Human Risk Assessment
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








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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
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 Communitybased 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
• Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
• Practice-based degree; designed for the student
who has a MPH or equivalent degree
• Students typically complete program in 4-5 years
Courses
• First Term
• 330.617: The public health approach to
psychopathology
• Second Term
• 330.641: Prevention and control of alcohol and
drug abuse
• 330.667: Mental health and the law
Courses
• Third Term
• 330.661: Social, Psychological and Developmental
Processes of Mental and Behavioral Disorders
• 330.612: Introduction to Behavioral and Psychiatric
Genetics
• Fourth Term
• 330.607: Prevention and Control of Mental
Disorders: Public Health Interventions
Thanks!
FAQs
• 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
General
Questions?
Enjoy speaking
with the
representative of
each department!