MHS/PhD IN INTERNATIONAL HEALTH
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Application Deadlines
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Q: When is the deadline to apply for an MHS/PhD/DrPH in International Health?
A: The priority deadline for applications is January 1. However, the Department will continue to accept applications on a rolling admissions basis through approximately mid-April. For best consideration, it is recommended that students submit their application as close to the January 1 deadline as possible as there are a limited number of positions available.
Q: Is the GRE required for admission?
A: Yes, the Department requires that GRE scores be submitted for all students. There are no waivers of this requirement. MCAT scores can be substituted in certain circumstances only MHS program applicants.
Q: What are the typical GRE score and Grade point averages for students admitted to the department?
A: A variety of factors are examined for decisions about admission. These include your previous grades, types of courses taken, GRE scores, the personal statement, letters of recommendation, the match to track and faculty interests, and your experience. All are important, and no one factor dominates the decision regarding admission. We try and look at the complete picture of a student in deciding on admission. In most years admission to the MHS and Ph.D. programs are competitive as there is a limited number of students who can be accommodated. The number of slots available each year, especially for the Ph.D. program, is also dependent on the availability of faculty to advise students. As students graduate we are able to accept new students.
In general, GRE scores for most students admitted average the 75 percentile in all three areas (analytic, verbal, and quantitative). The average is somewhat lower for MHS students, and higher for Ph.D. students. Undergraduate Grade Point Averages average approximately 3.25, and for Ph.D., students the GPA from the Masters degree usually averages 3.50. Experience in international developing country settings, especially for the Ph.D. program, is viewed favorably for admission. The personal statement is important, so take your time completing this. Essays that reflect a clear career and training path and goal are viewed positively.
Q: Is it possible to visit campus to meet faculty and students, attend classes, and see the facilities?
A: Yes, Applicants are welcome to come to the Hopkins Campus and meet the faculty, students, and attend classes. Doctoral candidates are encouraged to do so. The School organizes various Visitors Days for potential applicants. To learn more about these, please visit the Admissions Office website at; http://www.jhsph.edu/Admissions/Visit/index.html. You may also schedule a Departmental visit by contacting Jennifer Shaffer (jshaffer@jhsph.edu), the Academic Program Administrator for IH.
Q: How do I find faculty members that are interested in a particular subject?
A: It is best to go to the faculty webpage and search for a topic. Go to
http://commprojects.jhsph.edu/faculty/FacultyList.cfm . The individual faculty websites will provide information about their research. Your academic advisor can also counsel you on the interests of their colleagues.
Q: When can I expect a decision on my application?
A: The Admissions Office will forward applications to the department when they are complete. The Department reviews applications for admission as they are received from the Admissions Office. If your application is complete at the time it is submitted, it should be forwarded to the department within a week. At the Department level, it generally takes between 3-5 weeks for the committee to review and make decisions on each application. Notification is sent directly from the Department at the time the decision is made. Thus, decisions on applications take an average of 6 weeks from the time the application is submitted.
A: The school has several approved certificate programs. It is possible to complete a certificate program in conjunction with the MHS or PhD program. The list and description of these programs can be found at; http://commprojects.jhsph.edu/academics/Certificate.cfm
FAQ
PhD Program
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Q: When are course schedules posted
A: Schedules are constantly maintained on the school course website. Hard copies for Term 1 (September) are available mid-June from SASS, and registration begins the first week of July.
Q: What type of funding is available for Doctoral students?
A: The Department awards approximately 3 full-tuition scholarships to incoming doctoral students each year. This award is good for 6 terms (or 1 ½ years) and covers only the cost of tuition. After 6 full-time terms of the program all doctoral students receive a 75% tuition scholarship for the remainder of the program. This scholarship is automatic after 6 terms and does not require a separate application. In addition, there are a number of training grants that support students in selected areas. Application for these positions occurs after admission to the doctoral program.
A: The 75% tuition scholarship is automatic upon successful completion of 6 full-time terms of enrollment. There is no separate application or eligibility requirement.
Q: Are there Research or Teaching Assistantships available as an alternative source of funding?
A: Yes, students are frequently recruited by faculty as teaching and research assistants and receive compensation for their work. Many faculty actively participate in the Federal Workstudy program. It is recommended that you consult with your advisor with regard to the amount of work undertaken during your studies to assure that you have a reasonable balance with course work. In general, 10 hours a week of work is the maximum suggested when taking a full course load.
Q: What is the secondary research experience required of PhD students?
A: Each student needs to document (we have a form for this) that he or she obtained valuable research experience on a project not directly related to dissertation activities. For example, this might have been working on something for a summer job with a faculty member. We'll put a link here eventually to the actual statement of the requirement, which is not yet in the doctoral program booklet.
Q: How are doctoral advisors assigned?
A: Initially, academic advisors are assigned by the faculty based on the expressed interests of the student during the admissions process. Once the student determines a thesis topic, it may be appropriate for the student to switch to a different advisor. This is quite common and advisors understand the need for switching where appropriate.
Q: What is the usual amount of time it takes to complete the course work for the Ph.D.?
A: Most students will be able to complete the course work in 6-8 terms (4 terms per year). Students with prior masters degrees may be able to waive out of some courses if they can show that they have already taken similar courses at other institutions. Students who have completed the MHS or MPH at Hopkins may also be able to complete the course work sooner if they have already taken some of the requirements for those degrees.
Q: When are comprehensive exams?
A: These are held twice a year; in late January, and in late May/early June. Other times cannot be scheduled.Most students will be able to complete the course work in 6-8 terms (4 terms per year).
Q: Do DrPH students need to take the DPCP Doctoral Seminar?
A: No, the DrPH program is school-level, and has its own set of requirements.
Q: At what point in the program can I start working on a doctoral thesis?
A: Most students complete the course work within 2 years of matriculation and take the written comprehensive examinations at that time. Work on a thesis proposal can start at any time during these two years (or after). Following the written examinations, students must pass a departmental and school oral examination. The thesis proposal must be approved by a thesis committee of three faculty. Once the proposal has been approved by the thesis committee and given ethical approval by the Institutional Review Board, then the student may begin to work on the thesis project.
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Q: What type of funding is available for MHS?
A: For MHS students, there is no funding through the Department for the first year of the program, however, after passing the written comprehensive examination and during the internship stage of the program, the department provides a 75% scholarship. Students are responsible for the remaining 25% of the tuition.
Q: Is the 75% tuition scholarship automatic or do I need to fill out a separate application to determine if I’m eligible?
A: The 75% tuition scholarship is automatic upon passing the written comprehensive examinations. There is no separate application or eligibility requirement.
Q: What kind of financial arrangements exist for the internship?
A: Financial support for internships varies depending on the sponsor organization. Some will pay just travel expenses. Others may pay travel and living expenses. Still others may pay total expenses, including a stipend. If receiving full financial support for your internship experience is a priority, then you will need to make that a part of your search criteria. However, keep in mind that this may limit you in terms of what opportunities may be available. Organizations like WHO and UNICEF do not typically pay for internships, but provide valuable experiences.
In addition, departmental faculty often provide financial support to MHS students to work on their research studies. The Department also has several merit-based awards for MHS students at the time of the internship.
Q: Are there Research or Teaching Assistantships available as an alternative source of funding?
A: Yes, students are frequently recruited by faculty as teaching and research assistants and receive compensation for their work. Many faculty actively participate in the Federal Workstudy program. It is recommended that you consult with your advisor with regard to the amount of work undertaken during your studies to assure that you have a reasonable balance with course work. In general, 10 hours a week of work is the maximum suggested when taking a full course load.
Q: Can I still get a good job if I get an MHS?
A: Yes, the two degrees are equivalent in terms of their level of recognition and respect in the field of public health.
Q: Do MHS graduates have many job opportunities upon graduation?
A: Yes, while we cannot make any guarantees, historically MHS graduates from the Department of International Health have done quite well on the job market. The MHS faculty coordinators from each program area can provide you with additional information about the types of jobs that recent graduates have taken.
Q: What types of jobs do MHS students generally take upon completion of the program?
A: Because the MHS is designed for students who are just starting out in the field of public health, the types of jobs they accept upon graduation are generally entry-level positions within health organizations both domestically and internationally. The jobs fall into two broad categories; public health practice/programs and public health research. Some examples might include; CDC and NIH, World Health Organization, World Bank, Save the Children, and Population Council. Job responsibilities may include; administration, planning/evaluation/policy analysis, provision of health services, laboratory and non-laboratory research, community organization, health education, program management, etc…Other students elect to continue on with MD and PhD programs.
Q: How long is the MHS internship?
A: The time requirement for the MHS internship is a minimum of 2 terms academic terms (8 weeks each). This equates to approximately 4 months. However, the internship can, and typically does, extend for a longer period of time, subject to the students’ wishes and the needs of the project/sponsor. Most students opt to take longer internships to enhance their overall experience.
Q: Can I do an internship in the United States, or do you have to travel abroad?
A: Students choose their internship in consultation with their academic advisors. Some students place a high value on traveling abroad for their internship and prioritize this experience in terms of their international health training. Others feel that organizations located domestically can provide an equally rewarding internship experience. The choice of where to do your internship is a personal one because each student will have different needs in terms of their overall training. The Department encourages this and tries to assist each student in selecting the internship that will suit them best.
Q: Can I start the MHS internship in the summer immediately following the end of course work?
A: Once all required courses for the MHS are completed (generally at the end of the first year), students are required to sit for their written comprehensive examination (usually the end of May or early June). Upon successful completion of the comprehensive exam, students can embark upon their internship. Since Comp exams are generally held in June, a summer start for the internship is certainly a possibility. Typically, most MHS students start their internship in mid- to late summer. Some start in the following fall.
Q: What is the difference between the MPH and the MHS? Which is more respected?
A: The Master of Public Health (MPH) is a school-wide degree program designed to provide students with broad-based education in the areas of population health and disease, and training to work effectively with a variety of public health issues. This program requires that applicants have a minimum of 2 years of experience in the health field prior to applying. Students often have an option to participate in concentration areas with the MPH degree, which have a more focused curriculum and faculty mentors from associated departments.
The Master of Health Sciences (MHS) program is a departmentally-based degree program designed for students who are looking to begin a career in public health. It provides a foundation in some core public health disciplines, such as the quantitative and analytical sciences, while also allowing students to develop more specialized skills in a particular area of interest. The MHS also includes an internship requirement of a minimum of 4 months that allows students to apply what they have learned in the classroom in a hands-on field environment. Both degrees offer a similar level of training and are well-respected in the field of public health.
Q: Can the MHS or doctoral program be completed on a part-time basis or via distance education?
A: No. Our programs are not offered on a part-time or distance education basis. While some courses are available via the web, the degree programs themselves require that students be enrolled full-time and be in residence throughout.
A: Yes. The MHS program is quite flexible in terms of providing students with elective course work that allows them to tailor their program according to their specific interests. The program is designed to give each student a foundation in core disciplines of public health (including quantitative, environmental, biological, behavioral, and management sciences), a specialization in a particular area of public health of their choosing, and some room to build on that specialization through additional elective courses.
Q: What are the requirements of the MHS essay?
A: An essential part of the practicum is the production of an acceptable MHS essay that provides meaningful contribution to knowledge of health of underserved populations. The paper is not a thesis in that it need not contain original research findings for review by an academic committee. Rather, the objective of the paper is to provide tangible evidence of expertise on a specified applied topic of international health relevance. Each program in the department has its own unique requirements. The essay is read and approved by two readers knowledgeable on the subject matter, usually your academic advisor and one other reader, possibly the internship mentor.
Q: Can the MHS or doctoral program be completed on a part-time basis or via distance education?
A: No. Our programs are not offered on a part-time or distance education basis. While some courses are available via the web, the degree programs themselves require that students be enrolled full-time and be in residence throughout.
A: Yes, one of the advantages of continuing on to a doctoral program from the MHS program (in IH) is that most of the requirements of the MHS degree will apply to your doctoral program, provided the time limits have not expired. Thus, the amount of time it takes to complete the doctoral program will be reduced based on many of the requirements already being fulfilled. The PhD program has a separate application process and has different entry requirements than the MHS. To learn more about program requirements and the admissions process for doctoral programs in International Health, please visit our website at; http://www.jhsph.edu/Dept/IH/Degree_Programs/index.html.
Q: How quickly can I complete my MHS degree?
A: It is possible to complete the MHS in 6 terms provided (1 ½ years) you complete the coursework in year one, pass the written comprehensive examination, complete a minimum of 4 months of internship and have your completed essay approved before the start of 3rd term in the second year.