How to Become a Child Health Professional
A master's degree in public health is required for the best opportunities in maternal and child health. These programs typically have five core areas in which the student must take a minimum of one course:
- Behavioral sciences & health education
- Biostatistics
- Environmental health
- Epidemiology
- Health services administration
1. Earn a Bachelor's Degree (4 Years)
The first step to becoming a maternal and child health professional is to earn a bachelor's degree program. However, there is no specific program that must be completed to qualify for a graduate program in public health, popular undergraduate majors include:
- Premed
- Public Health
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Sociology
- Political Science
- Anthropology
- English
| Grade Level | Example Courses |
| Freshman |
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| Sophomore |
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| Junior |
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| Senior |
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The Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health's (ASPPH) website provides data on schools and universities offering public health degree programs. The Council for Education on Public Health (CEPH) lists every accredited university and program available in the public health field.
2. Take the Graduate Requisite Exam (GRE)
Most graduate programs revolving around forensic science require the GRE for admittance. It's a 3 hour and 45 minute, standardized, multiple choice exam that covers analytical writing, quantitative reasoning, and verbal reasoning.
The GRE is broken down into six primary sections:
| Section | Details |
| 1 Analytical Writing Section |
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| 2 Quantitative Reasoning Sections |
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| 2 Verbal Reasoning Sections |
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| 1 Unscored Section |
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You can find study materials, GRE registration, and your test scores on the GRE website.
3. Earn a Master's Degree in Public Health (2 Years)
Earning a master's degree is standard for public health professionals who want to specialize in maternal and child health.
These programs emphasize analytical and quantitative research, combining statistical analyses with public health program development and implementation.
The preparation timeline below provides an example maternal and child health master's curriculum:
| Year | Example Courses |
| 1st |
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| 2nd |
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