Foundations of Maternal & Child Health: Principles, Policy, & Practice

Catalog description

This course invites students to an introductory overview of the field of Maternal and Child Health (MCH), where policy, practice, and lived experience converge to shape the health of women, children, and families. The class traces how health is formed across the life course and influenced by social, environmental, economic, and structural forces that operate at individual, community, and systems levels. Through dynamic lectures and conversations with MCH leaders, students will explore the ideas, policies, and programs that define the MCH landscape in the United States. Grounded in the life course perspective, the social ecological model, and health equity frameworks, students will grapple with the historical roots and present-day realities of inequities tied to race, class, gender, and culture. Learning is intentionally interactive: students engage weekly through discussion boards, lead in-class conversations grounded in current news and peer-reviewed research, and sharpen their analytical voice through an Op-Ed writing sequence. This writing experience challenges students to move from evidence to argument—researching a pressing MCH issue, weighing competing solutions, and crafting a persuasive, public-facing piece that culminates in submission to a real news outlet. Students will leave this course having mastered the skills to critically assess MCH data and policies, design and evaluate programs, communicate complex ideas clearly and compellingly, and advocate with confidence for equitable, evidence-informed maternal and child health solutions.