The Department of Maternal and Child Health is proud to be a part of the Carolina tradition of excellence and to have earned its reputation as one of the world's leading academic departments for MCH research, teaching and practice. We are dedicated to improving the health of women, children and families domestically and internationally, contributing directly to healthy and productive lives around the world.

Founded in 1950, our department now has more applicants and graduates in Maternal and Child Health than any other U.S. school of public health. While we are pleased that our teaching program has achieved this measure of success, we strive to excel not only in size but also in quality. We offer six graduate degrees that enable our students to tailor their studies to best complement their career aspirations and we further distinguish ourselves by having a focus on global as well as domestic MCH priorities. This provides our students with broad exposures to MCH population issues, needs and responses in diverse settings and prepares them to be the MCH leaders of tomorrow.

An intrinsic attribute of this Department is its commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship, research and practice. The MCH faculty itself represents a rich mix of academic backgrounds and interests, contributing expertise in a wide range of MCH disciplines. MCH faculty have received doctoral/professional training in obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, maternal/fetal medicine, nutrition, sociology, social work, epidemiology, statistics, psychology, economics, demography, geography, and population/international health. The majority of our faculty members also hold graduate degrees in Public Health.

Whether you are a prospective student, collaborator or alumna/alumnus, we invite you to join us as we embark upon an exciting new year of scholarship, leadership and service. I look forward to working collectively as we use our many assets and shared values to create an even brighter future for those we serve.

Come visit us again - and often - to learn about Department initiatives.

All the best,
Herbert B. Peterson, MD, FACOG
Professor and Chair