Population & Family Health

(Note for Prospective Applicants: Beginning in the Fall 2012, the School is moving to a new Certificate program with more than 20 offerings including: Child, Youth, and Family Health; Public Health and Humanitarian Assistance; Global Health; and Sexuality, Sexual, and Reproductive Health. Visit the Prospective Student/Columbia MPH site for more information.)

The Program on Forced Migration and Health is committed to professionalizing the field of humanitarian response. The Program pursues its mission by training the next generation of public health and humanitarian response workers, leading innovative research, training, and advocacy initiatives, and by offering technical assistance to international organizations.

The Program pursues it mission through:

1. Graduate-level training in public health. The Program offers a Masters in Public Health (M.P.H.) through the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. The Curriculum includes the public health core and several required forced migration and health courses.
2. Research, advocacy and partnerships. Program faculty lead innovative research projects and participate in global partnerships to improve the health and well-being of people affected by conflict and forced migration.
3. Support to international organizations. The Program assists United Nations organizations and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) by offering technical assistance, training and capacity building to improve the quality and efficacy of humanitarian response in complex emergencies.

The Program's teaching and research components emphasize pragmatic, inter-disciplinary, and human rights-based problem-solving in the health and social sectors. Upon completion of the Program, graduates will be able to:

• Lead the field of humanitarian response in the 21st century
• Define the nature, impact, and determinants of health and social sector problems in complex emergencies
• Develop effective policies to alleviate problems in the health and social sectors
• Design, manage and evaluate health and social sector programs
• Undertake population-based research to improve humanitarian response policies and practice

The Program connects in countless ways with New York City and its extensive health, human rights and humanitarian networks that span the globe.

Students have access to United Nations agencies and INGOs and are encouraged to engage with Columbia University's other world-class training and research institutes focused on international health, human rights, conflict resolution, education and journalism.

We welcome your interest in our work and encourage you to support the development of this Program. Please feel free to contact us at any time.

Program faculty have unparalleled experience working directly with war-affected and refuges populations and in communities affected by natural disasters. Along with their teaching commitments, the faculty is actively engaged in innovative research projects and technical partnerships with operational agencies, INGOs, local organizations, research centers and training projects.

Note for Prospective Applicants: Beginning in the Fall 2012, the School is moving to a new Certificate program with more than 20 offerings including: Child, Youth, and Family Health; Public Health and Humanitarian Assistance; Global Health; and Sexuality, Sexual, and Reproductive Health. Visit the Prospective Student/Columbia MPH site for more information.