New Trimester Schedule!
Starting in August of 2024, the MPH@Baylor Program will transition from a quarter term system to a trimester term system. The decision was made after careful consideration of student feedback and concerns, and discussions among Baylor program stakeholders, with the goal of improving the student experience. The trimester system offers several advantages, including a more balanced workload distribution, increased flexibility in course offerings, and a streamlined administrative process that align with timelines for other Baylor office operations (Financial Aid, Registrar, etc.). We believe that this change will enhance your learning experience and help you make the most of your time at Baylor University.
With the trimester transition, there will be a few adjustments to the academic calendar. Each academic year will now consist of three traditional trimesters (Fall: September – December, Spring: January – April, and Summer: May – August), each lasting approximately 15 weeks, including final examinations. The new academic calendar will mirror Baylor’s Graduate Trimester Academic Calendar.
Student Spotlight – Cara Haynes
This student spotlight focuses on Cara Haynes, a May 2023 graduate and 2023 Outstanding Student of the MPH@Baylor program. Cara joined the program in Summer 2022 and since then has made positive impacts with her faculty and peers. One of Cara’s favorite experiences during her time in the program was being able to engage in meaningful conversations with her peers and apply the concepts learned to current topics in public health. Cara’s graduate project was the CATCH My Breath program, an evidence-based educational vaping prevention program in a rural Texas school district. She conducted research on the effectiveness of the CATCH My Breath program.
Cara plans to attend medical school and pursue a career as a primary care physician where she will utilize her MPH to view health through both the lenses of public health and medicine to improve the health and quality of life of those in rural communities.
Cara took the time to provide us with how the MPH@Baylor program has impacted her and her career:
“The MPH@Baylor Program has done more than just prepare me for a career in public health; it has allowed me to gain a more holistic perspective of health by considering the many factors that contribute to a person’s quality of life and a community’s well-being, and it has helped me realize my purpose and role in the health of others. With the skills I’ve acquired, from communication and professional skills to research and writing skills, as well as the public health material integrated into every course, I feel confident that I will have a better understanding of my patients’ health as a physician, and I will use what I’ve learned at Baylor to improve the health of rural communities in Texas!”
MPH@Baylor Hosts First Ever National Public Health Week Poster Competition
During the first full week of April each year, the American Public Health Association (APHA) brings together communities across the United States to observe National Public Health Week (NPHW) as a time to recognize the contributions of public health and highlight issues that are important to improving our nation’s health. For over 25 years, APHA has served as the organizer of NPHW. Every year, the Association develops a national campaign to educate the public, policymakers and practitioners about issues related to each year’s theme. APHA creates new NPHW materials each year that can be used during and after NPHW to raise awareness about public health and prevention. This year, National Public Health Week 2022 was observed from Monday, April 4 through Sunday, April 10th. To observe National Public Health Week and celebrate the great work that our students are all doing in Public Health, the MPH@Baylor Program hosted the First Annual National Public Health Week Poster Competition! Students were invited to register to participate and create a poster highlighting the work that they are doing either at their job, volunteering, or at their Graduate Project Internship site. The Poster Competition was held on Monday, April 10th at 7:00 pm in the MPH@Baylor Student Lounge and the winner of the poster competition was Julia Lorence! Julia presented on her poster titled “Healing through Dance: Empowering Survivors of Human Trafficking”, which detailed her with the Phoenix Dream Center. As the winner, Julia received a free BU Public Health t-shirt and a coffee chat mentoring sessions with the MPH@Baylor Program Director, Dr. Jasmine Opusunju. Congratulations to Julia and we look forward to seeing the great submissions next year!
Check Out the Winning Poster Below:
