Information For Admitted MPH Full-time Students

Audio Recordings of Online MPH Admitted Students Chat Sessions

For those of you who are not able to come to Baltimore for either of the Visitors Days, the MPH office held 3 online Admitted Student chat sessions to discuss the program and answer your questions.  The audio recordings are available at:
Admitted Student Live Chat - April 2nd session  
International Admitted Student Live Chat - April 10th session 
Livechat for International Students - May 1st session

Key Dates

April 15, 2012 or within 2 weeks of receiving admission letter:  Confirm acceptance of our offer for admission.  Complete the Admissions Reply Form and Deposit Form at the Admitted Students website.  To log in, use the username "Welcome2" and the password "JHSPH".

May 18, 2012: Complete Orientation Slide Show Questionnaire.
We will prepare a slide show of the new class that will be viewed at orientation as well as a student photo directory of the class. We would appeciate it if you would provide us with information about yourself on the slide show questionnaire.

Friday, June 29, 2012: Preliminary orientation for international students.  This is an optional, but highly recommended session that will focus on graduate student life in the U.S. as well as life in Baltimore.

July 2-3, 2012:  MPH orientation for full-time students.  All new full-time students are expected to attend.  The orientation session is scheduled on both days from 8:30am-5:00pm and will be held in Sommer Hall at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street in Baltimore.

Things To Do Before Arriving in Baltimore

You can Visit the School by contacting the MPH program office and we will schedule a visit for you.

Check out the course catalog online at Course Search to learn more about the courses offered at the School.

Access the content of the School's most popular courses at no cost to you at OpenCourseWare.

Identify faculty with interests similar to your own by doing some key word searches in the School's online Faculty Directory.

Preparing for the Quantitative courses you will take as an MPH student:  It may have been years since you've taken a quantitative course, or maybe you just want to brush up on your skills. Either way, you'll want to prepare yourself for the epidemiology and biostatistics courses you'll be taking during the program.  One resource which is recommended by our faculty is a Study Guide to Epidemiology and Biostatistics, by J. Richard Hebel and Robert J. McCarter, Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Sudbury, MA, 2006 (Sixth Edition).

Also, please visit our OpenCourseWare site where course content is available for the courses entitled Statistical Reasoning as well as Fundamentals of Epidemiology.

Need an algebra refresher? Please see this online study site.

Microsoft Excel: Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program in which some knowledge is required for some courses at the School of Public Health.  If you have never used Excel before or if it has been awhile since you last used it, you can familiarize yourself with basic Excel skills prior to your arrival.  Click here for basic instructions on using Excel.

Enroll and complete the Introduction to Online Learning course module (IOL):  This is a free, non-credit course that is a prerequisite for all online courses offered by the Bloomberg School of Public Health.  The training module is offered in a self-paced format via the Internet and can be completed in approximately 1-4 hours.  This course must be completed before enrolling in an online course.

Over half of the full-time MPH students participate in at least one online course. The MPH office highly recommends that all new students complete Introduction to Online Learning in the event that you need or choose to take an online course during the academic year.

Purchase a laptop computer with a discount through Johns Hopkins:  Admitted students are eligible to purchase a laptop computer at a discounted rate prior to arrival or at any time during enrollment at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Hewlett Packard offers exclusive discounts to Johns Hopkins faculty, staff, and students for personal purchases.
Apple Purchasing also offers discounts to Johns Hopkins faculty, staff, and students for personal purchases.

Our Information Systems team has provided some recommendations for purchasing new or upgrading laptops for meeting the School's technical criteria and ensuring a seamless access to our networks and resources.

Join the Facebook group for the incoming MPH 2012/2013 class: A Facebook group has been created for the incoming Johns Hopkins School of Public Health MPH Class of 2013 to provide a resource for the incoming students to connect with each other and the MPH Program. 

What to Expect this Summer

The Summer Term runs from Thursday, July 5 through Friday, August 24.  See the complete 2012-2013 academic calendar for the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Summer Term Course Schedule:

Principles of Epidemiology: M,W,F: 8:30-9:30a.m.; Lab M,W,F: 10:00-11:50a.m.  Required Reading: Epidemiology (4th edition) by Leon Gordis, W.B. Saunders Co., Philadelphia, PA, 2008.

Environmental Health: M,W,F: 1:30-3:20p.m.

The Tools of Public Health Practice and Decision Making (July 5-17): T,TH: 9:00a.m-11:20a.m.

Making Change through Policy (July 19-August 23): T,TH: 9:00a.m.-11:20a.m.  Attendance required.  No more than 2 excused absenses.

Population Dynamics and Public Health: T: 1:30-2:20p.m.  Lab: T 2:30-4:20p.m.; TH 1:30-3:20p.m.  First day of class Thurs., July 5, 1:30-2:20p.m.

Introduction to MPH Studies: M-F 12:00-1:00p.m.(various dates); M,W,TH 3:30-5p.m. (various dates).  Summer group advising sessions with faculty; discussion sessions with reading groups; enrichment seminars, information sessions, and Goals Analysis paper.  Required reading: Polio: An American Story by David Oshinsky. Oxford University Press, New York, 2005.  (This book will be distributed during orientation at a 50% discount and your student account will automatically reflect this discounted cost.  Please do not purchase this book in advance, no advanced reading is required.)
Summer Group Advising Meetings:
Monday, July 2^nd: 12:00-2:00pm
Friday, July 20^th: 12:00-1:30pm
Tuesday, August 7^th: 12:00-1:30pm

Students will typically be free by 4:00p.m. on Fridays.

Information regarding the MPH academic program can be found on the MPH Program website. Here you will find information about the degree requirements, concentrations, and student manuals.

International Students

A preliminary orientation for international students will be held on Friday, June 29, 2012.  This is an optional, but highly recommended session that will focus on graduate student life in the U.S. as well as life in Baltimore.

VISA information:
All admitted international students who plan to attend the Bloomberg School of Public Health are required to attend in F-1 or J-1 status (unless you are already in possession of an immigration status in which studying is permissible*). International students who require the F-1 or J-1 student visa must obtain an I-20 or DS-2019 from the JHMI Office of International Services [OIS] in order to apply for their F-1 or J-1 visa stamp at a U.S. consulate abroad.  You will be contacted by the OIS by email once you have confirmed your plans to attend the MPH Program.  In the email from the OIS, you will receive instructions to access the OIS online visa document request (I-20/DS-2019) form. At that time you can begin to prepare the documentation you will need to have in order to receive the I-20 or DS-2019; including ensuring that your passport is valid and that you have acceptable financial documentation.  Please see the JHSPH Admitted Students webpage for further information about financial documentation for the I-20 or DS-2019.  Please direct any questions to: 
The Office of International Student, Faculty and Staff Services
Intl-Students@jhmi.edu (email strongly encouraged)
Phone: 410-955-3371; Fax: 410-955-0871

Financial Information

Full-time students will enroll in five terms of study (the summer term of 2012 and four terms that span September 2012- through May 2013).

For the 2012-2013 academic year, the tuition rates are as follows:
Five terms full-time--$55,380 (full-time = 12-22 credits)
Per term full-time--$11,076
Per credit--$923

Opportunities for financial aid:  The School's Financial Services Office's primary role is to help students apply for financial aid. The School also maintains a Student Funding Resource Office that may be useful as well.

Housing and Life in Baltimore

Check out a JHSPH Student Life video on Living in Baltimore.

The Housing Office is situated on the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus (JHMI) to assist students, housestaff, postdoctoral fellows, staff and faculty for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, School of Medicine, and School of Nursing with their off-campus accommodations.  The JHMI Housing website can assist in finding affordable and safe housing in the Baltimore area as well as answer many other questions about Baltimore, student life, roommate finder, furniture for sale, carpools, hotels, daycare, transportation information, school systems in the city and surrounding counties, as well as other useful resources. You can contact the Housing Office at 410-955-3905 or jhmihousingoffice@jhmi.edu if you need additional information or assistance.

Effective June 30, 2012, Reed Hall will no longer be available as on-campus housing. All student housing beginning with the 2012-2013 academic year will be considered off-campus.

Scheduled to open May 18, 2012, the new 929 Building is the closest housing accommodation to the East Baltimore Medical Campus where the Bloomberg School of Public Health is located.  It features a location within the Science and Technology Park that is convenient to classes, shopping, and dining and is designed to appeal to graduate students.  Studio apartments and one-and two-bedroom units are available. All include premium amenities such as hardwood flooring, stainless steel appliances and granite countertops with access to state of the art technology, exercise facilities, Johns Hopkins' computer system, and a garden rooftop terrace. There is a one-time $200 community fee.  See http://www.live929.com/ for complete information and current leasing specials.  A $100 credit Refer-A-Friend Program is currently being offered for a limited time.  Amenities include: Community Wide WiFi and IPTV; Cable, Water, Electricity (w/cap); Fitness Center; Rooftop Garden Terrace; Granite Counter tops; Stainless Steel Appliances; ZipCar; Conference Room; Professionally Staffed 24/7; Controlled Access Entry; Convenient Parking.

Johns Hopkins has partnered with Off Campus Partners to create a new and improved Off-Campus Housing Listing Service & Website to better serve the East Baltimore Campus.  The website allows students to view listings on a user name/password protected site. The site provides tools to breakdown properties into neighborhoods, pricing, and much more. There is also a message board section to post requests for roommates as well as a section for furniture for sale. The service will also include educational components designed to help students become good citizens of the Baltimore community. 

Off-Campus Housing Listing Service Website https://offcampushousing.hopkinsmedicine.org/.  Please click on “Register Here” in the upper right corner.  Then click on “guest”.  Once you click on guest, it will take you to a password protected page.  Please use the password BlueJay2012.  The password is case sensitive.

Off-Campus Housing can be found in many different locations.  As a reference:

• The Homewood campus refers to the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Arts and Sciences and School of Engineering. The Homewood campus is located at 3400 N. Charles Street, in the Baltimore neighborhood of Charles Village.
• The Johns Hopkins East Baltimore Medical Campus (JHMI) refers to the Bloomberg School of Public Health, the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, and the Hopkins Hospital located in East Baltimore, east of the Inner Harbor area.  
  
  When considering location and type of housing, also consider your method of transportation to the JHSPH campus. Without a car, you will need to rely on city public transportation or the JHU/JHMI shuttle service. Many students prefer to plan their housing within walking distance of a JHU/JHMI shuttle stop. The Homewood/JHMI shuttle service runs from the Homewood campus to the East Baltimore campus, making stops at several locations along the way. This service is free to JHU/JHMI students.
  
  Several popular neighborhoods for Hopkins students include:
• Charles Village is adjacent to Hopkins Homewood campus. Charles Village is several miles north of JHMI/East Baltimore campus, where the Bloomberg School of Public Health is located. It welcomes students with grass, wide-spreading trees, brick residence halls and classroom buildings, and interconnecting walkways that combine to create a comfortable country atmosphere in the heart of a major city. Bloomberg School students who live near or visit the Homewood campus can enjoy access to libraries, performing arts events, guest speakers and more. The neighborhood has a strong small-business climate and an abundance of well-known cultural and educational resources, including the Baltimore Museum of Art. There is an eclectic mix of ethnic restaurants and professional firms, especially those in the fields of graphic design, advertising, architecture and printing. In addition to Charles Village, other neighborhoods adjacent to the Homewood Campus include Roland Park/Guilford and Canterbury/Tuscany. The Hopkins shuttle runs from Homewood to JHMI throughout the day.
• Mt. Vernon is located approximately 20 blocks south of Charles Village and 10 blocks north of Baltimore's Inner Harbor near the Hopkins Peabody campus and also has a Hopkins shuttle stop. This lively neighborhood serves as the cultural center of Baltimore. Living spaces include single-family Victorian row homes, carriage houses, condominiums, apartments in row homes, and several high-rises. The Walters Art Gallery and the Enoch Pratt Free Library are located in Mt. Vernon. The rejuvenation of the many historic and architecturally significant buildings has enabled Mt. Vernon to remain not only a diverse residential neighborhood, but also a cultural center and restaurant district.

• Canton, Fells Point, and Butchers Hill are located along Baltimore’s waterfront to the south and west of JHMI. There is limited Hopkins shuttle access to these neighborhoods, but they are a reasonable distance for students to walk or bike to campus.

  There are other areas outside of the city that are mostly accessible by car. Some of these neighborhoods include:
  Rodgers Forge / Towson—just north of the city in Baltimore County
  Mt. Washington/Pikesville —northwest Baltimore City and County
  Columbia—west of Baltimore in Howard County (Columbia is midway between Washington and Baltimore)
  
  Some other off-campus housing resources include: 

• Baltimore Sun newspaper
• City Paper
• Craig’s List
• Baltimore CityGuide

House Hunting Tips

Members of the Student Assembly Quality of Life Committee put together the following list of helpful "House Hunting Tips". While Baltimore is full of amazing places and charm, it is important to remember that Baltimore is a city and safety should always be a top priority. Here are some things to keep in mind while searching for your new home:

1.   If possible, talk to current students for specific housing recommendations
2.   Visit the location in person before you sign the lease
3.   Identify nearby grocery stores, places to eat, etc.
4.   Find out what security measures are in place (front door security, door/window locks, alarms, etc.)
5.   View crime reports by specific location at http://crimebaltimore.com/
6.   Look into proximity to Hopkins Free Shuttle Service
7.   Find out about parking options
8.   Try to live on a busy street
9.   Ensure that proper security is in place when looking at ground floor housing

Other Resources from the JHMI Housing Office

• Daycares and Preschools
• Transportation Information
• Moving Companies
• Realtor List
• Apartment Checklist
• Corporate Short Term Housing and Private Short Term Housing
• Hotel Information
• Housing Tips
  

Contact Information

If you have specific questions, feel free to contact Ms. Janet Carn, Academic Coordinator for full-time MPH students, 410-955-1291.

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