Date Effective:   April 11, 1983

POLICY & PROCEDURE MEMORANDUM ACADEMIC PROGRAMS - 2

SUBJECT:   School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)/Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH) Dual Degree Program

POLICY

The School of Advanced International Studies and the Bloomberg School of Public Health (BSPH) agree that there shall be a dual program combining the Master of Arts program at SAIS and the Master of Health Sciences program in International Health at BSPH. By mutual agreement, the dual two-year programs may be completed in a total of three years.

Overall preparation for employment in the socioeconomic, political and cultural milieu of international development associated with a chosen geographical area will be combined with substantive professional training in public health generally and in a specific field of international health concentration.

The regular components of the present SAIS program will be retained, including public policy, development economics, and area and language study. The Public Health portion of the program will emphasize the basic public health disciplines of epidemiology, biostatistics, and health planning and management, along with in-depth training in a specialized field of international health. Both components of the program will be strengthened through a field practicum arranged cooperatively by the two Schools whenever possible.

PROCEDURE

Admission

As a general rule, students must apply separately to both Schools and be accepted at both.

Applications from students already enrolled in one School will be considered by the other in competition with all other applications for admission to the incoming class.

Applications for enrollment from students not already enrolled in either School will be considered simultaneously at both Schools. If admitted to both, the student may choose which to attend during the first year. The student may choose to attend BSPH for the first year and SAIS for the next two years, or he/she may attend SAIS for the first year, BSPH for the second year, and SAIS for the third year.

Requirements and Curriculum

All present requirements of both degree programs must be fulfilled.

The BSPH program includes 34 units in required courses, 16 units in a selected field of concentration, 30 units of elective course work and one academic year of internship. The 30 elective units will be defined as the equivalent of eight courses taken at SAIS and will also count toward fulfillment of SAIS requirements. Registration at SAIS can be utilized toward fulfillment of internship residence at BSPH. The BSPH requirement of a written essay on the internship experience will be fulfilled by a paper written on a topic acceptable to the student's advisors at both Schools.

Students will be assigned an appropriate faculty advisor from each School. Advisors at SAIS will be Associate Deans or faculty members selected from the students' second examination field. BSPH advisors will be members of the International Health faculty.

Any course presently in the curriculum at both Schools, or courses subsequently determined to be equivalent, may be taken at either School. Unless they fall in the category of electives, courses may be counted only once toward the fulfillment of requirements. SAIS and BSPH may seek to augment their curricula by courses acceptable at both Schools.

Financial Arrangements

Students will pay tuition to the School where they are primarily enrolled. Students will be advised to plan their resources for the full three years of the program. Each School will be responsible for providing financial aid, according to its policy, during the time the student is in residence.

Administration

The program will be administered by the Associate Deans at SAIS and by appropriate faculty designated by the Department of International Health, BSPH. The program will be integrated into both Schools so as to be administered by existing staff. Minimal additional costs for brochures or other activities peculiar to the program will be divided between the Schools.

Faculty oversight of program matters will be referred to standing faculty committees.

Field Internship placement assistance will be provided to the students in the program by each School.

Staff from each School will cooperate in the production of catalogue materials, brochures, and notices to the media.