In January 2026, the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (SPH) is set to launch an innovative Master of Public Health (MPH) concentration dedicated to sexual and reproductive justice and health (SRJH). This new program responds to a critical demand for public health professionals equipped with interdisciplinary, justice-centered expertise to tackle entrenched inequities in sexual and reproductive health. The concentration is meticulously designed to engage students with complex social, political, and economic determinants of health outcomes, fostering a nuanced understanding that transcends traditional public health paradigms.
The SRJH concentration emerges within the Department of Community Health and Social Sciences at CUNY SPH, symbolizing a progressive approach that integrates comprehensive public health theories, research methodologies, and applied practices. Through a curriculum that encompasses 42 credits of rigorous academic and field-based training, students will acquire the necessary skills to navigate and influence the multifaceted landscape of sexual and reproductive health. This includes in-depth exploration of maternal and child health disparities, reproductive rights controversies, and global health challenges that affect marginalized communities disproportionately.
A defining element of the concentration is its grounding in the reproductive justice framework, pioneered by a coalition of Black women leaders in the mid-1990s. This framework extends beyond the conventional reproductive rights discourse by incorporating intersectional analyses that account for race, class, gender identity, sexuality, and structural oppression. By embedding this framework within the curriculum, students are challenged to critically analyze how systemic inequities and societal power structures dictate health outcomes and access to care, ultimately fostering a transformative educational experience.
Courses within the concentration are purposely interdisciplinary, merging public health sciences with policy analysis, legal studies, leadership development, and advocacy training. This integrative approach allows students to engage with sexual and reproductive health issues not only as biological phenomena but as complex social justice challenges rooted in systemic discrimination and historical marginalization. Experiential learning components enable students to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world contexts, engaging with communities and organizations that are at the forefront of sexual and reproductive justice movements.
The development of the SRJH concentration was notably collaborative, spearheaded by the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Hub at CUNY SPH. This hub convened a diverse array of stakeholders, including faculty experts, community activists, public health practitioners, and students who collectively informed the curriculum’s direction. Such a collaborative design process ensures that the educational content maintains academic rigor while remaining firmly attuned to the lived experiences and urgent needs of populations most affected by reproductive injustices.
Terry McGovern, the senior associate dean for academic and student affairs, emphasizes the program’s timely relevance. She notes that the evolving landscape of public health demands leaders who are not only knowledgeable but who also embody a commitment to justice-driven solutions. The SRJH concentration is thus positioned to cultivate a cadre of public health professionals ready to engage with contemporary challenges such as the erosion of reproductive rights, systemic healthcare inequities, and the public health implications of policy shifts both domestically and internationally.
The program’s inclusion of legal and policy education addresses the increasingly contested landscape of reproductive rights. Students will dissect landmark court decisions, legislative trends, and policy interventions that shape access to contraception, abortion services, and comprehensive sexual health education. This legal literacy is complemented by training in leadership and community organizing strategies, equipping graduates to function effectively in advocacy roles, public health departments, non-governmental organizations, and research institutions.
In addition to domestic considerations, the SRJH concentration incorporates a global health perspective, recognizing that sexual and reproductive health challenges transcend national boundaries. Students examine the impact of globalization, migration, and international human rights frameworks on reproductive health services and outcomes worldwide. This global orientation enhances their capacity to design and implement interventions that are contextually relevant and culturally sensitive, promoting equity on an international scale.
Lynn Roberts, associate dean of student affairs and alumni relations, articulates the vision behind the curriculum’s critical framing. The program intentionally prompts students to interrogate existing health systems and social policies that perpetuate disparities, encouraging innovative thinking and praxis to disrupt these dynamics. By fostering analytical and practical competencies, the concentration prepares graduates not merely to participate in the field of public health but to become transformative agents of change dedicated to justice and equity.
The SRJH concentration also responds to the intersectional realities faced by marginalized groups affected by compounded injustices. By centering the voices and experiences of communities historically excluded from policy dialogues and healthcare decision-making, the program nurtures culturally competent practitioners. Such competencies are indispensable for addressing barriers related to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and geographic location that influence sexual and reproductive health outcomes.
This educational initiative at CUNY SPH embodies a broader movement within public health to conceptualize health equity not as an aspirational ideal but as an actionable framework. Through its comprehensive, justice-oriented curriculum, the MPH concentration in sexual and reproductive justice and health exemplifies how academic programs can contribute to reshaping public health practice, policy, and research to better serve diverse populations at risk.
Prospective students enrolling in this concentration will graduate equipped with a robust theoretical foundation, practical skills, and a deeply ingrained commitment to advancing health equity. They will be prepared to engage across sectors, translating evidence into effective policies and programs that dismantle systemic barriers and promote reproductive justice. CUNY SPH’s pioneering approach positions its graduates to be leaders in a field that is at the nexus of human rights, social justice, and public health imperatives.
As reproductive health continues to be a contentious and evolving arena, the MPH in SRJH offers a vital educational pathway that aligns scientific inquiry with activist principles. In doing so, it reflects CUNY SPH’s longstanding dedication to social justice and positions the institution at the forefront of training the next generation of public health leaders tasked with addressing some of the most pressing health equity challenges of our time.
Subject of Research: Sexual and reproductive justice and health education; health equity; public health training
Article Title: CUNY SPH Launches Innovative MPH Concentration in Sexual and Reproductive Justice and Health
News Publication Date: September 9, 2025
Web References:
- CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy: https://sph.cuny.edu/
- Sexual and Reproductive Justice Hub: https://sph.cuny.edu/research/srj-hub/
Image Credits: Credit: CUNY SPH
Keywords: Public health, Gender studies, Sexual orientation, Women’s studies, Feminism, Gender identity
