Through their expertise, research and government advisory roles, UC public health faculty and alumni are among the leading voices in the field. Many of our faculty, centers and institutes regularly conduct policy-shaping research.
Whether you want to focus on community health, environmental health, epidemiology, biostatistics or health policy and management, UC public health programs will equip you to lead responses to critical public health issues.
Critical Need for Public Health Expertise
Public health creates the conditions that enable individuals and communities to remain healthy and free of disease. Public health careers can involve scientific research, community engagement, raising awareness of health risks and advocating for improved safety conditions or healthy food.
Identifying and responding to health inequities driven by socioeconomic, geographic, occupational and educational factors is central to public health research and impact.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for greater reinvestment in public health workers. Additionally, climate change, social inequality, chronic diseases — all require public health to be an integral part of creating and driving solutions for our world.
UC prepares our public health students to meet today’s most pressing needs — and to shape our global responses to them in the future.
Leading California — and the Nation
Our public health schools and programs are among the top in the U.S., according to U.S. News & World Report.
UC Berkeley
#8 Graduate School of Public Health
UC Davis
#19 Department of Public Health Sciences (tie)
UC Irvine
#31 Program in Public Health (tie)
UCLA
#10 Graduate School of Public Health
*UC Davis offers degrees in departmental public health program vs. a School of Public Health; UCI recently received accreditation as a School of Public Health.
Degree Programs Offered Across the UC System for Public Health
|
UC Berkeley |
UC Davis* |
UCI |
UCLA |
UC San Diego |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
MA in Biostatistics |
MPH |
BA in Public Health Policy BS in Public Health Sciences |
MPH |
BS in Public Health |
|
MS in Environmental Health Sciences or Epidemiology MS in Health and Medical Sciences joint degree with MD from UCSF |
MHI (Master of Health Informatics) |
MPH in Biostatistics; Environmental Health; Epidemiology; or Sociocultural Diversity & Health |
MPH concurrent with MD, JD, MBA., MSW, MPP (Master of Public Policy) or MURP (Master of Urban and Regional Planning); or with MA programs in African, Asian American or Latin American studies |
MS in Biostatistics |
|
MPH in Biostatistics; Health and Social Behavior; Public Health Nutrition; Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health; Environmental Health Sciences; Global Health and Environment; Epidemiology; Epidemiology/Biostatistics; Health Policy and Management; Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology; or Interdisciplinary. MPH concurrent degrees with MBA, MCP, MSW, MPP, and MJ |
PhD in Public Health Sciences |
MS in Environmental Health Sciences |
MHA (Master of Healthcare Administration) |
MPH |
|
PhD in Biostatistics, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Policy, or Infectious Diseases and Immunity |
|
MS in Epidemiology |
MS |
PhD in Public Health (joint program with SDSU and UCSD) |
|
DrPH (Doctor of Public Health) in Interdisciplinary Division |
|
PhD in Environmental Health Sciences |
PhD |
PhD in Biostatistics |
|
PhD in Epidemiology |
||||
|
PhD in Public Health in Global Health or Disease Prevention |
*UC Davis offers degrees in departmental public health programs rather than a School of Public Health; UCI recently received accreditation as a School of Public Health.
Our Schools of Public Health
Our Schools of Public Health offer a variety of public health degree tracks, including in biostatistics and environmental health sciences.
UC Berkeley Public Health
For more than 75 years, Berkeley Public Health has been changing the world through groundbreaking research, world-class education and community-engaged action — working with networks across the state and worldwide, including partnerships with UCSF. In the coming decade, Berkeley Public Health is going all in to tackle four of the most pressing public health problems of our time: climate change, pandemic outbreaks, chronic diseases and social inequality. Berkeley Public Health offers online degree programs.
UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science (HWSPH)
The UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science was established in 2019 and built upon a robust, decades old program in public health. The school has vibrant diversity among the students and faculty and has particular focuses in behavioral medicine, biostatistics and bioinformatics, epidemiology, global health, health policy, health equity, public mental health, and climate and environmental health — as well as several degree programs with incredible research training opportunities.
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health is home to one of the brightest and most diverse public health student bodies in the United States, with students hailing from 25 countries. Our students also have access to a wide range of local and global hands-on training opportunities that provide the skills needed to move public health evidence to action.
Systemwide Expertise Across California
As a system with six highly respected academic health centers, our public health graduates have many opportunities to collaborate with their UC peers. Our graduates collaborate across numerous fields, including data science, environmental science, health education, patient care and more. UC public health graduates can also draw from a rich alumni network—spread across the world—throughout their careers.
See how we’re joining forces to improve patient care within our six academic health centers
Using Research to Inform Patient Care
Our public health programs seek to make the greatest population health impact possible. To achieve this mission, UC public health faculty and students conduct research across bench science, applied research, policy analysis and community-based local projects here and internationally. Our public health institutes regularly publish comprehensive research that shapes today’s — and tomorrow’s — public health policy.
See how University of California Health is using innovative research to challenge the status quo