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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. 

Diverse group of medical professionals

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

Student researcher

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