Introduction to the Major
Public health is the interdisciplinary science of preventing disease and injury to improve the health of communities and populations. Public health professionals work to identify solutions to address complex issues as wide ranging as air pollution, chronic disease, gun violence, infectious diseases, tobacco control and mental health.
The School of Public Health offers a major(link is external) and summer minor(link is external) that includes epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, and health policy. The curriculum prepares students to become changemakers in public health, for a more equitable and just world.
Admission to the Major
The Bachelor of Arts in Public Health is offered through the College of Letters & Science. Undergraduate students can apply to the major after completing the lower division requirements. It is highly recommended to apply by the end of sophomore year. Students should also take steps to declare an alternate major, as Public Health is a capped major with limited capacity Visit publichealth.berkeley.edu/admissions/undergraduate/ (link is external)for more information about admission and sample plans.
Admissions rate (2011 - Spring 2022): 84.5%
Average GPA of accepted students (2021-2022)
Prerequisite 3.47
Overall 3.44
Amplify Your Major
- Find out what is “public health” by taking the seminar PB HLTH 116.
- Get involved with the Health and Medical Apprenticeship Program(link is external), Cal Undergraduate Public Health Coalition(link is external), or Peer Health Exchange(link is external).
- Serve as a University Health Services (UHS) Health Worker(link is external).
- Pursue study abroad(link is external) or a minor in Global Public Health(link is external) or Global Poverty and Practice(link is external).
The Public Health major is primarily intended to prepare students for graduate study in a variety of fields. Students who work after obtaining their degree are employed by government, private and nonprofit organizations.
Jobs and Employers
- Asst. Clinical Research Coordinator, UCSF
- Asst. Language Teacher, JET
- Community Worker, Alameda Health
- Consultant, Kaiser Permanente
- Data Scientist, Euclid Analytics
- Disaster Preparedness Mgr., AmeriCorps
- Emergency Planning Aide, City of SF
- Family Advocate, YMCA
- Fellow, Congress. Hispanic Caucus
- Health Educator, Marin City
- HIV Counselor, AIDS Healthcare
- Member Advocate, Collective Health
- Policy Analyst, The City Project
- Program Coordinator, Ctr. for Care
- Public Health Advisor, CDC
- Research Asst., MD Anderson Cancer
- Research Analyst, UCSF
- Strategy Consultant, Accenture
- Volunteer, Peace Corps
Graduate Programs
- Biological Sciences, Masters
- Biostatistics, PhD
- Education, Masters
- Epidemiology, Masters
- Interdisciplinary Studies, Masters
- Law, JD
- Medicine, MD
- Nursing, Masters
- Optometry, OD
- Pharmacy, PharmD
- Public Health, Masters, MPH
Examples gathered from the First Destination Survey(link is external) of recent Berkeley graduates.
Connect With Us
Cal Day
Come to Berkeley’s annual Open House(link is external) in April for information sessions, campus tours, special talks, and more.
Golden Bear Orientation
Join your peers in the campus-wide UC Berkeley orientation(link is external) program for all new students.
Events
Attend department events with students, staff, and faculty. View the Public Health Undergraduate Newsletter at facebook.com/sphundergraduate(link is external).
Advising
Advisor email: sphug@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail)
Advisor Appointments: sphug.setmore.com(link is external)
Advisor Drop-In Hours: tinyurl.com/sphugdrop-in(link is external)
Peer Advisor email: sphugpeers@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail)
Peer Advisor Appointments: sphug.setmore.com(link is external)
Peer Advisor Drop-in Hours: tinyurl.com/sphugpeers (link is external)
Appointments are viewable 10 days in advance. Drop-in hours are updated weekly.
How to Use this Map
Use this map to help plan and guide your experience at UC Berkeley, including academic, co-curricular, and discovery opportunities. Everyone’s Berkeley experience is different and activities in this map are suggestions. Always consult with your advisors whenever possible for new opportunities and updates.
