Degree Programs

Undergraduate Programs: BA, BS, Minor

UCLA Fielding's BA in Public Health equips students to apply public health to general and global issues for which some scientific background is necessary to understand the importance of the health factors involved. Students interested in science-based approaches to public health can apply to UCLA Fielding’s BS in Public Health. The Minor in Public Health provides students in other majors an opportunity to learn more about core public health functions.

Professional Degrees: MPH, MHA and MDSH

The Master of Public Health (MPH), UCLA Fielding’s professional degree, prepares graduates for careers in which they address public health issues in wide-ranging settings. Students receive broad training in public health, as well as specialized knowledge in a public health discipline as represented by the five FSPH departments. A required applied practice experience allows students to apply their classroom-obtained knowledge to real-world problems with a community partner. The MPH is a two-year program, although accelerated options are available for students with particular qualifications, such as a clinical doctoral degree.

Executive MPH

For professionals seeking to advance their careers by earning an MPH while continuing to work full time, UCLA Fielding features two executive programs: The Master of Public Health for Health Professionals (MPH-HP), offered by the Department of Community Health Sciences; and the Executive Master of Public Health (EMPH), offered by the Department of Health Policy and Management. These two-year programs, with course meetings scheduled on weekends and during the summer months and taught by UCLA Fielding’s world-renowned faculty and public health practitioners, are tailored to students from diverse backgrounds looking to gain new skills, obtain leadership positions in their organizations, or change their professional focus.

Dual Degree Programs

Through any of nine dual degree programs, students can combine the MPH with a Doctor of Medicine (MD), Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Social Work (MSW), Master of Public Policy (MPP), or Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP), or with Master of Arts (MA) programs in African, Asian American, or Latin American studies. These programs provide students with the opportunity to gain expertise in both public health and another discipline. Students can take advantage of overlapping and shared requirements to complete their degrees in a shorter period of time.

MHA

The online Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) equips graduates with the knowledge and skills that are in highest demands for administrative roles in healthcare. MHA graduates work in positions that include clinical administration, C-suite executive, healthcare planning and management, and non-clinical roles.

MDSH

The Master of Data Science in Health (MDSH), established in response to the growing demands of the health industry for well-trained professional health-data analytics leaders, emphasizes data analytical tools, computing, practical health data solutions, and close connections with the health industry and other fields in public health.

Careers

Public health professionals pursue a wide array of careers. An MPH in Biostatistics prepares graduates for positions as statisticians and researchers in fields such as genetic research, bioinformatics, and medicine, working in academia, industry, government organizations, or allied scientific disciplines. With an MPH in Community Health Sciences, graduates generally assume positions in the planning, administration, and evaluation of public health programs and policies, both in the U.S. and abroad. Graduates of the MPH in Environmental Health Sciences program pursue private- and public-sector careers as community educators, activists, managers, policymakers, and practitioners. With an MPH in Epidemiology, graduates work in settings that include international health agencies, state and local health departments, federal government agencies and health programs, health maintenance organizations, colleges and universities, and research institutions. An MPH in Health Policy or Health Management prepares graduates to work in a variety of policy and management healthcare settings in areas such as consulting, project management, financial analysis, research, and administration.

Academic Degrees: MS, PhD

UCLA Fielding offers three research-oriented degrees, emphasizing theoretical issues and the application of disciplinary methods to the study of contemporary public health issues. Students choose an UCLA Fielding department in which to specialize, with the exception of the interdepartmental PhD in Environmental and Molecular Toxicology where students may choose a department from several UCLA colleges. The research-oriented degrees prepare students for careers involving research activities, whether those careers involve academic institutions, governmental organizations, industry and non-governmental research organizations institutes.

The Master of Science (MS) is an academic, research-oriented degree that many students pursue in preparation for the PhD. The MS involves intensive coursework in a focused area, along with a major research project.

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is an advanced research degree emphasizing depth of knowledge and research skills. The PhD involves specialized coursework and a major original research effort.

The interdepartmental PhD in Environmental and Molecular Toxicology provides an integrated curriculum in several disciplines, taught by faculty from UCLA Fielding as well as from multiple departments in the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and UCLA College of Letters and Science. The program prepares graduates for positions as toxicology researchers and faculty members.

Certificate Programs

Informal certificate programs — open to UCLA Fielding as well as other UCLA graduate students — provide knowledge and skills in a particular area of public health. FSPH certificate programs include the Global Health Certificate, Bixby Population and Reproductive Health Certificate, Registered Environmental.