The B.S. in Public Health Sciences and the B.A. in Public Health Policy degree programs train students in multidisciplinary approaches to public health practice and research. The degrees explore both quantitative and qualitative aspects of public health at all levels of analysis. Graduates will advance, through selective employment or further education, to become the new generation of public health professionals prepared to face the emerging challenges to human health from a population perspective using cutting-edge approaches for preventing diseases.

Students who are interested in pursuing a premedical program should note that additional courses will be needed beyond the requirements of the public health degrees to fulfill requirements for medical school.

Students considering the public health degrees should carefully evaluate their academic preparation and career goals before enrolling in either the B.S. or B.A. degree program. Changing from one degree program to the other is possible but will require completion of the required lower- and upper-division courses specified for each degree. It is also possible for a student to enroll in both the B.S. and B.A. degree programs (double major), provided the student completes all the requirements outlined under each degree.

The Department also offers two undergraduate minors; one in Public Health and a second in Global Health. Students seeking advising on either minor should contact the Public Health Student Affairs Office.

Academic Advising: Academic, Career, Public Health

AIRB Suite 2010
School of Population and Public Health Student Affairs Office

Academic Advising

The Public Health Student Affairs Office coordinates the advising program and provides academic counseling. Undergraduate Public Health students should consult the Public Health Student Affairs Office for information on academic requirements for their degree(s), career opportunities, the Public Health 198/199 Research Program, the Public Health Honors Research Program, and student organizations such as the Public Health Association and the Global Health Research, Education, and Translation (G.H.R.E.A.T.). Students can also visit the Public Health Student Affairs Office to process change-of-major requests, apply for graduation, seek academic support, professional development, or for any other help they might need related to their academic career at UCI. 

Peer Academic Advisors. The Peer Academic Advisors are upper-division Public Health majors who bring with them valuable academic, social, and professional experiences. Their functions include counseling students in matters of major selection, program planning, petitioning, tutoring, development of learning skills , and participation in co-curricular and extracurricular activities. The Peer Advisors are located in the Public Health Student Affairs Office. Office hours are posted at the beginning of each quarter. 

Career Advising

Information on graduate and professional schools in public health can be obtained from the Public Health Student Affairs Office. The UCI Division of Career Pathways provides services to students and alumni including career counseling, information about job opportunities, a career library, and workshops on resume preparation, job search, and interview techniques. See the Career Center section for additional information. 

Areas of opportunity open to those with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Sciences degree include public health agencies, clinical laboratories, biotechnology and health care companies, not-for-profit organizations specializing in health care, health management organizations, advanced public health training programs in county, state, and federal agencies, and graduate and professional education in public health and related health-care disciplines . The bachelor’s degree is necessary to pursue studies leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. The B.S. degree, plus short training periods, may prepare students for employment in education, medical technology (usually one year), allied health positions, and various other areas. 

Areas of opportunity open to those with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Policy degree include population health management organizations, health care administration and planning, health insurance companies, public health agencies, public health advocacy groups, corporate planning, health promotion, health education (in hospitals, clinics, government agencies, etc.), mental health, chemical dependency, case managing, insurance, health strategizing, fundraising, community organization, social and legislative work for health, and graduate and professional education in public health and related health-care disciplines. The B.A. degree, plus brief training periods, may prepare students for employment in education, administration, nonprofit corporations, and various other areas. 

Education (community colleges, state colleges, or private schools), medical illustration, and public health (which includes hospital administration, biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health sciences, social work, public health education, maternal and child health, and chronic, infectious, and tropical diseases) are fields in which opportunities are available upon completion of a master’s program. Other areas where advanced degrees are necessary include medicine, dentistry, law, nursing, actuary, optometry, podiatry, osteopathy, physical therapy, and veterinary medicine. 

Health Sciences Advising

Students desiring to enter the health sciences should have their majors checked in the Public Health Student Affairs Office. Admissions tests for medical, dental, pharmacy, nursing, veterinary medicine, and graduate schools should be taken in the spring, a year and one-half before the student plans to enter.

Administrators and academic leaders in nearly all health professional schools recommend that students preparing to seek admission to their schools plan to obtain a bachelor’s degree. Students who plan to enter a school of dentistry, medicine, or other areas of the health sciences may receive the required pre-professional training at UCI. This pre-professional training may be accomplished by (1) completing a major in Public Health Sciences or Public Health Policy and specializing the degree to complete specific course requirements of the dental, medical, or other professional school the student expects to attend or (2) majoring in any school or department and fulfilling concurrently the specific course requirements of the dental, medical, or other professional school the student expects to attend. 

Public Health Practicum and Culminating Experience (PUBHLTH 195W) is an 8-unit required course for students majoring in Public Health Policy or Public Health Sciences. The course allows students to gain hands-on experience at an approved organization in the field of public health. Preparation for the Practicum course requires that each student interview at one of the approved Practicum sites. There is an online catalog of approved organizations that have agreed to accept, train, and supervise Public Health students in the ongoing activities of the organization. Students must choose a placement site listed in the Practicum catalog. Unlisted sites may be considered at an approved organization through an application process. All students are required to spend 100 hours (10 hours per week) at the public health organization during the quarter in which they are enrolled in PUBHLTH 195W .

Practicum is open only to upper-division Public Health students who are in good academic standing, have completed all prerequisite course work, and have submitted a graduation application. Practicum must be taken for a letter grade. PUBHLTH 195W must be completed with a minimum letter grade of C. Additional information, including Practicum enrollment procedures and prerequisites, can be found at the Public Health website.