Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) - UC Berkeley Public Health

The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree at Berkeley School of Public Health is conferred in recognition of a candidate’s command of a comprehensive body of knowledge in the field of public health and related disciplines, and of the candidate’s proven ability to initiate, organize and pursue the investigation of significant problems or interventions in public health. The focus of this degree is the development of transdisciplinary knowledge about the determinants of health and the scientific and professional leadership skills to translate this knowledge into effective health interventions.

Those who earn this degree are expected to occupy leadership positions that have major influence on public health research, policies, programs, systems and institutions. Such leadership may be in diverse traditional and nontraditional settings at the international, national, state, or local levels and in the public, private and academic sectors.

Applicants must hold a master’s OR doctoral degree in the health sciences or in another related field or non-US equivalent degree. Applicants must also have a minimum of two years or more of professional public health experience post-master’s degree showing progressive responsibility and evidence of leadership potential.

Curriculum

The DrPH program is a full-time campus-based program of study designed to be completed in three or four years for those applicants with an MPH from a CEPH-accredited institution and at least two years of postgraduate professional public health leadership experience. Any students with deficiencies in coursework equivalent in content to the MPH at UC Berkeley must take prerequisite courses either before starting the program or during the first year of the program.

Students will participate in an integrative doctoral training program that incorporates knowledge and skills from all divisions of the School of Public Health as well as the Schools of Education, Public Policy, Social Welfare and the Haas School of Business. The required course work consists of 4 full-time semesters (48 units) and a minimum of 12 units of dissertation research credits. This course work encompasses a thorough grounding in leadership, research methods and the application of these methods to the analysis of public health and policy issues. Students must fulfill all the course requirements from the Council on Education for Public Health CEPH specific competencies listed in the Student Handbook. Due to the diverse experience each student brings to the program, it is expected that students will also select courses and independent studies that advance their knowledge and ultimately their proficiency in all of the core and breadth knowledge areas listed below.

Core

Management
Public Health Ethics

Breadth

Health Politics and Policy Analysis
Public Health Interventions
Global Health Sciences
Research Design and Methods

Each student is also required to complete a research and/or professional residency in a public health setting that will provide the opportunity to advance knowledge and skills, identify data for dissertation research, conduct analyses and participate in decision making. Examples include: positions with local, state, or national legislatures, international agencies, city, county and state departments of public health or health services, policy think-tanks, multi-hospital systems and large health maintenance organizations.

As part of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, DrPH students are eligible to take elective classes at other schools within the University including the Haas School of Business, Goldman School of Public Policy, City Planning, Journalism and others.

The DrPH program is a full-time professional degree program with a residency requirement. For this reason, the program is not recommended for persons who want to continue to work full-time. Overall, the program averages 3-4 years in length. There are no online or night courses available. The first two years of the program are primarily devoted to required coursework.

Employment

UC Berkeley DrPH graduates are employed in leading universities, policy research centers and “think tanks” across the country and internationally.

The DrPH is a professional degree program designed primarily for students interested in occupying leadership positions in the field. However, the program includes coursework in research methods, academic mentorship and completion of a dissertation involving the conducting of original research on a problem of public health importance. A number of graduates of the DrPH have gone on to accept university teaching positions or positions as full time researchers in academic or other scholarly settings. Although there is no specific “academic track” within the DrPH, students interested in teaching and research should choose as electives additional coursework in theory and research methods and undertake a dissertation consistent with such a career choice.

DrPH Admissions

Applicants must hold a master’s OR doctoral degree in the health sciences or in another related field or non-US equivalent degree and have a minimum of two years or more of professional public health experience post-master’s degree, showing progressive responsibility and evidence of leadership potential. Questions about the applicability of a prior master’s or doctoral degree towards this requirement should be directed to the program office.

A Statement of Purpose is required, that explains how the DrPH program would help build on prior experiences and contribute to his or her career goals. Identify possible topics and research areas you may want to focus on for the dissertation project.

DrPH applicants are also required to provide a writing sample. Writing samples should be no more than 7,000 words in length and examples can include: publications in peer-reviewed journals on which you were the sole or first author, papers written for a graduate course, media pieces, or reports written for public agencies.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, submission of GRE test scores will be optional
for the upcoming application cycle (for Summer and Fall 2021 admit terms) for the Doctor of Public Health Program.

Note: The average entering student has a verbal score above the 86th percentile and a quantitative score above the 66th percentile.

Official transcripts from all institutions (including community college and graduate coursework) are also required, with a minimum B average (3.0) or equivalent (work completed in the last two years of a bachelor’s degree program and in all post-baccalaureate coursework.

We look at an application in its entirety to determine a person’s strengths and relative fit to our program; available advisors, areas of research interest and academic history are important considerations as is research work experience. Letters of recommendation are also carefully reviewed.

DrPH Dates, Deadlines and Timeline

Go to the Berkeley Public Health Graduate Admissions Dates and Deadlines page for general application information and instructions.

Some dates and deadlines are specific to the application process for the DrPH program:

December 1: Application deadline
January: Admission committee begins review of applications. Members of the committee may contact applicants during this review period to arrange for phone interviews. Interviews for admission are conducted on an ad hoc basis – not receiving a request for an interview is not indicative of an admissions decision and vice versa.
March (Early): First round of communication of offers are sent. Candidates are offered admission during this time are able to attend a Spring Visit Day in mid-March.
March (Late)—April (Late): Subsequent rounds of communication of offers and final decisions made during this period, after Spring Visit Day.

The academic year begins in the fall; spring admission is not permitted.

For applicants who have been offered admission

The DrPH Program typically hosts a Spring Visit Day in mid-March for those candidates who have been offered admission during the first round of offers.

The UC Berkeley Graduate Division and the DrPH Program do not allow for deferred admission. We recommend that you update your CV, obtain at least one new letter of recommendation and reapply.

Non-admitted and Waitlisted Candidates

Some applicants who are not admitted are encouraged to reapply the ensuing year to allow for additional coursework and/or relevant research experiences.

Waitlisted candidates will receive information about their final status on or before June 1. Some of our best students were originally on the waitlist for admission before receiving their offer of admission. We regret the inconvenience and ask for your patience during this process.

Faculty

The faculty listed here teach the DrPH seminars and provide mentoring and advising to all DrPH students. In addition, faculty throughout the School work with DrPH students as advisers, mentors and Qualifying Exam and dissertation committee members.

Sometimes faculty are unable to respond to prospective students’ queries about mentorship prior to admissions decisions because the admissions committee is responsible for making recommendations for admitted students’ assigned advisors. Applicants with an interest in working with a particular faculty member should indicate this in their applications.