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Undergraduate BA, Certificate, and Minor Programs

Undergraduate Public Health Major Declaration Requirements and Instructions

Declaration Changes Effective Fall 2026

There have been several changes made to the public health major declaration requirements and declaration process in the last year. To fully understand the changes that were made, please review Public Health Major Application/Declaration Process Changes Effective Fall 2026. This page has been fully updated to reflect the changes below.

Public Health Major Declaration Form

The Public Health Major Declaration Form link is located at the bottom of this page.

  • Fall declaration cycle: December 17 – January 1 by end of fifth semester or first semester for transfer students
  • Spring declaration cycle: May 17 – June 1 by end of fifth semester or first semester for transfer students

Students wishing to declare the Public Health major must submit a Declaration Form by the end of their fifth semester at UC Berkeley or first semester as a transfer student. The fifth semester is the deadline for students wishing to declare, add, or change their major as Public Health.

Public health seeks to improve human health through the development and application of knowledge that prevents disease, protects the public from harm, and promotes health throughout the state, the nation, and the world.

Under the Public Health major, undergraduates will develop and apply knowledge from multiple disciplines for the promotion and protection of the health of the human population, giving due consideration to principles of human rights and cultural perspectives that abound in our multicultural country and world.

The undergraduate major in Public Health is a Bachelor of Arts degree offered through the College of Letters and Science.

Undergraduate Public Health Major Declaration Requirements

Any student interested in declaring the Public Health major may submit a major declaration form once they have met all of the major prerequisites and prior to the end of their fifth semester at UC Berkeley. Specific prerequisite requirements and a declaration timeline are listed below.

  • L&S First-Year Applied HD Public Health Students

    First year students who selected Public Health as their major when applying to UC Berkeley will have Applied HD Public Health listed on CalCentral per L&S High-Demand Majors for First-Year Students policies.

    Applied HD Public Health students are guaranteed a seat in the major as long as the following criteria has been met by the end of the fifth semester.

    Please do not declare another major prior to declaring Public Health as this will remove “Applied HD Public Health” from CalCentral.

    1. Earn a 2.0 GPA in major prerequisite courses with at least a letter grade of a C- or higher in each course; note that a C− in all the courses would be a 1.70 GPA and a C in all the courses is a 2.0 GPA
    2. Earn a 2.0 GPA for the semester in which you are declaring the major
    3. Earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA
    4. Submit the Declaration Form before the end of your fifth semester, December 17 – January 1 or May 17 – June 1
  • Intended Public Health Majors (Not Applied HD)

    To be eligible to declare the major, Transfer students and first-year students who are not Applied HD Public Health students will need to meet the following criteria by the end of the fifth semester. The Declaration Form is open at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters.

    1. Earn a 2.0 GPA in major prerequisite courses with at least a letter grade of a C- or higher in each course; note that a C− in all the courses would be a 1.70 GPA and a C in all the courses is a 2.0 GPA
    2. Earn a 2.0 GPA for the semester in which you are declaring to the major
    3. Earn a 2.0 cumulative GPA
    4. Submit the Declaration Form before the end of your fifth semester, December 17 – January 1 or May 17 – June 1; transfer students must submit the Declaration Form to the major by the end of their first semester at UC Berkeley
      • Note for Transfer students: If you have completed the prerequisites prior to your first semester on campus, you are eligible to declare the major in the semester before you matriculate. Meet with an academic advisor to learn more.

Prerequisite Courses for Declaring the Public Health Major

All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to declaring the major, with a minimum letter grade of a C-, and each student must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 overall, in the prerequisite courses, and in the term of declaration.

If you had to retake a course, only the higher grade will be included to count towards the prerequisites. Students are eligible to declare the major up until their fifth semester. This does not include summer terms or terms away from UC Berkeley. This also applies to students who plan to pursue a double major or simultaneous degree; all public health major prerequisites must be completed by the end of the fifth semester and a declaration form must be submitted in the fifth semester.

  • Biological Science Prerequisites

    Complete two (2) courses from the following list.

    If you completed a course at another institution, please see Prerequisite Courses Completed at Another Institution.

    • BIOLOGY 1A: General Biology (3 units)
    • BIOLOGY 1B: General Biology (4 units)
    • MCELLBI 32: Introduction to Human Physiology (3 units)
    • MCELLBI 38: Stem Cell Biology, Ethics and Societal Impact (3 units)
    • MCELLBI 50: Immune System and Disease (4 units)
    • MCELLBI 55: Plagues and Pandemics (3 units)
    • NEU C61/PSYCH C61: Brain, Mind and Behavior (3 units)
    • MBN 10: Introduction to Human Nutrition (3 units); previously NUSCTX 10 or 10S

    Advanced Placement (AP)/International Baccalaureate (IB) Biological Sciences Exam Credit

    IB scores are not accepted at this time.

    • AP Biology with a score 4 or 5 for one (1) biological science course
  • Mathematics Prerequisites

    Complete a full year of Math, one course from Part I and one course from Part II.

    Unsure of which math course to enroll in? See Choosing Your First Math Course at UC Berkeley.

    If you completed a course at another institution, please see Prerequisite Courses Completed at Another Institution.

    Part I

    • Math 51: Calculus (4 units); previously MATH 1A
    • MATH 10A: Methods of Mathematics (4 units)
    • MATH 16A: Calculus (3 units)

    Part II

    • Math 52: Calculus (4 units); previously MATH 1B
    • MATH 10B: Methods of Mathematics (4 units)
    • MATH 16B: Calculus (3 units)

    Advanced Placement (AP)/International Baccalaureate (IB) Mathematics Exam Credit

    The exam credit applies to the Public Health major. Other majors may accept different scores.

    If you have taken both an AP or IB exam and the equivalent college-level course, we will only take the grade from the college-level course into consideration.

    • AP Calculus AB with a score of 4 or 5 for Math 51
    • AP Calculus BC with a score of 4 or 5 for Math 51
    • AP Calculus BC with a score of 5 for Math 51 and Math 52
    • IB Math, Analysis and Approaches (Higher Level)
      • A score of 5, 6 or 7 can be used to satisfy Math 51 or 16A
      • A score of 7 can be used to satisfy Math 51 and Math 52
    • IB Math, Applications and Interpretations (Higher Level)
      • A score of 5, 6 or 7 can be used to satisfy Math 16A
      • A score of 6 or 7 can be used to satisfy Math 10A
  • Social Sciences Prerequisites

    Complete two (2) courses from two (2) different subject areas.

    If you completed a course at another institution, please see Prerequisite Courses Completed at Another Institution.

    Psychology

    • PSYCH 1: General Psychology (3 units)
    • PSYCH 2: Principles of Psychology (3 units)

    Sociology

    • SOCIOL 1: Introduction to Sociology (4 units)
    • SOCIOL 3 or 3AC: Principles of Sociology (4 unit)
    • SOCIOL 5: Evaluation of Evidence (4 units)

    Economics

    • ECON 1 or ECON 2: Introduction to Economics (4 units)
    • ECON C3/ENVECON C1: Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy (4 units)

    Anthropology

    • ANTHRO 3 or 3AC: Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology (4 units)

    Political Science

    • POLSCI 1: Introduction to American Politics (4 units)
    • POL SCI 2: Introduction to Comparative Politics (4 units)
    • POL SCI 4: Introduction to Political Theory (4 units)
    • POLSCI 5: Introduction to International Relations (4 units)

    Advanced Placement (AP)/International Baccalaureate (IB) Social Sciences Exam Credit

    The exam credit applies to the Public Health major. Other majors may accept different scores.

    If you have taken both an AP or IB exam and the equivalent college-level course, we will only take the grade from the college-level course into consideration. We will not accept both as two (2) separate prerequisites.

    For example, if you passed the AP Psychology exam with a score of 4 or 5, it would count as being equivalent to a Psych course. Completing Psych 1 college-level course with AP exam credit would only fulfill one (1) of the two (2) social science prerequisites.

    • Psychology
      • AP Psychology with a score of 4 or 5 for Psych 1 or Psych 2
      • IBHL Psychology (Higher Level) with a score of 5, 6 or 7 can be used to fulfill Psych 1 or Psych 2
    • Economics
      • Both Microeconomics and Macroeconomics are required to fulfill either UC Berkeley’s Econ 1 or Econ 2
      • AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics with a score of 4 or 5 on both exams for Econ 1 or 2 – both exams are required
      • IB Economics Microeconomics and Macroeconomics (Higher Level) with a score of 5, 6, or 7 is equivalent to Econ 1 – both exams are required
    • Political Science
      • AP Comparative Government and Politics with a score of 4 or 5 for Pol Sci 1, 2, 4 or 5
      • AP United States Government and Politics with a score of 4 or 5 for Pol Sci 1, 2, 4 or 5
  • Data C8 Major Requirement

    You do not have to complete Data C8 before declaring the public health major but it is strongly encouraged due to limited space in the course. This course must be completed with a letter grade.

    • Data C8: Foundations of Data Science (4 units)

    Data C8, also referred to as Data 8, has reserved seating for New First Year and New Transfer Students so it is strongly recommended to complete this requirement earlier for planning purposes.

    The major will accept California Community College (CCC) credit for this course requirement. See the list of equivalent DATA C8 courses (in the Preparing to Transfer section) that can be taken at some community colleges in California.

Prerequisite Courses Completed at Another Institution

For California Community Colleges, assist.org is the official course transfer and articulation system for California colleges and universities. If your courses is listed on assist.org as an equivalent course, it will be accepted as a prerequisite for the Public Health major. Be sure to transfer the courses to UC Berkeley for credit if you have not yet done so.

For other four-year institutions or out-of-state community colleges, please contact the appropriate UC Berkeley department to determine the course equivalency. Be prepared to submit your syllabus along with your request. For example, if you took Math 33 at Penn State, contact the UC Berkeley Math department to see if the course is equivalent to a Public Health math prerequisite course. Once equivalency is determined, please email a copy of equivalency decision to the academic advisors at sphug@berkeley.edu and complete the steps to transfer the courses to UC Berkeley if you have not yet done so.

Students may have to be an already enrolled UC Berkeley student in order to submit requests to these departments:

Public Health Major Declaration Instructions

There are two declaration cycles where students will submit a Declaration Form transcripts, and a Prerequisite GPA Calculation Form.

Submissions are not reviewed on a rolling basis and students must complete the requirements by the end of their fifth semester at UC Berkeley or first semester as transfer students.

The fifth semester is the deadline for students wishing to declare, add, or change their major as Public Health.

  • Fall declaration cycle: December 17 – January 1 by end of fifth semester or first semester for transfer students
  • Spring declaration cycle: May 17 – June 1 by end of fifth semester or first semester for transfer students

You can join the SPHUG Prospective Listserv (Google Form) to receive our Public Health newsletter and hear of any updates or events.

Declaration Requirements and Checklist

Prerequisite Information and GPA Calculation Form

Demonstrate that you have met the application requirements for the major through the Prerequisite Information and GPA Calculation form.

Academic Records

Please highlight the course and grade for the applicable prerequisite courses, if possible.

Accepted types of academic records:

  • Unofficial copy of UC Berkeley transcript (i.e. Academic Summary from CalCentral) or screenshots of CalCentral
  • Unofficial transcripts from other institutions if using towards prerequisites
  • Unofficial copy of AP Exams or IB Exams score report if using towards prerequisites

Checklist

The form will request the following materials in a PDF format.

  1. Grades

    1. Combine the Public Health Prerequisite GPA Calculation Form and Unofficial Transcripts with the final grades earned by the current semester. Highlight the prerequisite course and grade if possible. If you have taken prerequisite courses at other colleges, please include the unofficial transcripts from those institutions as well. If you have any course equivalencies approved by UC Berkeley departments, include those in this PDF.
      1. UC Berkeley Unofficial Transcripts and Merging Declaration Materials Guide
      2. Public Health Prerequisite GPA Calculation Form (Google Doc)
      3. Unofficial transcript(s), AP/IB exam reports, and/or Course Equivalencies
    2. Save your PDF file as “LastName_FirstName_Grades.pdf”

  2. Other Required Uploads

    1. Upload any additional declaration materials that have been requested by the department. Any other materials submitted will not be reviewed.
    2. Save your PDF file as “LastName_FirstName_other.pdf”

Frequently Asked Questions

  • I am submitting a declaration to the major this semester, what courses should I plan to enroll in?

    You may want to Phase 1 the courses you need to prioritize L&S Degree Requirements or popular courses you are interested in that fill up quickly. Public Health elective courses or breadth requirements do not necessarily have reserved seats for Public Health majors. If you have not yet fulfilled the Data C8 requirement, we recommend you prioritize completing this course.

    Public Health core courses will have reserved seats for declared majors. You may find yourself initially waitlisted for the Public health core courses when you submit your declaration form for the major. We have reserved seats for the core classes and are able to enroll newly declared Public Health majors as long as there are no time conflicts and there is space in the lecture and associated section.

  • Will I be able to enroll in Public Health core courses when I am still in the process of declaring the major?

    You may initially find yourself waitlisted for the Public Health core courses while in the process of declaring the major. Seats will be reserved for declared Public Health majors during the Phase I and II enrollment windows for the Fall and Spring semesters.

    The Public Health Major Declaration Form will ask which core courses you are hoping to enroll in. Upon declaration into the major, the academic advisors will work with you to enroll in the core courses. Be sure you do not have any time conflicts and are waitlisted for an open section. Students cannot enroll in lectures without selecting an open section.

    Keep in mind the enrollment unit cap. Waitlisted courses count towards the unit cap. For continuing L&S students, you can enroll in 13.5 units during Phase 1 and 17.5 units during Phase 2. For new first-year and transfer students, you can enroll in 17.5 units during your initial enrollment time and 20.5 units during the Adjustment Period.

  • I am waitlisted for a section that is full for a Public Health core course, how do I change or switch my discussion section?

    See the Switching Related Sections Guide.

    If you are enrolled in the class, you can switch sections through the Enrollment Center.

    If you are not enrolled in the class, you will have to drop and re-add the class to select a new section. This will lower your position on the waitlist however CalCentral will prioritize students on the waitlist who are waitlisted for an open section. If you are #21 but the 20 students ahead of you in the waitlist selected a section that is full, they will not be able to enroll into the lecture. If you choose a section that is open and there are seats in the lecture, then you will have a higher chance of enrolling in the class.

    If you find you are unable to drop and re-add the course, be sure you are trying to do so during your allotted enrollment time.

  • I plan to graduate early, what do I need to do?

    If you are planning to graduate early, you will need to plan your courses carefully. Some of the core courses are only offered once an academic year and the Public Health Senior Capstone requirement needs to be completed within the final two (2) semesters. Prioritize enrollment into a Senior Capstone and PB HLTH 150E (offered Spring only). Senior Capstones may vary each academic year and may require completion of PB HLTH 142 and 150A.

    There may be senior year opportunities you may not be eligible for if you have not completed PB HLTH 142 and PB HLTH 150A prior to your final year, such as the Public Health Undergraduate Honors Thesis and certain 4+1 Master of Public Health (MPH) programs.

    Review Public Health Sample Plans, Public Health BA Curriculum, and consider meeting with a Public Health academic advisor and/or L&S College Advisor.

Major Declaration Timeline

  • Fall declaration cycle: December 17 – January 1 by end of fifth semester or first semester for transfer students
  • Spring declaration cycle: May 17 – June 1 by end of fifth semester or first semester for transfer students

Once students submit a Declaration Form during one of the declaration cycles, final declaration information is sent via email once all the submissions are reviewed after the deadline. This process may take up to 6 weeks. For the Fall declaration cycle, students may be notified the week before Spring classes.

Students declared in the major who are switching majors within L&S or undeclared in L&S will be automatically declared in the major.

Students who need complete Change of College, Double Major, or Simultaneous Degree paperwork to declare the Public Health major should complete their declaration no later than 3 months (12 weeks) of the declaration email. The Public Health advisors will notify you of the required forms. Failure to meet this deadline will result in an automatic drop from the major.

Declaration Form

  • Fall application cycle: December 17 – January 1 by end of fifth semester or first semester for transfer students
  • Spring application cycle: May 17 – June 1 by end of fifth semester or first semester for transfer students

Review the Declaration Requirements and Checklist. If you have read all of the major declaration instructions in full and you are ready to submit a declaration form, click the button below:

UC Berkeley Public Health Major Declaration Form

By submitting a Public Health Major Declaration Form, you certify that the information provided is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge. Any student found to have provided false documentation will not be declared into the major and may be referred to the Center for Student Conduct.

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