Undergraduate Advising
Welcome to the Public Health Undergraduate Advising page! Below are some quick links to get you started. Take a look at this whole page to learn more about the major and admissions statistics. Feel free to ask any questions about the Public Health major, Summer Global Public Health minor, or anything else you are interested in learning about. You do not have to be a current UC Berkeley student to reach out. Are you still in high school or at a community college or other four year institution? We would love to hear from you!
Quick Links
Undergraduate Major Peer Advisors Appointments and Drop-In Hours
Undergraduate Major Advisor Appointments (only 10 days in advance, Mondays & Thursdays)
Undergraduate Major Drop-in Hours
Academic Advisor/Co-Manager email: sphug@berkeley.edu
Patricia Cruz
Undergraduate Program Academic Advisor & Co-Manager
Lauren Magsanay
Undergraduate Program Academic Advisor & Co-Manager
Make an appointment (sphug.setmore.com) or see Advisor drop-in hours here. We currently have a hybrid model so please pay close attention to if you are attending a remote or in-person advising session. Appointments via SetMore are only 10 days in advance and are on Mondays and Thursdays so you will not see appointments for the whole semester all at once. Drop in hours are multiple times per week on a first come first serve basis. You can read more about the academic advisors/co-managers at the bottom of the drop-in hours page.
Peer Advising Services
Click on the image to learn more about undergraduate peer advising.
Our Public Health peer advisors are Public Health majors who can share their knowledge about their student experiences in applying to the major and what it is like to be in the major. They can discuss lower-division requirements, upper-division courses, extracurricular activities, and much more! Keep a lookout for their events such as Pre-Application workshops. Sign up for the prospective student listserv here.
Learn more about undergraduate peer advising
Note: Peer Advisor appointments via SetMore are available only 10 days in advance.
About the Major
Undergraduates who major in Public Health earn a Bachelor’s of Arts degree. Students 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.
For an in-depth overview of the undergraduate experience at Berkeley Public Health, go to the Undergraduate Programs at Berkeley Public Health page.
Curriculum
Due to accreditation changes instituted by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH), Berkeley Public Health undergraduate students graduating in 2017 and afterwards must abide by new major completion requirements. Students with a graduation date set before Spring 2017 may continue to use the old requirements.
Requirements of the program broadly fit within three areas: six required classes, ten elective units, and academic work for the required capstone.
Go to the Undergraduate Program Curriculum page for a more comprehensive curriculum overview.
Employment
This degree is primarily intended to prepare students for graduate study in a variety of fields (see all our graduate opportunities on this site). Students who work after obtaining their BA are employed by government, private and nonprofit organizations. Their career choices include survey workers, educators and research project associates. Interested in where our public health majors go after graduation? Visit UC Berkeley’s Career Center’s Destination Survey.
Policy on Academic Dishonesty and Academic Misconduct
Please review the following document for our School of Public Health Undergraduate Program Policy on Academic Dishonesty and Academic Misconduct. As a school and program we take academic dishonesty and misconduct seriously.
School of Public Health Undergraduate Program Policy on Academic Dishonesty and Academic Misconduct
Admissions
Undergraduate students in the College of Letters & Science at UC Berkeley can apply to major in public health after completing the lower-division requirements, generally at the end of the sophomore year.
Public Health is a capped major with limited capacity. We encourage all students to actively work toward an alternative major.
For information about the admissions process, go to the undergraduate admissions page.
Admissions Statistics
| Admissions Rate* | Average Prerequisite GPA of Accepted Students | Average Overall GPA of Accepted Students | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2022 | 100% | 3.42 | 3.45 |
| Spring 2022 – Fall 2022 | 100% | 3.45 | 3.49 |
| Overall Stats (2011–2022) | 84.5% | 3.42 (from 2016 and onward) | 3.43 (2016 and onward) |
| *Students who apply without having met the requirements are not included in the Admissions Rate. | |||
Are you interested in making public health your major or minor? Subscribe to the Prospective student listserv to receive weekly Public Health Newsletters and one off announcements! prospective_sphug@lists.berkeley.edu
Please note the following to subscribe or unsubscribe yourself. You are responsible for unsubscribing yourself.
How to Subscribe to a GoogleGroup (use the listserv name you are trying to subscribe to as the subject): https://support.google.com/groups/answer/1067205?hl=en
Still having trouble? Please use this “How to Join a SPHUG Listserv” guide create by our 2020-2021 Peer Advisor Jessica Thai for assistance.
How to unsubscribe from a GoogleGroup (use the listserv name you are trying to unsubscribe from as the subject): https://support.google.com/groups/answer/46608?hl=en
Are you a UC Berkeley School of Public Health undergraduate major or minor alumni? Subscribe to the sphugalumni@lists.berkeley.edu listserv to receive one off emails with opportunities for alumni!
Please see subscribe and unsubscribing directions above.