On-Campus Graduate Program Admissions (Non-SOPHAS)

Recommendations for Competitive Applicants

• Previous coursework in calculus, linear algebra, and statistics is strongly recommended.
• Common undergraduate majors for admitted applicants: Biomedical and biological sciences, mathematics, statistics.
• Common work experience for admitted applicants: Typical successful applicants have work experience in Research Assistant positions at a health department.

Admissions and Application Requirements

GRE General Test scores are required for admission to the Biostatistics MA program however applicants are exempted from the requirement if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Completed two semesters of calculus for a letter grade and earned a grade of “B” or higher.
• Completed one semester of linear algebra for a letter grade and earned a grade of “B” or higher.
• Completed one semester of statistics for a letter grade and earned a grade of “B” or higher.
• Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Overall quantitative/math GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• For international students: TOEFL score of 100 or higher OR IELTS score of 7.0 or higher

Berkeley Public Health also exempts applicants who already hold a doctoral level degree from the GRE requirement. There is a program page in the Berkeley Graduate Application where you can indicate you meet the criteria for GRE exemption. Applicants who are exempted from the GRE are not at a disadvantage in the application review process.

Recommendations for Competitive Applicants

• Common undergraduate majors for admitted applicants: Biological sciences, math, statistics
• Common work experience for admitted applicants: Typical admitted applicants have work experience in quantitative analysis in a research setting. Many of them have co-authored articles published in medical or scientific journals. The following is a sample of the job-titles of successful applicants: Research Analyst, Data Director, Biostatistician, Programmer Analyst, Statistical Consultant, Research Assistant.

Admission and Application Requirements

A Master’s degree in Biostatistics or a related field is recommended but not required for admission to the PhD program. Strongly recommended prerequisite courses include calculus, linear algebra, and statistics. Applicants admitted without a Master’s degree may be required to go through the Biostatistics MA curriculum; students can concurrently earn that degree with no additional cost. Applicants without a Master’s degree are expected to have extensive related research and/or professional experience. Normative time to degree is 5 years.

• GRE Required: Yes (General Test); waived if applicants meet exemption criteria, see program website.
• Completed two semesters of calculus for a letter grade and earned a grade of “B” or higher.
• Completed one semester of linear algebra for a letter grade and earned a grade of “B” or higher.
• Completed one semester of statistics for a letter grade and earned a grade of “B” or higher.
• Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Overall quantitative/math GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• For international students: TOEFL score of 100 or higher OR IELTS score of 7.0 or higher

Recommendations for Competitive Applicants

• A master’s degree in epidemiology or a related field is preferable.
• The amount of coursework necessary for each doctoral student in the PhD program varies greatly, depending on previous coursework, experience, and background.
• Successful applicants often have work experience in a public health setting or in epidemiologic research.
• Applicants are welcome to reach out to faculty they are interested in working with to inquire if they are taking on new students.
• Submissions of GRE scores are optional but recommended for this program, especially if you have no other evidence of quantitative, verbal, or analytical abilities in your application.

Recommendations for Competitive Applicants

Submissions of GRE scores are optional but recommended for this program, especially if you have no other evidence of quantitative, verbal, or analytical abilities in your application.

Admission and Application Requirements

• Applicants should hold an MS or MPH in a related field and display a clear research orientation and firm knowledge of research techniques.
• If an applicant does not have a Masters, they must reach out to faculty they are interested in working with to determine if they are good candidates for the PhD and receive approval by the faculty to apply to the EHS PhD program. They will be expected to list the faculty member who gave them approval to apply. If they do not receive approval, they are not eligible but may be eligible to apply to the EHS MS or EHS MPH program. Please go here for more information on those programs and the requirements.
• A writing sample (approximately 10 pages is typical) that highlights your writing, research, and analytical skills. The writing sample may be a published paper, a draft research paper (e.g., a preprint), a final paper from a class, a report, a Masters thesis, an undergraduate thesis, etc. Preferred writing samples demonstrate your ability to articulate and support complex ideas, solve technical problems, estimate key parameters from observations, construct and evaluate arguments, and/or sustain a focused and coherent discussion. If there were multiple authors, please describe your specific contributions to the writing and project, either as an added page to the document or upload a note to the “other” documents section.

Recommendations for Competitive Applicants

Submissions of GRE scores are optional but strongly recommended for this program. Especially if you have no other evidence of quantitative, verbal, or analytical abilities in your application. If not submitting a score, competitive applicants will need to provide alternative evidence of strong quantitative capability and should speak to their analytical and quantitative preparation for the PhD program in their application based on past coursework (e.g. statistics, microeconomics, math) and/or professional experience.

Admissions and Application Requirements

• A master’s degree is not a requirement for this program, however, entering students should have completed introductory coursework in statistics, microeconomics and epidemiology. Most students admitted do have a master’s degree.
• Students without master’s-level coursework in these areas are required to take relevant courses at UC Berkeley or otherwise demonstrate mastery of these areas.
• Please submit a writing sample and provide a list of publications and/or presentations related to your academic or professional background (include the PubMed ID if applicable). If your work is published as a website or part of it, please provide the URL. Your writing sample can be a written assignment, journal article, report, Op-Ed, commentary, conference abstract, or other publication. Please enter your most recent citation first.

Recommendations for Competitive Applicants

• Common undergraduate majors for admitted applicants: Biology, integrative biology, microbiology, biological sciences, biology and communications
• Common work experience for admitted applicants: Work experience is not required for admission, but relevant Wet lab experience related to infectious diseases, in wet laboratory and/or surveillance work is important for the IDI PhD program. Successful admitted applicants all have strong lab and research experience.
• GRE scores are optional. We recommend submitting a GRE if you have no other evidence of quantitative, verbal, or analytical abilities in your application.

Admissions and Application Requirements

The following subjects are normally required as undergraduate preparation for all candidates. Deficiencies must be made up early during the graduate program.

• Biology: General biology lecture and laboratory; genetics; and a basic course(s) in molecular biology.
• Chemistry and biochemistry: Inorganic chemistry; biochemistry; and associated laboratories
• Physics: General physics
• Mathematics: Calculus; one course in probability or statistics.

Complete an online application to the UC Berkeley Graduate Division and submit the following items:

• Transcripts from each institution you have attended
  • If you are submitting international records, upload a copy of the degree certificate(s) with corresponding English translations (if applicable)
  • See more information about international student transcripts in the “Additional Application Instructions for International Students” section below
• Official TOEFL score sent to UC Berkeley (code 4833), or IELTS score sent electronically to UC Berkeley, if applicable
• Official GRE score sent to UC Berkeley, if applicable (code 4833),
• CV or Resume
• Statement of Purpose
• Personal History Statement
• Three Letters of Recommendation from a combination of professional and academic recommenders
• Writing Sample (if applicable)
• Submit by December 2 at 8:59pm PST
• UC Berkeley application fee or fee waiver.

Access the UC Berkeley Graduate Application here.

The cost for the UC Berkeley Graduate Application for U.S. Citizens and current Permanent Residents is $135. The application fee for all other applicants is $155. Payments should be submitted by credit card only.

If you would like to request a fee waiver, you must reach out to the Berkeley Graduate Division. Visit the Berkeley Graduate Application Fee Waiver page for more information.

All applicants who attended college in a country/region in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency via a TOEFL or IELTS score, regardless of whether or not English was the primary language of instruction at your college. This requirement applies to applicants from Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, Israel, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, most European countries, and non-English-speaking countries in Africa.

We recommend that you plan to take any required exams no later than October to allow time for scores to arrive in time for consideration for fall admission.

For Fall 2025, tests taken before June 1, 2023 will not be accepted even if your score was reported to UC Berkeley.

The USMLE and other similar exams are not approved substitutes for the TOEFL.

Exemptions

You may be exempt from this requirement if you:

• Have a basic degree from a recognized institution in a country where the official language is English
• Have completed a basic or advanced degree at an institution, in the United States or a United States institution abroad, where the language of instruction is English and the institution is accredited by one of the United States’ regional accrediting agencies
• Have completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with a grade B or better at a regionally accredited* institution within the United States.

If you qualify for an exemption, you must upload an unofficial transcript from the recognized U.S. institution to your Berkeley Graduate Application.

If you are unsure if your country of education qualifies you for a TOEFL exemption, please contact us at sphadmit@berkeley.edu.

Minimum Scores

• TOEFL: Paper: 570, Internet (iBT): 90
• IELTS: 7

How to submit TOEFL

Official TOEFL test scores administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) must be submitted to UC Berkeley (code 4833). We do not accept MyBest Scores.

How to submit IELTS

Beginning for the Fall 2021 application cycle, we will no longer be accepting paper Test Report Forms. All IELTS scores must be sent electronically from the testing center to UC Berkeley (no institution code is required).

Our address for identification purposes is:

University of California, Berkeley, Graduate Division
Sproul Hall Rm 318, MC 5900
Berkeley, CA 94720

Please do not mail any score reports to us.

Graduates of recognized academic institutions outside the United States should hold a degree equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Equivalency is determined by International Evaluators in the Graduate Admissions Office. If you are unsure if your degree is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree, you can email us at sphadmit@berkeley.edu.

Submitting Transcripts to Berkeley Graduate Application

Please upload copies of unofficial or official foreign transcripts and degrees to the UC Berkeley Graduate application. Academic records should:

• Be issued in the original language and accompanied by English translations if required (usually prepared by your university or Ministry of Education, unless the institution issues original documents in English)
• English translations are required for all languages except Spanish; degree names and grades should be transliterated, not converted into English words or the U.S. grades of A–F.
• If your home institution does not issue documents in English, you may submit translations prepared by certified translators for the American Translators Association.
• In general, be issued by the school and include the school’s stamp or embossed seal and the signature of the authorizing official. For more detailed information on acceptable documents, please contact us at sphadmit@berkeley.edu.
• If your academic records do not include official evidence of the award of your degree, you must also submit additional documents that verify the degree conferral, such as a degree certificate.

Official transcripts or academic records for all university-level studies you have completed, at U.S. institutions and abroad will be required if admitted.

Tuition, fees, and charges are included on the UC Berkeley’s Office of the Registrar’s website along with more details about fee definitions. To view fee rates, please scroll down to the tab labeled “Graduate: Academic” if you are an MA, MS, or PhD student, and “Graduate: Professional-School of Public Health” if you are an MPH or DrPH student. If you enroll in an MPH or DrPH program, you are required to pay professional degree supplemental tuition each semester. The total cost of your degree is based on the length of your program.

Tuition, fees, and charges are subject to change by the Regents of the University of California and could be affected by State funding reductions. Accordingly, they may differ from the amounts shown.

Your cost of attendance budget is the estimated average cost of completing an academic year at UC Berkeley. This estimate includes the cost of tuition and fees, room and board, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.

Your budget also serves as a limit for the amount of grants, scholarships, fee remission, loans, and other forms of aid that can be offered to you. You may find the graduate student budget on UC Berkeley’s Financial Aid and Scholarships website.

Each academic year, fellowships and scholarships are awarded to eligible students by Berkeley Public Health. Awards are given out by nomination only by each program’s respective admissions committee. There is no separate application process for these awards beyond completing the SOPHAS or UC Berkeley application by the priority deadline.

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships provide funding to students to encourage the study of critical and less commonly taught foreign languages in combination with area studies, international studies or international aspects of professional studies.

In order for incoming students to be considered for this award, the FLAS portion of their admissions application must be completed and include a ­­statement of purpose indicating the relevance the study of the language has to the preparation of their academic program, chosen career and/or future goals.

APHA KP Community Health Scholarship

The APHA Kaiser Permanente Community Health Scholarship supports students who intend on pursuing an MPH or DrPH/PhD. This scholarship is part of the APHA KP Community Health Leadership Program. Apply directly here.

• MPH Scholarship: Awardees receive a $15,000 tuition award each year over the course of two years of full-time study.
• DrPH/PhD Scholarship: Awardees receive a $20,000 tuition award per year for three years. In the third and final year, the award can be given as a stipend or as a combination of stipend/tuition.
• Eligibility: All applicants are required to
  • Be applying for a full-time MPH or a DrPH/PhD in public health at one of our partner universities (see below) for the upcoming academic year. Students do not need to be admitted by the scholarship deadline.
  • Be U.S. citizens or hold a permanent residence visa (Green Card) in the U.S.

PhD candidates typically receive funding through a variety of sources such as soft-money grants, Graduate Division Fellowships, and fee remission from working as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) or teaching as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI).

PhD programs are fully funded for up to 5 years. Full funding includes regular tuition, fees, SHIP, and a salary or stipend if you are in good academic standing. Please note that our funding packages do not include housing offers. Reach out to your program of interest for more details.

PhD candidates may also be AB 540 eligible for tuition purposes. Please see the University of California’s website for more information.

DrPH candidates are funded by departmental funding and are also eligible for fee remission from working as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) or teaching as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI). However, they are not guaranteed funding for the duration of their program or offered a living stipend as a part of their funding package.

Students enrolled in Master’s programs typically fund their education with a combination of student loans, GSI/GSR appointments, extramural scholarships and work-study opportunities.

AB540/DACA postgraduate program students are eligible for UC Berkeley and departmental funding.

Graduate students may apply for need-based loans and work-study through the UC Berkeley Financial Aid Office. The programs are based on demonstrated financial need and require a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Questions about Financial Aid programs may be directed to Cal Student Central. In addition, please visit the UC Berkeley Financial Aid and Scholarships website for more information. Only U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens (those holding permanent resident cards) may apply for funds administered by the UC Berkeley Financial Aid Office.

UC’s Native American Opportunity Plan ensures that in-state systemwide Tuition and Student Services Fees are fully covered for California students who are also enrolled in federally recognized Native American, American Indian, and Alaska Native tribes. This plan applies to undergraduate and graduate students.

To learn more about the eligibility requirements visit the Native American Opportunity Plan website.

Financial aid awards from the UC Berkeley International Office consist of individual grants applied directly to tuition and fees via the UC Berkeley student records system. Award amounts vary depending on the number of applicants and levels of need per semester. Grants do not need to be repaid.

International students are eligible for a number of departmental awards. There is no separate application process for these awards beyond completing the fellowships portion of the SOPHAS or UC Berkeley application.Students who are married and/or have children living with them in the Bay Area may also apply for the Supplemental Family Grant. A family grant can be applied directly to tuition and fees or can be disbursed in the form of a taxable stipend. Award amounts vary depending on the number of applicants and level of need. Family grants do not need to be repaid. See a complete list of financial aid options on the UC Berkeley International Office website.

The University of California offers a variety of services and resources for student families. Visit the UC Berkeley Graduate Division website to learn more about campus resources that aid student families in the search for affordable housing, child care, health insurance and more.

UC Berkeley Veteran Services offers information related to the types of benefits, certification of benefits, contact information for dedicated support, and campus resources for students who have served in the military.

Eligibility for veteran’s educational benefits is determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), not by UC Berkeley. For more information on eligibility and to apply visit the VA’s “How to apply for the GI Bill and related benefits” page.

After you apply for benefits through the VA, please provide the following documentation to the Veterans Benefits Office at the Office of the Registrar.

Please visit the Cal Veteran Services Center website for more information.

In addition to Student Family Assistance, the UC Berkeley Financial Aid and Scholarships Office offers a variety of services and resources for student parents, disabled students, nonresidents of California and veterans.

Another resource is the ASUC Student Advocate’s Office, a student-run office that provides free and confidential advice and representation to students who experience issues or conflicts with the university. This office also offers support in completing an appeals process.

For information about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid website.

Students are also encouraged to independently seek funding from external sources. A number of scholarship search resources are available online, including:

• Berkeley Financial Aid & Scholarship search
• Basic Needs Center
• UC Berkeley Graduate Division’s Graduate Fellowships and Awards
• Cal Veterans Services Center
• Undocumented Student Program
• Berkeley International Office
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
• Association for Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH)
• BestColleges.com Financial Aid Resources
• Fastweb.com