Public Health Programs Offered at the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine appears in our ranking of the 10 Cheapest MPH Degrees in California
The University of California, Irvine offers one of the only public health degree programs in the state for undergraduates, which it calls the public health major. Available through the College of Health Sciences, this major is available as a Bachelor of Science (BS) or a Bachelor of Arts (BA). All majors have access to classes such as Public Health Finance for Non-Financial Managers, Public Health Management, Introduction to Ethics, Public Health Programs for the Corporate World and War and Public Health. Students in either program will do a practicum too.
To go along with their bachelor’s degrees, students can complete certificates in college population health promotion and wellness or global health. The global health certificate can also function as a minor. It features eight classes and asks students to do a capstone. In the college population health promotion and wellness certificate program, students look at the ways colleges keep students healthy. It features five classes in health and wellness and three workshops. Students also need to attend two training sessions at the University of California, Irvine campus.
One of the state’s top accredited Master of Public Health (MPH) programs is available from the university. It features four concentrations: epidemiology, environmental health, biostatistics, and sociocultural diversity and health. The sociocultural diversity and health concentration is a unique option that looks at how where people live and come from can affect their general health. Though the biostatistics track features 63 credits, all other tracks include 64 credits. Students cannot remain in the program after reaching the halfway point unless they pass a comprehensive exam. They will also do 240 hours of supervised fieldwork to complete a required internship.
Also available are doctoral programs in public health that allow students to choose an emphasis area in either global health or disease prevention. Students typically spend five years in the program but can graduate in just four years. Doctoral students take two years of public health and concentration courses and then take a comprehensive exam that lets them move up to the advanced courses. The third-year requires that students submit a dissertation proposal and defend the proposal in front of a panel of faculty members. They get two years to finish their dissertations. The university also offers dual MPH programs with a second degree in medicine or environmental health sciences.
About the University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine is a public university that is part of the University of California System. Established in 1965 as part of the California Master Plan for Higher Education, it is one of the newer campuses in the UC System and uses the names UC Irvine and UCI. The university chose its name in honor of Irvine Ranch, which it purchased from the Irvine Company named after local James Irvine. Through it used the UC Irvine name for many years, the surrounding city of the same name did not appear until later. According to U.S. News and World Report, the university’s public health program ranks as the 37th best in the nation. It also ranked UCI as the nation’s 36th best university and the 78th best in the world.
University of California, Irvine Accreditation Details
Both the bachelor’s and graduate programs in public health offered at UC Irvine have accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The Council accredits the internships that students do as part of these programs too. UC Irvine and all other campuses in the UC System have regional accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). This is why students can transfer between classes and take their credits with them and why they can use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
University of California, Irvine Application Requirements
To get accepted into the public health program, prospective UCI freshmen need to take the 15 credits required by the state for college students, including two units of foreign language and history classes, four units of English classes and two years of science classes. They need a grade point average of at least a 3.0 and cannot have grades below a C in any required course. UC Irvine asks students to apply and pay an application fee online and then submit both their high school transcripts and an ACT score. The university accepts both college and advanced placement transcripts and scores from students as well as SAT scores.
The MPH program available from UC Irvine is a selective one. It requires a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and a bachelor’s degree in a health or related field from all incoming graduate students. They also need a strong score on the GRE. UCI asks students to apply through the university’s website and to apply separately through the SOPHAS website. They will make a $120 application fee payment to the university and pay a separate fee to apply through the SOPHAS site. USI requires a personal history statement, statement of purpose, GRE score, transcript and three letters of recommendation. They may need to submit some of these records on each application.
Tuition and Financial Aid
UCI graduate students pay $11,442 each year as a full-time California resident and fees of more than $1,700. Nonresidents pay the same fees and tuition rates along with an additional $15,102 each year. All students must have health insurance coverage before doing an internship. The university offers plans for $4,042 a year and allows students to get coverage each year that they remain in a graduate program. As long as UC Irvine receives a FAFSA from the student, it will design a financial aid package that can include grants and loans based on their needs, jobs, research and teaching positions and fellowships and scholarships.
Undergrads in the public health and other degree programs at UCI pay $11,442 for tuition each year as a California resident and this rate plus an extra $28,992 as a nonresident. Undergrads can also purchase health insurance, which will add more than $4,000 to their annual costs when they add in their fees. Undergrads can get financial aid to pay all of these costs as well as their room and board. Some of the packages awarded to public health majors at the University of California, Irvine include grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study.