Applicable only to students admitted during the 2015-2016 academic year.

Public Health Schoolwide Programs

School of Public Health

Graduate Degrees

The Fielding School of Public Health offers a school-wide Master of Public Health (MPH) degree with specializations in Biostatistics, Community Health Sciences, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Health Policy and Management; and a school-wide Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree with a specialization in Biostatistics. In addition, the FSPH offers seven concurrent degree programs: the JD/MPH, the MBA/MPH, the MSW/MPH, the MA/MPH with African Studies, and with Asian American Studies, the MPP/MPH, and the MURP/MPH; and two articulated degree programs: the MD/MPH and the MA/MPH with Latin American Studies.

For information on the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Biostatistics, Community Health Sciences, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Policy and Management, applicants should see the listings for those departments. For information on the interdepartmental Ph.D. degree program housed in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, applicants should see the listing for Molecular Toxicology.

Admissions Requirements

Master’s Degree

Advising

Upon entering the program, students are assigned an academic adviser whose responsibility is to counsel them concerning their program of study and progress toward the fulfillment of the degree requirements. Students may request a change in advisers at any time during the course of study by submitting a request directly to the department. Students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter.

An adviser is responsible for the student’s academic progress. Progress is evaluated on an ongoing basis. At the end of each quarter, the Associate Dean for Academic Programs reviews academic listings of students and notifies them and the advisers when the cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0. Advisers review each case with their advisees and make recommendations to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs for continuance or dismissal.

Areas of Study

Areas of specialization and typical course plans, in addition to mandatory courses, are listed below.

Course Requirements

Students must complete at least one year of graduate residence at the University of California and a minimum of 11 full courses (44 units), at least six of which must be graduate courses and at least two of which must be 400-series courses. Only one 596 course (four units) may be applied toward the six graduate courses; 597 and 598 courses may not be applied toward the degree.

Students who complete the UCLA undergraduate minor in Public Health have already completed the four 100-level core courses (Biostatistics 100A, Environmental Health Sciences 100, Epidemiology 100, and Health Policy and Management 100). Accordingly, these students should not re-take these courses but replace them with four additional elective courses in order to complete the 60 units required for the master’s degree. Students must consult with their adviser when selecting these replacement courses. For any courses taken outside of the FSPH, students must file a blue petition and have it approved prior to registration. If the blue petition is not approved, the student must consult with their adviser about selecting other options. Replacement courses within the FSPH do not require a blue petition.

Required school core courses include Biostatistics 100A or 110A; Community Health Sciences 100 (210, 211A, 211B for community health sciences majors); Environmental Health Sciences 100 (C200A-C200B for environmental health sciences majors); Epidemiology 100 (200A-200B-200C for epidemiology majors) and Health Services 100 (200A-200B for health services majors). Each core course may be waived via blue petition if the student has taken a similar college-level course, and passes the waiver examination. Students wishing to take a higher level course(s) in lieu of the 100-level series required core course can substitute the following: Biostatistics 100A with 110A, Community Health Sciences 100 has no substitutions, Environmental Health Sciences 100 with C200A, Epidemiology 100 with the entire series of Epidemiology 200A, 200B, and 200C, Health Policy and Management 100 with the 200A. Students must file a blue petition for the substitution.

In addition to the core courses, at least three courses (two or four units) outside the student’s area of specialization are strongly recommended.

Courses taken for S/U grading may not be applied toward the degree requirements. Students must maintain an average of no less than 3.0 (B) in all courses required or elected during graduate residence at the University of California.

Areas of specialization and typical course plans, in addition to mandatory courses, are listed below.

Biostatistics

Required department courses include Biostatistics 110A, 110B, (100A and 100B may be substituted with departmental permission); Biostatistics 201A, 201B, 400 (field training comprised of approved internship), 402A, 403A and 406; and 12 units of elective courses from Biostatistics 200B, 200C, M210 through M238, or M403B, 410 through 419. Additional elective courses are recommended and should be selected in public health, biomathematics, or mathematics. Biostatistics 595 is required as part of the culminating experience, which includes an oral presentation and a written report.

Community Health Sciences

A minimum of 60 units of graduate and upper division coursework is required for the M.P.H. degree. Normally two years or six quarters are needed to complete the 60 units of coursework required. No less than 32 units must be taken in the department. A maximum of 12 elective units from outside the department may count towards the 60 units. Candidates with a prior doctoral degree or advanced preparation in a related field may petition the departmental faculty to waive up to 12 units for the M.P.H. degree.

All students are required to complete Community Health Sciences 210, 211A-211B, and four units of 400 (400 hours of field work).

Students are required to select one course from each of the three curricular areas of a) Public Health Practice, b) Populations, and c) Individual and Structural Influences (12 units).   The courses for these three areas are listed below.  New CHS department courses will be added to these areas as appropriate. Students are required to take at least one additional course (4 units) within CHS. An additional course in research methods or program planning, similar to CHS 211 A&B is strongly recommended for students in the second year of the program.

Public Health Practice	Populations	Individual and Structural Influences
212: Advanced Social Research Methods in Health	200: Global Health Problems	220: Racism and Public Health: Social Epidemiologic Approaches
213: Research in Community and Patient Health Education	205: Immigrant Health	224: Social Determinants of Nutrition and Health
M216: Qualitative Research Methodology	226: Women’s Health and Well-Being	235: Influence of Social and Physical Environment on Racial Health Disparities
M218: Questionnaire Design and Administration	231: Maternal and Child Nutrition	247: Population Change and Public Policy
257: Program Planning in Community Disaster Preparedness	M239: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture as Concepts in Practice and Research	M263: Social Demography of Los Angeles
258: Cooperative Interagency Management in Disasters	240: Child and Reproductive Health in Communities: Global Environmental Perspective	M272: Social Epidemiology
271: Health-Related Behavior Change	246: Women’s Roles and Family Health	273: Social Epidemiology of Chronic Disease
276: Complementary and Alternative Medicine	248: Women’s Mental Health	284: Sociocultural Aspects of Mental Health
282: Communication in Health Promotion and Education	M260: Health and Culture in Americas	291: Health Policy and Aged
285: Evidence-Based Health Promotion Programs for Older Adults	M264: Latin America: Traditional Medicine, Shamanism, and Folk Illness	M430: Building Advocacy Skills: Reproductive Health Focus
288:Health Communication in Popular Media	290: Race, Class, Culture, and Aging	440: Public Health and National Security at U.S.-Mexico Border
292: Communication and Media Development in Health Promotion/Education	M294: Social and Behavioral Factors of HIV/AIDS: Global Perspective	448: Nutrition Policies and Programs: Domestic and International Perspectives
295: Overview of Emergency Public Health	431: Foundations of Reproductive Health	CM470: Improving Worker Health: Social Movements, Policy Debates, and Public Health
443: Assessment of Family Nutrition	432: Perinatal Healthcare: Principles, Programs, and Policies
451: Post-Disaster Community Health	434A: Maternal and Child Health in Developing Areas
474: Self-Care and Self-Help in Community Health	447: Health and Social Context in Middle East
484: Risk Communications	477: Health Disparities, Health Equity, and Sexual Minority Populations
485: Resource Development for Community Health Programs
487: Community Organization for Health

Students have the option to focus their studies in areas such as social and behavioral sciences, health education/promotion, international health, child and family health, public health nutrition, health policy, disaster planning and relief, aging and life course, women’s health, and population health.

Students focusing in health education/promotion may select coursework to meet the requirements for the Society for Public Health Education, and students with appropriate prerequisites may select coursework to meet the requirements set by the Association of Graduate Faculties in Public Health Nutrition.

Environmental Health Sciences

Required department courses include Biostatistics 100B; Environmental Health Sciences C200A, C200B, 201, C240, 400, and 411 (to be taken once a year for two years). At least 16 units of elective courses are required and are selected by students in consultation with the faculty adviser. Any departmental required course may be waived by instructor consent if the student either has taken a similar course or can pass a waiver examination. Students who do not have the prerequisites at the time of application may take equivalent courses at UCLA in their first year.

Students may choose to focus on Industrial Hygiene. The M.P.H. program in Industrial Hygiene is fully accredited by the Related Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET/ASAC). In addition, students in the M.P.H. program in Environmental Health Sciences may choose to pursue a curriculum that has been approved by the California Registered Environmental Health Specialist program.

Epidemiology

Students with no prior clinical doctorate degree are required to complete a minimum of 68 units of graduate or upper division coursework for the MPH degree. All students with no prior clinical doctorate degree are also required to complete Biostatistics 100A, Environmental Health Sciences 100, Community Health Sciences 100, Health Policy and Management 100, Biostatistics 100B, Epidemiology 200A-200B-200C, 220, 400, 413, and two units of an approved data management course. Remaining coursework must be selected from the general list of courses: Epidemiology 203, M204, M211, M212, M218, 220, 222, 223, 224, M225, M226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232,  240, 242, 243, 244, 246, 247, 248, 249, 251, M252, 253, M254, M255, 257, M258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 265, 266, 267, 268, 270, 271, M272, 273, 280, 402, M403, M406, 410, 411, 412, 414, 415, 417, M418, and 420. However, up to eight can be taken outside the Epidemiology department with the consent of the advisor and by petition.

Students with a prior clinical doctorate degree or students enrolled in an M.D./M.P.H. program are required to complete a minimum of 56 units of graduate and upper division coursework for the MPH degree. These students are also required to complete Biostatistics 100A, Community Health Sciences 100, Environmental Health Sciences 100, Health Policy and Management 100, Biostatistics 100B, Epidemiology 200A-200B-200C, 400 and 413. Students may apply six units in relevant topics from the Department of Medicine or other departments in the School of Public Health (other than required courses above) toward their total unit requirement.

All students must submit a report demonstrating competence in epidemiologic methodology. The report may not be submitted prior to the completion of Epidemiology 400. Epidemiology 400 must be taken after completion of 200C.

Health Policy and Management

Health Policy and Management specialization programs include (1) Health Care Management, (2) Health Policy, (3) Executive (4) Health Services Organization, (5) a concurrent M.P.H./M.B.A., (6) a concurrent M.P.H./M.P.P., (7) J.D./M.P.H., and (8) M.D./M.P.H. All specialization programs require Health Policy and Management 200A-200B, 400, and a summer internship in a local health care organization, as well as School of Public Health core courses: Biostatistics 100A, Community Health Sciences 100, Environmental Health Sciences 100, and Epidemiology 100.

Students who hold an M.B.A. and three years of managerial experience in health care will be required to take 15 courses rather than 18. In addition, students who have had the equivalent course work in their M.B.A. program may petition to waive out of an additional 3 courses. Petitions will be considered on a case by case basis.

Health Care Management. The Health Care Management specialization is a two-year program requiring 23 full courses (88 units) and a major written research report based on the summer internship at a local health care organization. Required courses include Health Policy and Management 232, 234, M236, M285, 215A, 400, 403, M422, 433, 436, 437, 440A, 441 and 445. In addition, students select at least three elective courses from Health Policy and Management or other academic schools/departments approved via blue petition.

Health Policy. The Health Policy specialization is a two-year program requiring 22 full courses (88 units), and a major written research report based on the summer internship in a local health care organization. Required courses include Health Policy and Management 232, M233, M236, M285, 215A, 286, M287, 400, M422, 441, and Biostatistics 100B. In addition, students select at least five elective courses from Health Policy and Management or other academic schools/departments approved via blue petition.

Executive. The executive program is for people with at least three years of managerial experience in the health care field. It is a two-year program requiring 18 full courses and a major written research report based on the summer internship. Required courses include Health Policy and Management 234, M236, 251, M422, 431, 433, 436, 450, and Biostatistics 419.

Health Services Organization. The health services organization specialization is a one-year program requiring a minimum of 13 full courses (56 units). Admission is limited to students with prior doctoral-level degrees completed in the U.S. (M.D., Ph.D., J.D., D.D.S., or equivalent). Required courses include Health Policy and Management M236, 400 and 403. In addition, students select at least four elective courses from the Department of Health Policy and Management or other academic schools/departments approved via blue petition.

JD/MPH programs

The J.D./M.P.H. program with a specialization in Biostatistics requires a minimum of 58 quarter units in the School of Public Health. Required courses include Biostatistics 110A, 110B (100A and 100B may be substituted with departmental permission); Biostatistics 200A, 201A, 201B, 402A, 402B (402B satisfies the field training requirement), 403A and 406; and 12 units of elective courses from Biostatistics 200B, 200C, M210 through M238, or M403B, 410 through 419. A maximum of eight elective quarter units from Law courses are allowed for concurrent credit toward the M.P.H. degree.

The J.D./M.P.H. program with a specialization in Community Health Sciences requires a minimum of 60 quarter units in the School of Public Health. Required courses include Community Health Sciences 210, 211A and 211B, four units of 400 (400 hours of field work), and eight units (two courses) from the following (no substitutions are allowed): Community Health Sciences 200, 231, 247, 271, 282, 284, M287, 295, 432. A maximum of eight elective quarter units from Law courses are allowed for concurrent credit toward the M.P.H. degree.

The J.D./M.P.H. program with a specialization in Environmental Health Sciences requires a minimum of 58 quarter units in the School of Public Health. Required courses include Biostatistics 100B; Environmental Health Sciences C200A, C200B, 201, C240, 400, and M411 (to be taken once a year for two years). At least 12 units of elective courses are required for area of specialization. A maximum of eight elective quarter units from Law courses are allowed for concurrent credit toward the M.P.H. degree.

The J.D./M.P.H. program with a specialization in Epidemiology requires a minimum of 68 quarter units in the School of Public Health. Required courses include Biostatistics 100A, Environmental Health Sciences 100, Community Health Sciences 100, Health Policy and Management 100, Biostatistics 100B, Epidemiology 200A-200B-200C, 220, 400, 413, two units of a chronic disease epidemiology course from a list of approved courses and an approved data management course. Remaining coursework must be selected from a general list of courses: Epidemiology 203, M204, M211, M212, M218, 220, 222, 223, 224, M225, M226, 227, 228, 229, 239, 231, 232, 233, 240, 242, 243, 244, 246, 247, 248, 249, 251, M252, 253, M254, M255, 257, M258, 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 265, 266, 267, 268, 270, 271, M272, 273, C275, 280, 402, M403, M406, 410, 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 417, M418, and 420. Students may apply a maximum of eight elective quarter units from Law courses are allowed for concurrent credit toward the M.P.H. degree.

The J.D./M.P.H. program with a specialization in Health Policy and Management requires a minimum of 14 full courses (56 units) in the School of Public Health and a field training experience in a state or federal agency, as counsel to a hospital or other health care institution, or working in a law firm with a substantial health law practice. Required courses include Health Policy and Management M236, M285, 286, M287, 400, 403, M422, and 437. A total of 18 units of elective courses are required. A maximum of the 16 elective quarter units from Law courses are allowed for concurrent credit toward the M.P.H. degree. Three Law electives chosen from an approved list, plus one additional Law course chosen with the approval of the Public Health adviser constitute the 16 units.

MSW/MPH program

The M.S.W./M.P.H. program with a specialization in Community Health Sciences requires a minimum of 67 units of Social Welfare coursework and 52 units of Public Health coursework. The remaining nine units of the regular 76-unit requirement for the M.S.W. degree are fulfilled through research and policy courses taken for the M.P.H. degree and are applied toward the M.S.W. program through apro forma petition to the Graduate Division upon application for advancement to candidacy. A maximum of eight quarter units of Social Welfare coursework may be applied toward the M.P.H. degree.

MURP/MPH programs

The M.U.R.P./M.P.H. program with specialization in Community Health Sciences requires a minimum of at least 60 graduate and upper-division units, taken for a letter grade (not Pass/Fail or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) are required for graduation. All students must take at least six graduate courses. For the M.P.H. degree, at least eight units must be 400-series courses. No fewer than 32 units must be taken in the Community Health Sciences Department.

The MPH degree requires all students to take four schoolwide core courses, four Department core courses, and four additional courses within the Department. Elective courses are used to bring the student to the minimum number of required graduate or upper-division units. A maximum of 12 elective units from outside the Department may count towards the minimum number of units.

School of Public Health Core Requirements – Must take all of the following (16 units)

• BIOSTAT 100A: Introduction to Biostatistics (4 units)
• EHS 100: Introduction to Environmental Health (4 units)
• EPI 100: Principles of Epidemiology (4 units)
• HLT POL 100: Health Services Organization (4 units)

First-year M.P.H. students should take either BIOSTAT 100A in the Fall and EPI 100 in the Winter, because CHS 211B will require one of these two courses as a prerequisite. Additionally, it is preferable to take BIOSTAT 100A in the Fall because undergraduate students are given priority in this course in the Spring. First-year M.P.H. students should take HLT POL 100 in the Fall, because in the Spring this course has a time conflict with the required course CHS 211B.

Department Core Courses – Must take all of the following (16 units)

• CHS 210: Community Health Sciences (4 units)
• CHS 211A: Program Planning, Research, and Evaluation in CHS (4 units)
• CHS 211B: Program Planning, Research, and Evaluation in CHS (4 units)
• CHS 400: Field Studies in Public Health (4 units)

Department Required Courses (16 units)

Students are required to select one course (4 units) from each of the following cirricular areas:

• Public Health Practice
• Populations
• Individual and Structural Influences
• One additional 4-unit course in the Department of Community Health Sciences

Electives (8 units)

• Two additional 4-unit elective courses

A maximum of 12 elective units from outside the Department may count towards this requirement.

At least one of the courses to be used for the M.P.H. must be a 400 level course in CHS, this is in addition to CHS 400.

URBAN PLANNING REQUIREMENTS

Department Core Courses (20 units)

• UP 207: Applied Microeconomics for Urban Planning (4 units)
• UP 211: Law and the Quality of Urban Life (4 units)*
• UP 220A: Quantitative Analysis in Urban Planning (4 units)
• UP 222A: Introduction to Planning History and Theory (4 units)
• One urbanization course (specific to the student’s Area of Concentration) from among the following:
  • UP C233: Political Economy of Urbanization (EAP, RID)
  • UP 242: Poverty and Inequality (EAP, CEDH)
  • UP M250: Transportation and Land Use: Urban Form (EAP, TPP)
  • UP 281: Introduction to History of Built Environment in U.S. (EAP, DD)

*Students may substitute the following law classes for UP 211 without a petition:

• UP M202A and UP 202B /Law M286: Land Use Regulation
• UP M264A and UP 264B /Law M290: Environmental Law
• UP M203A and UP 203B /Law M526: Urban Housing

By petition, other Law School classes may be substituted for UP 211.

Area of Concentration Required Courses (20 units)

The Areas of Concentration (AOC) consist of five courses (20 units) usually consisting of two foundation courses and three electives. Students must complete the requirements for at least one area of concentration. The Areas of Concentration are listed below; please visit the AOC websites for specific requirements.

• Community Economic Development and Housing
• Design and Development
• Environmental Analysis and Policy
• Regional and International Development
• Transportation Policy and Planning

Electives (12 units)

Concurrent degree students are required to take three additional (4-unit) electives. All must be within the department of Urban Planning (to meet the minimum requirement of 13 UP courses). Students are encouraged to consult with their advisor(s) regarding which courses may be appropriate given their badkground and interests.

Urban Planning Capstone Requirement (8 units)

Concurrent degree students have the choice between three capstone project types in order to satisfy the UP requirements. This requirement is typically satisfied in the third year of the concurrent program. The M.U.R.P. capstone project should be related to public health in some way.

• UP 205A&B: Applied Planning Research Project I, II (4 units fall, 4 units winter)
• UP 217A&B: Comprehensive Planning Project (4 units winter, 4 units spring)
• UP 205A & 598: Master’s Thesis (4 units fall, 4 units winter)

Note: In extenuating circumstances the department will offer a two-week examination. The exam is taken over ten consecutive business days when classes are not in regular session. These examinations are written and evaluated by two faculty advisors, and requires final approval of the Department Chair. This option is designed as a “fall back” for students whose circumstances did not or will not allow them to graduate on time, and can be pursued only with written permission from the Department Chair, the student’s advisor, and the M.U.R.P. Program Director.

The M.U.R.P./M.P.H. program with a specialization in Environmental Health Sciences is a three-year concurrent degree program requiring completion of 118 units (as opposed to 134 units if the two degree programs were completed sequentially as 16 units of credit overlap is allowed between the two programs), comprising 62 units for the M.P.H. and 56 units for the M.U.R.P..

Required courses (82 units)

Environmental Health Sciences Requied Courses
Biostatistics 100A	4 Units
Biostatistics 100B	4 Units
Community Health Sciences 100	4 Units
Health Policy and Management 100	4 Units
Epidemiology 100	4 Units
Environmental Health Sciences C200A	6 Units
Environmental Health Sciences C200B	6 Units
Environmental Health Sciences 201	2 Units
Environmental Health Sciences 207	4 Units
Environmental Health Sciences 208	4 Units
Environmental Health Sciences C240	4 Units
Environmental Health Sciences 400	4 Units
Environmental Health Sciences 411 (2 unit course taken twice)	4 Units
Urban Planning Required Courses
Urban Planning 207	4 Units
Urban Planning 211	4 Units
Urban Planning 222A	4 Units
Urban Planning M250	4 Units
Urban Planning 281	4 Units
Urban Planning Capstone Courses specific to the chosen capstone project UP 205A & UP 205B (Client Project) UP 208C & 598 (Thesis)	8 Units
REQUIRED COURSE UNITS	82 Units

Concurrent degree program students are required to separately satisfy the capstone requirements for each program (EHS 400 for the M.P.H. in Public Health AND one of two comprehensive examination options for the M.U.R.P. in Urban Planning).

Additional requirements to meet a total of 118 units:

Environmental Health Sciences
Environmental Health Sciences Electives	8 Units
Urban Planning
Urban Planning Area of Concentration (AOC) courses. Students must choose 5 electives from the courses listed in the two areas of concentration below, with at least one elective in each AOC. Design and Development Concentration Urban Planning 206B Urban Planning 219 Urban Planning M256 Urban Planning 261 Urban Planning 273 Urban Planning 274 Urban Planning 279 Urban Planning 282 Urban Planning M291 Environmental Analysis and Policy Concentration Urban Planning M258 Urban Planning 262 Urban Planning M264A Urban Planning M265 Urban Planning C266 Urban Planning M267 Urban Planning 269 Urban Planning 289	20 Units
Urban Planning Electives (at least one from inside the department)	8 Units
ADDITIONAL REQUIRED UNITS	36 Units

16 units from the above chart can be used towards both degree requirements: EHS 208 (4 units towards the MURP), EHS 400 (4 units towards the MURP) and any Environmental Health Sciences Elective (8 units towards the MURP).

MBA/MPH program

The concurrent M.P.H./M.B.A. program with a specialization in Health Policy and Management is a three-year concurrent degree program. It requires a minimum of 14 full courses (52 units) in the School of Public Health and a summer internship in a local health care organization. Required courses include Health Policy and Management 232, M236, M285, 215A, 400, M422, and 437. In addition, students select at least one two unit elective course from the Department of Health Policy and Management. Management 402 may be substituted for Biostatistics 100A. Students are waived out of the Health Policy and Management 400 requirement if they have successfully completed an equivalent class in the M.B.A. program. However, no unit credit is awarded for waived courses. Students must take an elective course to fulfill unit requirements.

MPP/MPH program

The concurrent M.P.H./M.P.P. program with a specialization in Health Policy and Management is a three-year concurrent program. During the first year students generally begin with the first year core courses in Public Policy. In Spring Quarter students also begin taking the required Health Policy and Management courses. For the remaining two years of the concurrent degree program, students take both Public Policy and Health Policy and Management courses for a total of 68 units in Public Policy and 56 units in Health Policy and Management. A total of 12 units of course overlap is allowed between the two programs. Required courses in Health Policy and Mangement include Health Policy and Management M287, M422, and 400. In addition, students select four elective courses from Health Policy and Management or other academic schools/departments approved via blue petition.

MD/MPH program

The M.D./M.P.H. program with a specialization in Health Policy and Management requires a minimum of 14 full courses (60 units) in the School of Public Health and a major research report based on the summer internship in a local health care organization. Required courses include Health Policy and Management M236, 400, 403, and M422. In addition, students select at least three elective courses from Health Policy and Management or other academic schools/departments approved via blue petition.

MA/MPH programs

The M.A. in African Studies/M.P.H. program with a specialization in Community Health Sciences allows students to use a maximum of eight units of coursework in Public Health toward both the M.A. degree in African Studies and the M.P.H. degree.

The M.A. in Asian Studies/M.P.H. in Public Health program allows students to use a maximum of 12 units of coursework in public health to be applied toward both the M.A. in Asian American Studies and the M.P.H. degree.

The M.A. in Latin American Studies/M.P.H. in Public Health program allows students to use a maximum of 12 units of coursework in public health to be applied toward both the M.A. degree in Latin American Studies and the M.P.H. degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Field training in an approved public health program is required of candidates who have not had prior relevant field experience. A minimum of four units, but no more than eight units, is required. Students must be in good academic standing, with a grade point average of 3.0 or better, before beginning the field experience.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

Students must pass a comprehensive examination in their department which may consist of one or more of the following: written exam, oral exam, fieldwork completion, or written paper. Students may be reexamined once. The aim of the examination, as a culminating experience, is to assess the student’s ability to select theories, methods, and techniques from across the content matter of a field, integrate and synthesize knowledge, and apply it to the solution of public health problems. Students must be in good academic standing, with a grade point average of 3.0 or better, before taking the comprehensive examination.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is from three to seven quarters. Upper time limit for completion of all requirements is seven quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the School of Public Health. Maximum time allowable from enrollment to graduation, including leaves of absence, is five years.

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
MPH	6	6	15

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to ramin in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely proggress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Doctoral Degrees

Advising

An academic adviser is assigned to each new student by the chair of the respective department. Student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter; any subsequent alterations must be approved both by the student’s adviser. Students may change advisers after the first quarter as long as the student and the new adviser agree. This is done by filing a petition countersigned by the area head/department chair and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.

Within the first three quarters of study, students file Doctoral Form 1, Petition for Establishment of Three-Member Guidance Committee and Study in Major and Minor Fields for the Dr.P.H. The guidance committee comprises three members including the student’s adviser in the major field and the student’s adviser in the minor field. On this form students list the courses to be taken for the minor which must be approved by the student’s adviser and the department chair.

Major fields or Subdisciplines

The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health offers the DrPH in the concentration of Biostatistics.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Course requirements in the major field depend on the department/program and the field chosen. Students must take a minimum of six full courses (four must be at the 200 or 400 level) in at least two School of Public Health departments outside the major department.

The major department requires an additional area of concentration which may be either inside or outside the school. In departments allowing it, an equivalent field experience completed while a doctoral student and approved by the guidance committee may be substituted for the additional area of concentration.

Biostatistics

A written screening examination of all students entering the doctoral program is required and must be successfully completed before the end of the first year in the program, if not taken prior to entering. Courses covered by this and other examinations are determined in consultation with an adviser and the department faculty. Students must complete the following courses, unless previously taken: Biostatistics 200A-200B-200C, 202A, 202B, M215, 250A-250B; any three additional graduate-level courses in biostatistics selected with consent of the adviser; three courses in the 400 series selected with consent of the adviser. All registered doctoral students must enroll in Biostatistics 409 (doctoral statistical consulting, field training course) for three consecutive quarters and in Biostatistics 245 every quarter.

In addition, required for breadth are 24 units of courses at the 200 or 400 levels selected with consent of the adviser in at least two School of Public Health departments/programs other than Biostatistics. The School also requires students to select an additional area of concentration. Biostatistics students fulfill this requirement by enrolling in Biostatistics 409 for three consecutive quarters. This requirement must be met prior to advancement to candidacy.

Electives, selected in consultation with the adviser, should be chosen from courses in mathematics, biomathematics, human genetics, AIDS, survey research methods, operations research, computer data processing, and other appropriate areas.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is recommended but not required for the doctoral degree.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass University written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations the University oral qualifying examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to University requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

Before advancement to candidacy, students must pass written examinations in the major prepared and administered by the guidance committee or by the faculty of the department. Normally no more than one reexamination after failure is allowed. The doctoral committee is nominated after the student has made a tentative decision on a dissertation topic. The doctoral committee consists of at least four faculty members who hold professorial appointments. Two of the faculty must be tenured. For students specializing in Epidemiology, the chair of the committee and one additional member must be from Epidemiology. Three of the four must hold appointments in Public Health; one must be an outside member who holds no appointment in Public Health; one of the four must be from the minor field. The doctoral committee administers the University Oral Qualifying Examination after the written examinations have been successfully completed.

During the first quarter of residency students prepare a dissertation proposal that addresses a problem of interest or concern (practical relevance) to the preceptor organization. The proposal may deal with needs assessment, program design, program implementation, program evaluation, or some combination of the above. The emphasis in this problem-solving dissertation is not necessarily to test a hypothesis derived from a disciplinary or theoretical perspective but rather to address a problem defined within the context of the preceptor organization and the environment in which it interacts. Students are expected to employ competencies gained from prior education/experience and doctoral coursework in addressing this problem. The proposal is to be written, reviewed by the doctoral committee and the practicum preceptor organization, and approved during the first six months of the residency. The expectation is that the prepared project be feasible and realistic within the context and resources of the organization, and normally can be completed within one year of the beginning of the practicum.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

Required for all students in the program.

Time-to-Degree

Maximum allowable time for the attainment of the degree is 24 quarters of enrollment or eight years. This limitation includes quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the doctoral degree program and leaves of absence. However, the approved normative time-to-degree is 18 quarters (six years). It is expected that students will normally complete coursework by the end of the third year in residence (nine quarters); complete written and oral examinations and advance to candidacy by the middle of the fourth year in residence (11 quarters); and complete the dissertation and defense by the end of the sixth year (18 quarters).

DEGREE	NORMATIVE TIME TO ATC (Quarters)	NORMATIVE TTD	MAXIMUM TTD
DrPH	11	18	24

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.