Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) with Concentration in Epidemiology

^{(Effective Fall 2026 - for all students who entered UCSD in FA26 and later)}

IMPORTANT: This major is not accepting new students at this time

Epidemiology is the study and evaluation of trends, patterns, and causes related to infectious and chronic disease in populations. Students completing the Concentration in Epidemiology acquire advanced epidemiological coursework beyond the UD epidemiology core course (PH 101) and from a variety of disciplines, such as anthropology, biology, global health, and psychology. As epidemiology can be a broad field of study, this concentration will allow students the opportunity to explore and gain insight into the different areas of epidemiologic study and prepare them well for pursuing a particular path in graduate school or in their careers. In addition, this concentration assists students in pursuing advanced epidemiology training following graduation.

Please see plans.ucsd.edu for a sample academic plan.

Entry to the Major

Every Public Health Major has their own Major Entry Criteria. Please see Public Health Major Entry Requirement on our website for more details.

Lower-Division Requirements (32 or 33 units)

Public Health Sciences (1 course, 4 units)

PH 40 or PH 40R

Biology (3 courses, 12 units)

BILD 1, BILD 2, BILD 3

Quantitative Methods (STATS) (1 course, 4 or 5 units)

Select one from the following: MATH 11, PSYC 60, COGS 14B, or HDS 60
MATH 11 is recommended for students going into epidemiology, biostatistics, or other fields that value statistics and data analysis.

Public Health Research Methods (1 course, 4 units)

PH 45 or PH 45R

Public Health Trending Topics (PH TT) (1 course, 4 units)

Select from the following: PH 70-85

Public Health Elements (PH LDE) (total of 4 units required)

Select from the following: PH 50-95, PH 98-99

Upper-Division Requirements (48 or 52 units)

Public Health Core Disciplines (5 courses, 20 units)

PH 101 or PH 101R, PH 102 or PH 102R, PH 110 or PH 110R, PH 120 or PH 120R, PH 130

Public Health Perspectives (total of 12 units required)

PH 171
PH 172
PH 173

Epidemiology Electives (total of 8 units required)

Select from the following: ANBI 130, ANSC 148, ANSC 150, BICD 100, BICD 136, BICD 140, BIEB 152, BIMM 124, BIMM 134, GLBH 113, GLBH 146, GLBH 148, GLBH 181, HISC 116, PH 151, PHIL 163, PSYC 168, PSYC 179, REV 160GS, REV 165GS, SOCI 108, USP 144

Capstone Experience (2 courses, 8 or 12 units)

Option 1: PH 193 or PH 193R, PH 194 or PH 194R
Option 2: PH 196AH, PH 196BH

Additional Requirements

Students who want to declare a major in public health must first meet all Public Health Entry criteria.
PH 40 must be completed at UC San Diego.
All LD and UD major courses must be taken for a letter grade, with the exception of AIP 197, PH 88, PH 90, PH 98, PH 99, PH 195P, PH 198, and PH 199, which may only be taken P/NP.
A minimum grade of C- is required in any course to be counted towards fulfillment of LD and UD major requirements.
No more than 4 units of AIP 197 may be used to meet UD major requirements.