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Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) with Concentration in Medicine Sciences 

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

The Concentration in Medicine Sciences seeks to provide Pre-Health and Pre-Med students with well-rounded foundational training in both public health and health sciences fields of study. This concentration will allow students the opportunity to utilize some of their Pre-Health and/or Pre-Med courses as part of their academic experience in public health.

Pre-Med and Pre-Health Track resources can be found on the Healthbeat website from UC San Diego's Career Center. The Healthbeat advisors assists students interested in applying to health professional schools (Healtbeat Advising). They provide general guidelines for specific health professions however students are responsible for checking individual program requirements as admission requirements can slightly differ between programs.

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 (68 or 69 units)

Public Health Sciences (1 course, 4 units)

  • PH 40 or PH 40R

Biology (3 courses, 12 units)

  • BILD 1, BILD 2, BILD 3 

Chemistry (4 courses, 16 units)

  • CHEM 6A, CHEM 6B, CHEM 6C, CHEM 7L

Natural Science (3 courses, 12 units)

  • Select from the Following: BILD 20*, BILD 22*, BILD 26*, CHEM 40A or CHEM 41A, CHEM 40B or CHEM 41B, CHEM 41C, CHEM 43A, PHYS 1A + PHYS 1AL, PHYS 1B + PHYS 1BL, PHYS 1C + PHYS 1CL

Students who have completed a LD Anatomy w/ Lab and/or Microbiology w/ Lab at a Community College or another University may petition to use the course(s) towards their natural science area (must be UC transferable and be listed for units on academic history).

Students may request through the VAC to use BILD 28^, BILD 30^, BILD 32^, BILD 36^, BILD 38, and/or BILD 60 or BILD 61 towards their Natural Science area.

*Please note: 1) Credit can not be earned for BILD 20 after completing BICD 100 at UCSD; 2) Credit can not be earned for BILD 22 after completing BIBC 120 at UCSD; 3) Credit can not be earned for BILD 26 after completing BIPN 100 at UCSD.

Students may request through the VAC to use BILD 28^, BILD 30^, BILD 32^, BILD 36^, BILD 38, and/or BILD 60 or BILD 61 towards their Natural Science area.

^Please note: 1) Credit can not be earned for BILD 28 after completing BICD 140 at UCSD; 2) Credit can not be earned for BILD 30 after completing BIMM 120 at UCSD; 3) Credit can not be earned for BILD 32 after completing BIMM 134 at UCSD; 4) Credit can not be earned for BILD 36 after completing BICD 136 at UCSD.

Formal Skills and Quantitative Methods (3 courses, 12 or 13 units)

  • MATH 10A or MATH 20A
  • MATH 10B or MATH 20B

  • Select one of 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) (1 course, 4 units)

  • PH 50 

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 8 units required)

  • PH 161 or PH 161R
  • Select from the following: PH 140-160, PH 162-191, PH 195P, PH 198-199

Medicine Sciences Electives (total of 12 units required)

  • USP 143
  • Select from the following: ANBI 130, ANSC 164, BIBC 100, BIBC 102, BIBC 120, BICD 100, BICD 110, BICD 136, BICD 140, BIEB 152, BIMM 100, BIMM 110, BIMM 120, BIMM 124, BIMM 134, BIPN 100, BIPN 105, BIPN 108, BIPN 134, GLBH 113, GLBH 141, GLBH 143, HISC 116, LTCS 165, PH 151, PH 161, PHIL 163, PSYC 134, PSYC 155, PSYC 168, PSYC 179, PSYC 181, PSYC 181GS, PSYC 188, SOCI 107, SOCI 138, SOCI 173

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

Additional Requirements

  • Students who want to declare a major in public health must first meet all Public Health Entry criteria.
  • PH 40 or PH 40R 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.