Why Major in Public Health at UC San Diego?

In September 2013, UC San Diego launched an undergraduate major in public health. Public health represents a growing and dynamic field with opportunities to address major global health issues and to improve quality of life for people worldwide. A report by the Association of Schools of Public Health stated that we need an increase of 250,000 new public health workers at the federal, state and local levels to meet changing health needs—an estimate that current graduation rates cannot meet. The Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) at UC San Diego represents the first undergraduate program offered by within UC San Diego Health Sciences and it is one of the first in the country to be positioned at the critical intersection of primary care medicine and public health.

UC San Diego provides a unique training environment by combining leading public health researchers and practitioners with a unique natural laboratory for studying public health. San Diego is a culturally diverse coastal community and neighbors the busiest international land border crossing in the world. BSPH students will have opportunities to get involved in unique training experiences that address some of the leading public health issues to be faced in the 21st century.

An undergraduate degree in public health prepares students to develop and apply knowledge from multiple disciplines for the promotion and protection of health of the human population in a context of human rights and cultural understanding. The BSPH emphasizes training in biological sciences, social and behavioral sciences and quantitative skills. Such a program is beneficial not only for students planning to enter graduate degree programs in public health, but also for students looking to enter the medical, legal and business professions.

PUBLIC HEALTH - What can I do with this major?

Why UC San Diego Established a School of Public Health