Prospective Students

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Thank you for your interest in the Department of Community Health Sciences (CHS)! We encourage you to browse our academics and faculty pages to learn more about what we have to offer. Below is some important information that we hope you will find useful while you explore your degree options. If there is something that you cannot find, please feel free to contact us.

Programs

Applicants to the deparment of Community Health Sciences can apply to the MPH, MS, and PhD programs. The MPH also has the option for articulated and concurrent degrees. For more information about each degree program, please visit the Academics page.

For working professionals who are interested in an executive-style MPH program, please refer to the MPH for Health Professionals website for further information. This program allows health professionals to maintain their full-time careers while attending weekend classes each month.

The department also partners with the Department of Veterans Affairs Dietetic Internship Program, offering a combined MPH - Dietetic Internship program. For more information please visit the VA's Dietetic Internship website.

Quick Links

Faculty

Our students receive state-of-the art public health training from distinguished experts (including sixteen members of the Institute of Medicine and three past presidents of the American Public Health Association) along with practical, hands-on experience. A listing of all CHS faculty is available. Please note that only those under Core Faculty may serve as advisors. 

Current Students

Below is a look at the work of our current students:

FSPH Students Pursue a Path to Solutions: Featuring PhD student Jenna van Draanen and her interest in studying the factors that determine the timing of the onset of co-occurring disorders.

The Invisible Patient: Featuring PhD candidate Elvira Jimenez and her research interest in dementia.

Presentations at APHA: Our graduate students present at the American Public Health Association's Annual (APHA) Annual Meeting and Exposition. A listing of abstracts is available on our website.

Student Groups

Join a wide variety of student-run groups within the Fielding School of Public Health, including the Public Health Student Association (PHSA) to increase your network and engage in meaningful work! A number of CHS students are also a part of:

  • CHS Student Association
  • CHS Grads for Racial Justice
  • Innovation in Health
  • Queers for Public Health
  • Sex and Cookies
  • Students of Color for Public Health
  • Public Health Nutrition Club
  • Reproductive Health Interest Group
Students are also welcome to join UCLA-wide organizations. Click here for a full listing of UCLA's Student Groups.  

Professional Development

The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health offers career development services specifically for degree seeking students in the School of Public health. Their services include individual career counseling, professional development workshops, networking events, and career fairs.

The CHS Department holds workshops and forums each quarter. These include academic skill-building workshops (ex: study skills, test taking, conducting an article critique) and professional symposia which highlights a faculty member or alumni's current research and work in the field.

Mentorship Programs

Students may participate in three mentorship programs during their time at the Fielding School of Public Health.

UCLA Alumni Mentorship Program: While geared towards undergraduate students, graduate students are welcome to apply. Students are matched with an UCLA alumnus, however a match with someone from our department is not guaranteed.

Fielding School Alumni-Student Mentorship Program: Current CHS students are matched with a CHS alumnus for an academic year. Having a mentor will help expand your professional network and provide guidance when entering the job market.

CHS Masters Student Mentorship Program: This program pairs first year students with continuing masters students to facilitate communication and encourage networking between the two cohorts.

Where our students work after graduation

Community Health Sciences graduates work in:

  • Governmental public health agencies at the local, state, and national levels
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Domestic and international voluntary organizations
  • Health maintenance organizations
  • Corporate wellness programs
  • Foundations
  • Schools
  • Other health and human services organizations
  • The private sector
  • Academia

Our alumni

Employment and continuing education: Interested in where our students work after graduation? A listing of employment and continuing education programs pursued by our alumni is available.

CHS Alumni Newsletter: Our biannual newsletter features stories about our alumni and their current work in the field.

Doctoral Dissertation Archive: Use our Doctoral Dissertation Archive to download dissertations on ProQuest.

Alumni in Recent News

"Black Lives Matter": A Public Health Issue: Recent PhD alumna Jennifer Garcia and current doctoral candidate Mienah Sharif addressed the issue of the lack of a public health perspective. Their article "Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health" was published in the American Journal of Public Health.

"Family Ties": Mindful of the teachings of her civic-minded parents, CHS alumna Mary Anne Foo brings together diverse immigrant communities to work toward common goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

An FAQ page is available at http://chs.ph.ucla.edu/faqs.