How to Apply to UCLA’s Public Health Major: BA and BS From the Fielding School of Public Health, New Students Enter as Pre-Majors and Apply to the Major in Their Second Year, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university in California. The undergraduate public health programs come from the Fielding School of Public Health (FSPH), with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Health plus a minor. The pages say that neither major is a direct-entry program from day one: students come in as pre-majors and apply to the major in their second year. This guide summarises UCLA’s published information for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. A separate guide covers UCLA’s life-science and health-related majors in general; this one is about public health only.

1. Degree and program

• Two degrees: the school says the BA and BS differ in the amount of science preparatory coursework. BA students complete introductory courses in life science, chemistry and statistics; BS students complete the Life Sciences Core, one to two years of life sciences, mathematics, chemistry and physics. The school says the BS equips students for more science-focused upper-division electives and capstone experiences, while BA students may focus on artistic, business, economic, legal, linguistic, media and policy applications of public health.
• Format: four years, on campus, a “traditional liberal arts bachelor degree”, with a two-quarter capstone experience (Public Health 185A and 185B).
• No double major: the school says admission to both majors is cohort-based, so it does not allow a double major with Public Health and encourages minors. You also cannot apply to the BA, BS and the minor at the same time; apply to your first-choice program. An admitted BS student may petition to move to the BA (case by case, no guarantee); the BA cannot change to the BS, and transfer students admitted as BA majors cannot switch to the BS.
• Study abroad: majors can study abroad in summer; those considering the academic year must consult an FSPH undergraduate advisor first.
• STEM designation, honors or research programs, 4+1 or 3+2 master’s pathways, and required internship hours: not on the pages we read; not published there. Beyond the capstone, no required practicum hours are listed. Ask undergrad_admissions@ph.ucla.edu.
• Degree totals: at least 180 units, at least 60 of them upper-division (100–199), at most 216 units (AP and IB credit does not count toward the maximum); at least a 2.0 in all UC coursework and a 2.0 in the major.
• Pre-med and graduate study: not on the school pages we read.

2. How you get into the major, and the bar

• New students start as pre-majors: the admission office’s majors page says admission to the Public Health BA and BS is competitive and based on progress toward the preparation coursework, grades, extracurricular activities and personal statements; “all admitted first-year pre-majors must apply for admission in their second year of enrollment at UCLA”. The school’s page says students admitted as first-years must apply no later than their second year to enter the major in the fall quarter of their third year.
• If you are not admitted: students who declared pre-Public Health BA or BS and are not admitted to a Public Health major by spring quarter of their second year are switched to “Undeclared” in the College of Letters and Science and advised to see College counseling.
• Application materials: the committee reviews personal statements, resumes, UCLA transcripts and other information in the application, and notifies applicants through the MyUCLA Message Center and email. The school sends current students to its Undergraduate Student Services Google site (third-party hosted, not read here) for dates and the application form; the exact timing was not on the pages we read, so check the school page and undergrad_admissions@ph.ucla.edu.
• Preparation for the major (school pages):
  • BA: Public Health 50A and 50B; one of Chemistry 3, 14A or 17 (the page notes CHEM 17 will not be offered in 2026-27); Life Sciences 7A or 15; Statistics 10 or 13; one “Health and Society” course from an approved list; one approved Diversity course; Communication 1 or any approved Writing II course; 36–41 units in total.
  • BS: Public Health 50A and 50B; Chemistry and Biochemistry 14A, 14B, 14BL, 14C (or 20A, 20B, 20L, 30A, 30AL); Life Sciences 7A, 7B, 7C, 23L; Life Sciences 30A, 30B or Mathematics 3A, 3B, 3C; Life Sciences 40, or Statistics 10 or 13; Physics 5A, 5B, 5C (or 1A, 1B, 1C, 4AL, 4BL); plus the same Health and Society, Diversity and communication items; 90–103 units in total.
• What to finish before applying: for the BA, PUB HLT 50A and 50B and one of STATS 10 or 13, with the committee also “strongly recommending” a chemistry and a life sciences preparation course; for the BS, PUB HLT 50A and 50B, LIFESCI 30A and 30B, one of LIFESCI 40, STATS 10 or 13, and 7 courses from LIFESCI 7A–7C and 23L, the CHEM 14 series and PHYSICS 5A–5C.
• You need not finish everything first: the FAQ says the committee judges progress toward the preparation, overall academic performance and interest in public health. If you cannot take 50A this year you may still apply, but primary consideration goes to students who completed 50A and are enrolled in 50B.
• Inconsistencies on the pages: the BA page’s FAQ repeats the longer BS list (with LIFESCI 30A/30B and seven science courses), which differs from the BA list in its own “Admissions” section, and the BS page’s two lists differ in a few course numbers (for example LIFESCI 23L or 7L, CHEM 14CL or 14D). Treat the school’s latest undergraduate student services pages as authoritative.
• The major itself (same for BA and BS): Foundations of Public Health Knowledge and Practice, Biostatistics 120, Community Health Sciences 120, Environmental Health Sciences 120, Epidemiology 120, Health Policy and Management 120 and Public Health 120 (or an approved course); three upper-division electives (at least 12 units; at most 4 units from courses numbered 195–199); the capstone Public Health 185A and 185B; 49–50 units in all.

3. High school preparation

• Specific high school math, biology or chemistry requirements for Public Health: not stated on the pages we read. UCLA’s first-year requirement is 15 A-G courses with at least 11 finished before the start of the last year: 2 years of history/social science, 4 of college-preparatory English, 3 of mathematics (4 recommended), 2 of laboratory science (3 recommended), 2 of a language other than English (3 recommended), 1 of visual and performing arts and 1 college-preparatory elective. UCLA says there is no single path and competitive applicants earn high marks in the most rigorous curriculum available to them.
• The admission office says that for first-years applying to a major in the College of Letters and Science, the choice of major neither helps nor hurts. Public Health is in the Fielding School, and whether the sentence applies is not stated on the pages we read.

4. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027)

• One round, fall only: UCLA offers no early action or early decision and is on the quarter system, accepting applications for fall only. The UC application opens 1 August; UCLA’s first-year page gives a filing period of 1 October–30 November but elsewhere on the page says applications can be submitted 1 October–1 December. The two disagree; UC’s dates page lists the fall 2027 filing period closing 30 November.
• Later dates: decisions around late March; FAFSA and California Dream Act open from 1 October and close 2 March; enrollment deposit and housing application 1 May; final official transcripts 1 July; official AP/IB results 15 July.
• Testing: UCLA does not consider SAT or ACT scores for admission or scholarships; submitted scores may only be used to meet eligibility or for course placement after enrollment.
• Essays: UC Personal Insight Questions: first-year applicants answer four of eight, each up to 350 words.
• Recommendations and interviews: UCLA says it neither requires nor accepts letters of recommendation, does not collect transcripts at application (admitted students submit official transcripts), and does not offer admission interviews.
• Application fee: the amount was not on the admission pages we read; UC’s application page says the fee can be waived from your family information, covering up to four campuses.
• Separate application? Public Health is not among the schools listed as requiring a supplemental application (Arts and Architecture, Music, Nursing, Theater, Film and Television). Applying to the major is a second step after you arrive (section 2).

5. Three kinds of applicants

U.S. (domestic) applicants

• In-state and out-of-state tuition: the admission office’s tuition page (updated July 2026, nine-month academic year, living in a residence hall): university fees $16,430, housing $12,299, food $7,568, books and supplies $1,588, transportation $969, personal $2,761, health insurance $3,885, for a California resident total of $45,500; nonresidents add Nonresident Supplemental Tuition of $39,270, for $84,770. Off-campus apartment totals are $47,786 (residents) and $87,056 (nonresidents); commuter totals are $36,707 and $75,977. UCLA says that if your parents are not California residents, the financial independence requirement makes it extremely difficult for most undergraduates to be classified as residents, including students from California community colleges.
• A Public Health program fee: not shown on the tuition page; not published there.
• In-state preference: not stated on the pages we read.

International applicants

• Who counts: at UCLA an international student is someone who requires an F-1 visa. First-year applicants have completed secondary school and not enrolled in a regular session at a college or university; UCLA admits no one who already holds a bachelor’s degree, or who has the equivalent of three years (130 quarter units or more) of transferable university work. Any extra limit on international students in Public Health: not stated on the pages we read.
• English: if all of your secondary education was in English you are proficient; if you studied in a country where English was not the language of instruction and have had less than 3 years of English instruction, you must submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo. UCLA looks for “competitive” scores: TOEFL iBT 5 or higher with sub-scores of 5 or higher on the revised scale (effective 21 January 2026), or above 100 with sub-scores above 24 on the old 120-point scale; IELTS 7.5 or above; Duolingo 135 or higher. SAT/ACT scores are not encouraged as proof of English. Scores must be self-reported on the application by January; official scores need not be sent with it. After admission, UCLA may require its ESL Placement Examination.
• Funds and aid: UCLA says it does not award scholarships or financial aid to undergraduates who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. International students must prove sufficient funds: for fall 2026 admits a minimum of about $80,739, with another $5,000 recommended for personal expenses, contingencies and summer, a figure that usually grows each year. All international students on non-immigrant visas need adequate medical insurance. UCLA points to scholarship search sites such as IEFA and suggests checking with your home consulate.
• Agents: UCLA says it does not partner with agents or endorse their use.
• Work or internship limits: not stated on the pages we read.

Applicants from China

• Transcripts: UCLA’s international page points to the UC country requirements page, which says students on the Chinese national curriculum should list all courses and marks from grade 9 (year 3 of lower middle school) through grade 12 exactly as they appear on official records and be ready to submit the graduation certificate and official lower and upper middle school records if admitted. Students on IGCSE/GCSE/GCE need at least 5 IGCSE/GCSE/O-Levels and at least 3 academic A-Levels; IB students have separate instructions. UCLA’s own FAQ adds that 13-year systems enter the 13th year under 12th grade and work backward, and that external exams go in the “International External Exams” section.
• Gaokao: how it is used is not stated on the pages we read; contact UCLA Undergraduate Admission.
• Huikao materials: not stated on the pages we read.
• China-specific notes from UCLA: none beyond the UC China entry.

6. Transfer students

• Only as a Public Health applicant: the school says transfer students who were not admitted to UCLA as Public Health BA or BS majors cannot switch into the School. The admission office says transfer applicants must apply to a specific major, that transfer admission depends on completing that major’s preparation along with a competitive GPA, and that major preparation must be finished by the end of the spring term before transfer. The Public Health transfer-preparation list was not on the pages we read (the school’s Google site and catalog.registrar.ucla.edu are third-party hosted and were not used); see UCLA’s transfer pages and assist.org.
• General requirements (transfer page): junior standing (60 semester or 90 quarter transferable units) by the end of the spring before you transfer; a UC-transferable GPA of 3.2 or higher; major preparation done by then; and the 7-course pattern (two English composition/critical thinking courses, one math course, four courses from at least two of arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and physical and biological sciences). UCLA says admitted transfer students average above a 3.5 GPA and have completed most or all major preparation; California community college applicants get the highest priority; fall only. IGETC/Cal-GETC is “strongly encouraged” for the Fielding School, partial IGETC must not miss Areas 1 and 2, and partial Cal-GETC is not accepted. Transfers who complete and certify IGETC or Cal-GETC are exempt from the school’s Writing I and II, Quantitative Reasoning and General Education requirements.
• Dates: filing period 1 October–30 November; application update period from January (31 January priority); decisions in late April; accept by 1 June; final transcripts 1 July and AP/IB results 15 July.
• International transfers: junior level with 90–130 quarter (60–90 semester) units; UCLA gives preference to California community college students and says historically three out of four admitted international transfers were attending a California community college when they applied. People who already hold a bachelor’s degree are not admitted.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Submit the UC application by 30 November with Public Health BA or BS as your first choice; no SAT or ACT, no letters of recommendation
• Apply to the major in your second year; before then finish Public Health 50A and 50B and Statistics 10 or 13 (the BS also needs Life Sciences 30A and 30B and the science courses); if you are not in by spring of year two you move to Undeclared in the College

International applicants (including China):

• Same UC application route as domestic applicants (no separate international route was on the pages we read); submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo if English was not your language of instruction or you had under 3 years of it
• UCLA says it gives no scholarships or financial aid to non-citizen, non-resident undergraduates and requires proof of funds (about $80,739 for fall 2026)
• Chinese national curriculum: list grades 9–12 exactly as on your records; how the Gaokao is used is not published, so ask admissions

Transfer students:

• You must be admitted as a Public Health major; GPA 3.2 or higher, the 7-course pattern and the major preparation done by the spring before transfer

Sources: UCLA, Fielding School of Public Health: Undergraduate Programs; Public Health BA; Public Health BS; Admission: Majors; First-Year Applicants; First-Year Requirements; International Applicants; Transfer Applicants; Tuition and Fees; University of California, Requirements by country (including China); Dates and deadlines. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are the figures the admission office updated in July 2026); check UCLA’s website for the latest.