Origins
The first school of public health west of the Mississippi, the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health was founded in 1943 on the Berkeley campus, where it had its origins more than two decades earlier with the creation of the Department of Hygiene in 1919. The UC Berkeley School of Public Health is one of 50 schools accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.
Faculty and Research
The School's faculty, consistently noted as among the leading scholars in their respective fields, comprises approximately 150 investigators. Among the distinctions held by the faculty are 9 Institute of Medicine Memberships, 8 American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellowships, 3 Fulbright Fellowships, and 1 National Academy of Sciences Membership.
Alumni
The School's more than 12,000 graduates can be found working throughout the world, both in the public and private sectors. Graduates hold major positions in health departments; in hospitals; in national and international organizations; in local, state, and federal government; in voluntary health organizations; in the corporate sector; and in health care and health promotion organizations. Read about some of the School's alumni.
Students
The total graduate student enrollment for 2014–2015 was 570, including students enrolled in the On-Campus/Online MPH Program. Our student body for 2014–2015 also included 435 undergraduate public health majors.
Student Body Snapshot
At the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, we have a longstanding commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as pathways to excellence at all levels of the School—via recruiting, mentoring, and inclusively engaging with diverse populations of students, faculty, staff, and community partners.
Here's our student body snapshot for 2014–2015:
Graduate Students
The information below is a snapshot of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health graduate student community for 2014-2015. Percentages are based on a total School enrollment of 570 graduate students. Please note: Numbers may not add up to 100 because of rounding.
STUDENTS OF COLOR
| Asian Americans | 24% |
| Latinos | 9% |
| African Americans | 6% |
| Native Americans | 2% |
| TOTAL STUDENTS OF COLOR | 41% |
WHITE / CAUCASIAN
| White/Caucasian | 43% |
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
| International Students | 4% |
GENDER
| Female | 74% |
| Male | 26% |
DECLINE TO STATE
| Decline to State | 13% |
Undergraduate Students
The information below is a snapshot of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health undergraduate student community for 2014–2015. Percentages are based on a total School enrollment of 435 undergraduate students. Please note: Numbers may not add up to 100 because of rounding.
STUDENTS OF COLOR
| Asian Americans | 58% |
| Latinos | 13% |
| African Americans | 5% |
| Native Americans | .23% |
| TOTAL STUDENTS OF COLOR | 77% |
WHITE / CAUCASIAN
| White/Caucasian | 20% |
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
| International Students | 3% |
DECLINE TO STATE
| Decline to State | 3% |