Please note: The application deadline for Fall 2012 admission to on-campus programs has now passed. Check back this summer for application information for Fall 2013.
For information about the On-campus/Online M.P.H. Professional Degree Program, please see the program's website for information. Applications to this program are accepted three times a year.
Essays
Statement of Purpose
A Statement of Purpose is required for admission to the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. You will need to include your Statement of Purpose in both the UC Berkeley Graduate Application and the SOPHAS application. (Of course, you may copy and paste!) In most cases, we suggest that you limit your statement to 1-2 pages, single spaced. The character limit in SOPHAS is 18,000 characters. Exceptions are noted in program-specific directions below.
Your Statement of Purpose deals primarily with your academic and professional experience and goals. It is a relatively black and white portrait of where you are now, where you want to be in the future, and why the UC Berkeley School of Public Health is the next logical step.
Your statement of purpose should address the following:
- What in your background, history, training and/or experiences (personal, professional, academic) have led you to pursue graduate training and/or a career in public health?
- What are your eventual career goals in the public health professions? (e.g. what health condition and/or population do you want to work with/in?; at what level do you want to make a public health difference?)
- Why do you need a graduate degree in public health? Why are you applying to the specific Degree Program and the Area of Concentration?
- Why do you need to do this now?
- Why UC Berkeley?
- Remember to include your resume/CV with your application to cover and detail all your work experiences. Do not attempt to restate the entire contents of your resume/CV in your statement. Further information about the Statement of Purpose.
Program-specific instructions for the Statement of Purpose:
Maternal & Child Health 
Get the PDF file 
Get the Word .doc
Health Policy & Management Get the PDF file Get the Word .doc
M.P.P./M.P.H. concurrent Get the PDF file Get the Word .doc
Personal History Statement
Your Personal History Statement gives you an opportunity to add some color to the black and white picture you have painted in your Statement of Purpose. You can talk about who you are as a person, about your family, your ethnicity, and the experiences that make you a unique individual. This essay will play a large role in consideration for fellowships. For more information see the Personal Statement Guide on the Graduate Division web site.
The required Personal History Statement is an opportunity for you to expand upon those experiences and/or circumstances that are not directly related to your pursuit of graduate training in public health but have had an impact on your candidacy as an applicant. You need to submit your Personal History Statement on the SOPHAS application, under the Additional Questions portion of the School Designations section, as well as on the UC Berkeley Graduate Application. For the School of Public Health, your Personal History Statement is limited to 4000 characters (the text box limit in SOPHAS), so please be clear and concise. More information about the Personal History Statement.