Doctorate in Public Health Sciences Admissions | Department of Public Health Sciences

GPA

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and have a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA. There is no minimum GPA requirement for graduate-level coursework. Applicants will upload copies of transcripts as part of the application process. Visit UC Davis Graduate Studies for complete transcript requirements.

Prior Degree Requirement

Applicants must have an MPH, M.S. in Public Health, or an equivalent graduate degree in public health or a closely related field that provides comparable preparation in public health.

TOEFL/IELTS Exam

Applicants required to demonstrate English language proficiency must submit a TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo score. Minimum scores are 80 (or 4.5/6.0 under the new scoring) for TOEFL, 7.0 for IELTS, or 115 for Duolingo. Applicants may be exempt if they have earned or will earn a degree from an eligible institution where English is the sole language of instruction. Visit UC Davis Graduate Studies for complete English proficiency and waiver requirements.

CV or Resume

Submit a current CV or resume highlighting your academic, research, professional, and public health experience.

Essays

Two essays are required: Statement of Purpose and Personal Statement. 

Letters of Recommendation

Three academic or professional letters of recommendation are required. Letters must be submitted electronically through the online application. Visit UC Davis Graduate Studies for additional information.

Faculty Mentor

Applicants are encouraged to identify GGPHS faculty members whose research aligns with their interests, as you will be asked this on the application. You do not need to secure a faculty mentor before applying. Mentors are assigned after students are admitted. Review our faculty directory to learn more about potential mentors.

• Start your application – apply.grad.ucdavis.edu. The Fall 2027 application is now open.
  
  
• Submit your application by one of our program deadlines:
  • December 1, Priority Deadline: Applicants must apply by the Priority Deadline to be considered for Internal Fellowships they apply for. Applicants who apply by the Priority Deadline will have their files formally reviewed for admission by the graduate program, once their file is complete. Final deadline for supplemental materials (transcripts, letter of recommendations, and TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo scores) is February 14.
    
    
  • January 15, General Deadline: Applicants who apply by the General Deadline will have their files formally reviewed for admission by the graduate program, once their file is complete. Final deadline for supplemental materials (transcripts, letter of recommendations, and TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo scores) is February 14.
    
    
  • June 1, Space Available: Applicants who apply by the Space Available Deadline (but after the General Deadline) or submit supplemental materials after February 14 are not guaranteed to have their application reviewed by the graduate program. Their applications will be reviewed only if the graduate program determines that it has additional space available. The application fee is nonrefundable even if your application is not reviewed. 
    
    
• Check your application portal to make sure that you’ve submitted all application requirements by the deadlines submitted above.
  
  
• Application Review:
  • The review of admission materials can take several months. If you apply by the General Admission deadlines and have a completed application by February 14, the Admissions Committee guarantees an admission decision of: Admit, Waitlist, or Deny. Your Admissions portal will send you weekly reminders of any outstanding admissions documents. If you have specific questions about your admission status, please contact the UC Davis Public Health Education Office at PHSinstAffairs@ucdavis.edu.  Applicants who apply by the Space Available Deadline (but after the General Deadline) or submit supplemental materials after February 14 are not guaranteed to have their application reviewed by the graduate program. 

Statement of Purpose

The online admission application asks you to describe your academic plans and research interests, your specialization within your academic field, your research experiences, your career goals, and fit for pursuing graduate study at UC Davis.

• Describe to us how you will be a successful Ph.D. Student at UC Davis. Each statement you write should have a clear purpose.
• Keep the statement within the character limit (4000 characters) provided by the Office of Graduate Studies. Your statement should be clear, concise, and relevant.
• Do not let the Admissions Committee assume anything; be explicit in addressing the following:
  • What in your background, history, training, and experiences (personal, professional, academic) have led you to pursue graduate training and a career in public health?
  • What are your future career goals in public health (e.g., what health condition or population do you want to work with? What do you see as your contribution in public health)?
  • Why do you need an Ph.D. degree to meet your professional goals?
  • Why UC Davis?

Personal Statement

This statement should reflect on experiences and/or circumstances that are not directly related to your pursuit of graduate training in public health, but have an impact of your candidacy as an applicant. The more directly related something is to your application, the more appropriate it is to put in your Statement of Purpose.

In your Personal Statement:

• Address how your personal background (educational, familial, cultural, economic, social experiences, challenges, community services) contributes to the social, intellectual, or cultural diversity of public health and/or how you might serve educationally underrepresented segments of society with an Ph.D. degree.
• Address any academic difficulties and/or challenges you may have had in school.

These are merely suggestions and it should be noted that addressing all these suggestions does not guarantee admission to the Ph.D. program. This may not be applicable or relevant to other Ph.D. programs and you should check with each individual program on their requirements for admission.

It is recommended that at least one of your three letters be written by someone who is familiar with your capacity for academics and scholarship. For applicants who have not recently taken a formal course in statistics or biostatistics or who feel that their professional experiences better reflect their quantitative capabilities, it would be advantageous if at least one recommendation letter discussed the applicant’s experience with data analyses and role in the analyses.

Details about adding and editing recommenders can be found on Graduate Studies' Letters of Recommendations page.

Fees and Financial Aid

For current Tuition and Fees, please visit the Budget and Institutional Analysis website. The tuition, fees and charges posted are estimates based on currently approved amounts.  The figures may not be final. As a result of gubernatorial, legislative, Regental and/or campus action, these fees may change without notice. 

UC Davis Budget and Institutional Analysis Website

UC Davis automatically enrolls all registered students in the UC Davis Student Health Insurance Plan (Davis SHIP).  If you have comparable insurance and do not wish to be enrolled in UC Davis SHIP, you must submit a waiver application by the stated deadlines.  More information is available at: http://shcs.ucdavis.edu/insurance.  

Sources of Funding

The Ph.D. program does not guarantee financial support to students. Financial aid is available to US citizens or permanent US residents; students need to file a FAFSA and should update it each year. Students can look for external sources of funding and/or a teaching assistantship or graduate student research position, but these positions are offered by individual departments and are not guaranteed to the students. See additional information and resources below.

University Grants and Fellowships

• Each academic year, a limited number of merit and need-based grants and fellowships are awarded.
• The Graduate Student Child Care Grant (GSCCG) is available to UC Davis students enrolled full-time in a graduate or professional degree program or on filing fee status (one term allowed). Students must have/claim dependent children 12 years old or younger in their care and must incur child care expenses. Questions should be directed to UC Davis Worklife and Wellness at 530-754-8791 or worklife@ucdavis.edu.

Student Employment Opportunities

• Current Ph.D. students may have access to student teaching and research employment through one or more of the below positions. UC Davis students can access the on-campus employment postings through Handshake.
  • Graduate Student Researcher (GSR): A GSR is a full-time registered graduate student appointed to assist in performing research under the direction of a faculty member or authorized Principal Investigator. Departments offer GSR positions on a limited basis and students should seek these out on their own. 
  • Teaching Assistant (TA): A TA is a full-time registered graduate student serving an apprenticeship under the supervision of a regular faculty member. Some departments have TA positions available to a limited number of students who have substantial preparation in their area of study.  Departments offer TA positions on a limited basis and students should seek these out on their own.   
• The Ph.D. program office advertises GSR and TA positions as they become available. GSR/TA appointments will typically reduce your loan eligibility.

External Funding Resources

There are many sources available for external funding searches. These are a few websites to get started on your search:

• Outside Funding and Scholarship Opportunities
• UC Davis Office of Graduate Studies External Fellowships
• Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
• S. Department of Labor's Scholarship Search Tool
• Scholarship Search by Sallie Mae
• UCLA Graduate and Postdoctoral Extramural Support (GRAPES) Database
• Grant Forward