The field of public health accomplishes vastly important work by aiming to prevent illness, disease, and injury and promoting health by educating diverse populations. People in this expansive field strive to improve the overall health outcomes within the communities for which they serve. This is accomplished through the many healthcare fields that encompass the work that is done under the public health domain, such as promoting wellness strategies to the public, researching disease prevention, medication distribution, diagnosing and treating illnesses, and much more.

California offers multiple public health program options, including programs offered in an online learning environment. This is a convenient option for those who need flexibility within their education. Some qualifying students can enroll in one of the California accelerated master of public health programs, which are defined as having a curriculum of 42 credits or under. The MPH programs in California typically have several specializations, which allows a student to tailor the learning experience to their preference.

The list below includes the universities in California that offer a master’s of public health degrees and are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

• California Baptist University
• California State University Fullerton.
• California State University, Fresno
• California State University Northridge
• California State University, Long Beach
• California State University San Marcos
• California State University, San Bernardino
• University of California, Los Angeles
• Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences
• Claremont Graduate University
• Loma Linda University
• National University
• San Francisco State University
• San Diego State University
• San Jose State University
• Touro University
• University of California Berkeley
• University of California – Irvine
• University of California, Davis
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California

More information on each of the public health master’s degree programs offered by these schools below. The information will cover the following topics:

• Online Masters of Public Health Programs in California
• CEPH Accredited MPH Programs in California
• No GRE-Required MPH Programs in California
• Accelerated MPH Programs in California
• Affordable MPH Programs in California
• MPH Program Concentrations

Online Masters in Public Health Programs in California

Online master’s degree programs have many benefits for people who choose to enroll in them. This flexible option allows students to work a full-time job, take care of their family, or take on other responsibilities while getting an advanced degree. Some students may also benefit from an online environment. There are eight universities in California that offer an online master’s in public health degree program.

California Baptist University (CBU) features a 44-unit master of public health program that can be completed in approximately 16 months. This program consists of courses that will prepare students for their final exam, research thesis, or project where they will demonstrate what they have learned. Students will also take part in a public health practice experience at an approved site outside of the classroom setting, which includes non-profits, governmental, non-governmental, university settings, and more. This part of the program is taken twice so students have the chance to fully demonstrate public health competencies.

Loma Linda University’s online program offers an online MPH degree in Health Education and Wellness Coaching, Wellness Medicine, and Epidemiology. The Health Education and Wellness Coaching degree takes about one year to complete and is offered in a combination of synchronous and asynchronous coursework. The MPH in Population Medicine typically takes about two to three years to complete. The MPH in Biology takes about five years to complete. Students will also take part in a 400-hour practicum that will give them the tools they need for a successful career in public health.

National University’s online MPH program offers three specializations: Health Promotion, Community Mental Health, and Healthcare Administration. The online program can be completed in about 18 months. The courses at this university are offered in four-week increments for individuals to focus on one subject at a time. At the end of the program, students will complete a capstone project and internship. The university offers year-round enrollment, so students have many opportunities to apply.

San Jose State University offers an online format where students only meet once a year for 4-5 days. The courses in this program can last from five to seven weeks. Students typically meet online once a week in a live class session. The program takes 24 months to complete and consists of 42 units. Along with regular coursework, students will complete a fieldwork practicum.

University of California Berkeley offers a MPH program that is 27 months long. While the program is primarily online, it does involve meeting with classmates for fifteen days total of required on-campus summer sessions. Specializations in this program include Health Policy and Management, Community Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Spatial Data Science, and Global Health. Each specialization requires the completion of 42 units as well as a practicum.

University of California – Irvine offers both full-time and part-time courses for their students. In the MPH program, students will complete a 240 hour internship. This portion of the educational experience will bring students through the completion of the courses related to relevant core competencies, then they will take the exam, and then they will be qualified as candidates for licensure. Students can also choose among four emphasis areas, including Biostatistics, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, and Sociocultural Diversity and Health.

University of San Francisco’s online MPH program offers four concentration options that students can choose between. These include Applied Epidemiology and Population Health Methods (43 units), Behavioral Health (45 units), Community and Public Health Practice (45 units), and Health and Policy Leadership (42 units). The program is designed to be completed over the course of two years and six semesters. The university offers both online and hybrid formats available for working professionals.

University of Southern California offers several concentrations that students can choose between including: Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Health Services, and Community and Global Health, and the generalist, customizable concentration. The online option can be completed in four semesters if desired. Each concentration has different unit completion requirements, but all have the option to be completed in the fast-track program.

CEPH Accredited MPH Programs in California

There are 21 universities offering a Master of Public Health program in California that are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Accreditation means that schools have met a certain level of quality standards. The goal of the CEPH is to promote quality public health education so that professionals going into the field are equipped to identify and solve issues within their community. The CEPH also ensures that students are receiving an accurate and innovative education.

The CEPH Board of Councilors is in charge of reviewing accreditation procedures and criteria. This Council includes individuals who are passionate about the quality of public health education. Members have been public health practitioners, administrators or faculty at public health schools or programs, or simply public members who wish to contribute.

There are many different factors that go into accreditation, so students can be reassured that their program has been thoroughly assessed to have met the minimum qualifications.

The universities in California with public health programs that are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health include:

• California Baptist University. CBU offers a 16-month masters of public health degree program where students complete 44 units of core courses, electives, and a public health practice experience that is taken twice to demonstrate that they understand the five core competencies taught to them in the program. The university has an online and in-person degree program. Applicants to this program should apply with a 2.75 GPA or higher. Near the end of the program, students will choose between a research thesis, project, or final exam.
• California State University Fullerton. CSU Fullerton offers an accelerated MPH program. This program is 42 units and is usually completed in about 21 months. This includes a required 240 hour internship requirement. Students can choose among three tracks: Occupational Health and Safety, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and Gerontological Health.
• California State University, Fresno. CSU Fresno offers a 42 unit accelerated program that takes about two years to complete. They also require a 130 hour internship. Once admitted, students will take about 19 units of core coursework, 4 units will be their internship, their thesis will be 4 units, and they will need 15 units of other coursework, including three units of electives.
• California State University Northridge. CSU Northridge offers a flexible accelerated program that was designed for working adults. The 42-unit program can be completed within 2.5 years. This includes the required 300 hour internship, which students begin once they are halfway through the program.
• California State University, Long Beach. CSU Long Beach is another accelerated master of public health program at 42 units. Part of the unit requirements, besides the core and 3 units of electives, is the 6-unit internship. Students can choose between three concentrations in this program including Community Health, Global Health, and Latino Health.
• California State University San Marcos. CSU San Marcos is one of the fastest accelerated MPH programs in CA, as it can be completed in as little as 16 months. This program is 42 units, and it offers both online and hybrid courses to add flexibility to students who may need it. There are two concentrations offered through this program, which include Global Health or Health Promotion and Education.
• California State University, San Bernardino. CSU Bernardino’s two year program educates students by ensuring that they are well familiar with the five core areas of public health. To graduate this degree program, students must complete 42 units at minimum and have passed with a B grade or higher. Additionally students must take part in a 145 hour internship in the field.
• University of California, Los Angeles. UC Los Angeles offers both a standard MPH degree and a MPH degree for health professionals. The first can be completed during the day, and the second is available on weekends and can be completed in two years. The standard MPH program is 42 units. Six of these units come from electives, and the other 36 come from core classes, including the field experience that students will take part in.
• Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences offers a 45-credit MPH program that can be completed in five semesters. This university’s program is convenient for working individuals, as classes are offered from 6pm-9pm. Near the end of the program, students will submit their thesis.
• Claremont Graduate University. CGU has a 48 unit masters in public health program that can be completed in 2 years. Three areas of concentration are offered: Applied Biostatistic and Epidemiology, Leadership & Management, and Health Promotion, Education & Evaluation. There is also a required internship for the program that can be completed at a local agency or even out of the country.
• Loma Linda University has both an on-campus and online MPH degree program. The concentrations offered take from one year to complete to about five years to complete depending on which one a student chooses. These concentrations include Health Education & Wellness Coaching, Wellness Medicine, & Epidemiology, Nutrition, Population Medicine, and Global Health. Part of the program involves the completion of a 400-hour internship.
• National University’s master of public health program is offered online and on-campus for students who may need either option. The online program can be completed in 18 months. Courses in the online program allow students to focus on one subject at a time, as they come out in four-week increments. In both programs, students will complete their capstone project and internship.
• San Francisco State University. SFSU has a MPH program that is typically completed in five semesters and involves a 44-unit curriculum. Students entering the program are typically required to have had at least two years of experience related to health. Classes take place in the evenings two days a week to accommodate working professionals.
• San Diego State University. SDSU has a MPH program that is two years long with full-time enrollment and offers four concentration options. These concentrations include Environmental Health (51 units), Epidemiology (51 units), Health Management and Policy (59 units), and Health Promotion and Behavioral Science (51 units). At the end of the program, students will choose a thesis or a project.
• San Jose State University offers on-campus and online MPH programs. The online program takes 24 months to complete. Students are required to meet once a year when taking the online program. The online program is accelerated, while the on-campus program can take 3-5 years to complete. However, both programs are 42 units.
• Touro University is one out of multiple California universities offering an MPH program that does not require submitting GRE test scores upon applying. This accelerated MPH program can be completed in four academic terms. There are four concentrations to choose from, which include Community Action for Health, Global Health, Health Equity and Criminal Justice, and Research and Partnerships.
• University of California Berkeley. UC Berkeley’s master of public health program is offered either online or on-campus. The MPH program is 27 months long. Students in the online program have to meet for on-campus 15 days total. There are six 42-unit specializations to choose from in this program that require the completion of a practicum, including Health Policy and Management, Community Health Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Spatial Data Science, and Global Health.
• University of California – Irvine. UC Irvine has the flexible option of a full-time or a part-time master of public health program. Before beginning the program, students can choose between four emphasis areas: Sociocultural Diversity and Health, Biostatistics, Environmental Health, and Epidemiology. These are some of the most popular and common concentrations in the public health field, and students who take part in them may be likely to find careers in many places to the high demand.
• University of California, Davis offers a 56-unit MPH program that can be completed in 10-12 months. Only about 40 students or less are admitted into the program each year, and small class sizes means more personal attention and assistance from instructors.
• University of San Francisco. USF has both online and on-campus curriculums for their MPH program. They have four concentration options, and the number of units required for completion range for each. These include Health and Policy Leadership at 42 units, Applied Epidemiology and Population Health Methods at 43 units, and Behavioral Health and Public Health Practice both at 45 units. The MPH program should be completed over six semesters or two years. The required practicum experience lasts the second year of the program.
• University of Southern California. USC offers a public health masters program that is designed to be completed in two years. There is both an on-campus and online option available. There are five concentrations to choose from in this MPH program, the first of which is a customizable, generalist concentration. The other concentration options are Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Health Services, and Community and Global Health. Certain concentrations can be completed in three semesters if desired. Students are also required to complete a 260 hour practicum.

No GRE-Required MPH Programs in California

The GRE stands for Graduate Record Examination, and is a standardized test that measures a student’s academic skills for how prepared they are to enter graduate school. However, along with multiple other graduate schools in the USA, many MPH programs in California no longer require students to take and submit GRE test scores as part of the application process. Instead, universities that don’t require the GRE measure a student’s application based on other factors such as relevant experience in work and life. There are 15 programs that do not require a GRE as a part of their application process:

• California Baptist University
• California State University Fullerton
• California State University, Long Beach
• California State University San Marcos
• California State University, San Bernardino
• University of California, Los Angeles
• Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences
• Claremont Graduate University
• Loma Linda University
• National University
• San Diego State University
• San Jose State University
• Touro University
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California

California Baptist University offers both an online and in-person learning experience. Their admissions office recommends that students apply with a cumulative 2.75 GPA at minimum, but there are additional opportunities for students to apply who may not have a satisfactory GPA. Students can choose between submitting a written statement of purpose or having an interview with the department. They should also expect to submit an official transcript. Once admitted, a student will complete 44 units to earn their Master of Public Health degree.

Conversely, the University of San Francisco requires a grade point average of a 3.0 minimum from applicants. Their expectations for applicants include a personal statement, two letters of recommendation, and a professional resume. When a student begins the program, they will choose between four concentrations ranging from 42-45 units. San Jose State University, Loma Linda University, and National University are two other institutions that feature online public health degree programs alongside their on-campus programs. When applying to San Jose State University, students should indicate if they are applying to the on-campus program or to the online program. Both the online and on-campus format at San Jose State University are 42 units. San Jose State University, Loma Linda University, and National University have similar application requirements to the other universities mentioned that have both on-campus and online courses, and none of them require submitting GRE test scores. Loma Linda students begin their public health education through the university’s public health core curriculum, where they learn alongside scientists to develop a deeper understanding of public health.

California State University Fullerton is a solely on-campus university that does not require a GRE to apply. There are several other on-campus state universities that also meet this criteria, including CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, CSU San Marcos, CSU San Bernardino, and San Diego State University. These state universities are similar in that they offer a lower tuition rate to in-state students. They are also similar because they have smaller student bodies compared to UC schools, and they report higher acceptance rates, although not all CSU schools omit GRE scores in the application process.

There are five other universities offering public health degree programs that don’t require submitting GRE scores in the application process. University of California, Los Angeles, is one of them. This university requires students to choose a concentration before beginning their application. While some programs only require two letters of recommendation, this one requires three: two from former professors, and one from a former employer. They also require a separate graduate division application. Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences, Claremont Graduate University, Touro University, and University of Southern California, all of which do not require the GRE, each have similar application requirements as well.

The requirements for the MPH programs, whether online or on-campus, that were reviewed in this section is to demonstrate the holistic approach that universities take to assess a program candidate’s ability to be successful in graduate school beyond a GRE score. Many schools, like the ones featured here, have determined that one’s academic and professional history, personal statements about why they wish to be enrolled in the program, and other factors are a much better overall reflection.

Accelerated MPH Programs in California

Accelerated masters of public health programs are defined as programs that consist of 42 credits or less. A standard master’s degree program can range between 32-62 credits depending on the individual program length and requirements. There are 10 accelerated MPH programs in California that are CEPH accredited:

• California State University Fullerton
• California State University, Fresno
• California State University Northridge
• California State University, Long Beach
• California State University San Marcos
• California State University, San Bernardino
• University of California, Los Angeles
• San Jose State University
• Touro University
• University of Southern California

California State University Fullerton’s 42 unit program takes about 21 months to complete. It has three tracks to choose from: Gerontological Health, Occupational Health and Safety, and Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Students will also complete a 240 hour internship in this program. CSU Fresno has a 42 unit program as well, but theirs is a little longer at about two years. Their internship is shorter, however, at 130 hours.

San Jose State University and University of Southern California are accelerated MPH programs that offer an online option as well as an on-campus option. At San Jose University, the online program takes 24 months to complete and includes a 400-hour internship. Students meet once a year in this format. This online format at San Jose State is the accelerated version of the program, as opposed to the on-campus version, which can take 3-5 years to complete.

University of Southern California’s public health program is designed to be completed in two years, but some of the offered concentrations can be completed in as little as three semesters. Students will complete a 260 hour practicum as well in the 42 unit program.

CSU Northridge’s public health program is designed to be a flexible program for working professionals. Their program can be completed in 2.5 years. The program requires the completion of a 300 hour internship that begins halfway through the program.

California State University, Long Beach’s internship is six units. In addition to said internship as well as units of core coursework, students complete three units of electives as well. There are three concentrations available in this 42-unit program, which include Community Health, Global Health, and Latino Health.

California State University San Marcos offers both online and hybrid courses to students in their accelerated MPH program. Students can decide to take the Health Promotion and Education concentration or the Global Health concentration. This program can be completed in 16 months, which is one of the fastest programs of study out of the accelerated MPH programs in California.

California State University, San Bernardino is a two year program that focuses on the five core areas of public health to ensure students are well prepared for their future careers. Students must pass each course with a minimum of a B grade to meet the degree requirements. Students will complete 145 hours of experience in the field as well to graduate.

Touro University’s accelerated MPH program features four concentrations: Community Action for Health, Global Health, Health Equity and Criminal Justice, and Research and Partnerships. This program allows students to have the chance to participate in their internship in another country or in the local public health department. Students can complete the program in four academic terms.

Affordable MPH Programs in California

Cost may be a considerable deciding factor for some students when determining what public health program they want to attend. Universities that are specific to a state usually have a lower tuition for in-state residents because they receive state funding. California features six state universities that offer an accredited education with an accessible tuition. It’s important to note that the tuition reported below are provided by the schools on their website and may reflect the current year’s cost.

• California State University Fullerton Tuition
  • Full-time students living off campus: $28,620
  • Part-time student living off campus: $25,504
• California State University, Fresno Tuition
  • $2,505 per credit hour plus additional fees
• California State University Northridge Tuition
  • $31,962 paid in 7 payments
• California State University, Long Beach Tuition
  • CA resident tuition living on campus: $27,616
  • CA resident tuition living in off-campus housing: $27,122
  • CA resident tuition commuting: $22,150
• California State University San Marcos Tuition
  • Living on campus: $26,696
  • Living off-campus: $35,374
  • Living with parents/relatives: $22,390
• California State University, San Bernardino Tuition
  • Full-time: $4,226 per semester
  • Part-time:$2,720 per semester
• San Diego State University Tuition
  • Total cost: $30,804
• San Jose State University Tuition
  • $24,150

MPH Program Concentrations

Upon entering certain masters in public health degree program, students may have the option to choose a concentration, which is a subfield of study that defines the set of courses that a student will take. The concentration is usually emphasized in the coursework so that the student graduates with the general knowledge of the degree, plus a significant amount of deep knowledge on the specific topic. There are five main common concentrations, which are based on the core disciplines of public health, as well as several other concentrations that are often seen as well. The most popular MPH program concentrations include:

• Social and Behavioral Sciences – This is a study that focuses on promoting health and preventing illness. It is also a study on how various social, behavioral, and cultural factors play a role in the health outcomes of individuals and populations.
• Environmental Health – This area of public health seeks to ensure the health and safety of communities by studying the factors in an environment that can cause disease, providing education on those factors, and researching and implementing ways to solve the issues.
• Epidemiology – This is the study of disease and how it spreads. The importance of this part of public health is to use the knowledge of disease to control the spread of disease to mitigate health problems. This is done through research, lab testing, statistical analysis, and work in the field.
• Health Policy and Administration – This concentration focuses on the laws, regulations, and decisions made in public health. Such laws are implemented to promote wellness in society and to encourage health goals in a community to be met. Someone choosing this concentration can apply their knowledge to many careers.
• Biostatistics – This area of public health involves collecting health data of certain groups and analyzing it with statistical techniques. It can be helpful for determining patterns of certain diseases, such as how often cancer occurs in people with something in common.
• Nutrition – This concentration is important to public health because those who are educated in this subject and become public health practitioners can help educate communities on optimal eating habits for longer lives and lower disease rates.
• Maternal and Child Health – This is a study that focuses on the improvement of the health and safety of women and children. Those who work in this field focus on growing resources for pregnant individuals, parents, and children, as well as preventing the death of infants, children, and mothers.