UCLA School of Public Health

History

UCLA began offering undergraduate instruction in public health in 1946. For the next fifteen years, public health instruction at UCLA was within a system-wide University of California public health school. In 1957, UCLA started a program that led to an advanced degree in public health. The UCLA School of Public Health was created on March 17, 1961, and Lenor S. (Steve) Goerke was named the first dean. In June 1993, UCLA announced that it was planning to merge the School of Public Health into the School of Public Policy. UCLA rescinded the plan in March 1994.

In 2003, the School of Public Health began awarding an undergraduate minor in public health.

On February 16, 2012, the school received a gift valued at $50 million from the Fielding family, the largest single donation the school has received since its creation in 1962. On March 22, 2012 the school was officially named the UCLA Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health and the new sign on the building was unveiled.

Students and Faculty

Students

The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health has nearly 1,000 students from 25 countries. The school has five academic departments — Biostatistics, Community Health Sciences, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, and Health Policy and Management — and offers seven degree types: BS, BA, MPH, MS, MHA, MDSH, and PhD. Additionally, concurrent and articulated degrees and certificates enable students to gain specialized knowledge in areas such as global health, population and reproductive health, environmental health, and health care management and leadership.

Faculty

The school also has 19 Memoranda of Understanding with institutions in countries that include Cambodia, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Germany, Mexico and the Philippines. The schools of medicine, law, nursing, business, dentistry, engineering and more are all located on the Westwood campus of UCLA, named the No. 1 public university in the United States in 2018. Additionally, UCLA ranked ninth in the world in research and teaching according to the 2018 Times Higher Education World (University) Reputation Rankings.

Departments and degrees

The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health offers degrees in the following departments:

Biostatistics — MPH, MS, PhD, DrPH

Community Health Sciences — MPH, MS, PhD, DrPH

Environmental Health Sciences — MPH, MS, PhD, DrPH

Epidemiology — MPH, MS, PhD, DrPH

Health Policy and Management — MPH, MS, PhD, DrPH

The Fielding School of Public Health offers two executive-style MPH degrees:

Community Health Sciences – MPH for Health Professionals (MPH-HP)

Health Policy and Management – Executive MPH (EMPH)

UCLA also offers an interdepartmental degrees:

Molecular Toxicology — PhD

The Fielding School of Public Health offers the following joint degrees with other UCLA graduate schools:

Fielding School of Public Health/African Studies Program (MPH / MA)

Fielding School of Public Health/Asian American Studies Program (MPH / MA)

Fielding School of Public Health/Latin American Studies Program (MPH / MA)

Fielding School of Public Health/School of Law (MPH / JD)

Research centers

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health faculty and students are involved in projects that span bench science, applied research, policy analysis, and community-based local and international projects. Examples of research areas include: access to healthcare, environmental quality, reproductive health, cancer, health disparities, children's health, as well as newer areas of strength in genomics, global health and emerging infectious diseases. Research throughout the school is supported by generous federal, state and private funding, a testament to the merit of the school's faculty and the quality of their research.

The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health research centers include:

Biobehavioral Assessment Research Center (BARC)

Bixby Center on Population and Reproductive Health

Center for Cancer Prevention and Control Research

Center for Environmental Genomics

Center for Global and Immigrant Health

Center for Healthcare Management

Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities

Center for Occupational and Environmental Health

Center for Public Health and Disasters

Center for the Study of Racism, Social Justice & Health

Southern California NIOSH Education and Research Center

UCLA Center for Health Advancement

UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

Notable people

Alumni

Amy Kelley, geriatrician and palliative care specialist, deputy director of the National Institute on Aging

Faculty

Abdelmonem A. Afifi — Dean of UCLA School of Public Health (1985–2000)

Roslyn Alfin-Slater — Demonstrated that cholesterol in normal diets does not raise serum cholesterol

Lester Breslow — Dean of UCLA School of Public Health (1972–1980); Former president of the American Public Health Association

Ron Brookmeyer — Seventh dean of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health (2020-2026); Interim dean of the school (2018–2020) Currently a distinguished professor of biostatistics at the school.

E. Richard Brown — Former president of the American Public Health Association

Roger Detels — Dean of UCLA School of Public Health (1980–1985); Demonstrated how HIV-related immune deficiency is transmitted among homosexual men

Gladys Emerson — Conducted research leading to the isolation and discovery of the nutritional value of vitamin E

Jonathan Fielding — Former Director of Los Angeles County Department of Public Health; namesake of Fielding School of Public Health; awarded the UCLA Medal on April 16, 2009 for his work as an innovator, leader and public health visionary

John Froines — Professor in environmental health sciences, former Director of Toxic Substances for Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and member of the Chicago Seven

Jody Heymann — Dean Emeritus of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health (2012-2018)

Derrick and Patrice Jelliffe — Led efforts to promote the benefits of breastfeeding on a global scale