MPH in Environmental Health Sciences

Official U.S. transcripts of all the schools you attended for post-secondary education must be sent to SOPHAS. SOPHAS only accepts electronic transcripts from Credentials Solutions, Parchment, and National Student Clearinghouse. For application review purposes only, include copies of transcripts for all of the post-secondary institutions you attended, including study abroad institutions in the Berkeley Graduate Application. During the online application process, you will be prompted to upload scanned documents. Uploaded transcripts should be recent and include the following: your name the institution name dates of attendance conferral date if applicable grades/marks received and credits If you studied abroad, your study abroad grades must also be listed in the transcript, otherwise you will need to submit a transcript directly from the study abroad institution.

Berkeley Public Health’s Admissions Committee requires a minimum of three letters of recommendation be submitted electronically to SOPHAS with your SOPHAS application. We recommend that you request that your letter writers use an official letterhead. Typically, we recommend you have at least one letter of recommendation from an academic and two from individuals who can evaluate your professional experience. However, please thoroughly look at the requirements and qualifications of the program you are applying to for more guidance. Overall, it will be in your best interest to have three individuals who can attest to your academic and/or professional ability to succeed in a public health career. For academic references, we recommend you ask professors who you think will write the strongest recommendations. A strong quality letter attesting to your ability to succeed in the program will weigh more than a generic letter from a high-ranking professor.

Your Personal History Statement gives you an opportunity to add some individuality and depth to the information provided in your Statement of Purpose. Your Personal History Statement can include information about who you are as a person, your family background, cultural background, socioeconomic status, educational advantages and/or experiences growing up. It is intended to give you the opportunity to provide a narrative about your diverse personal experiences. It is important to be concise and impactful by focusing on a specific part of your life experience. You may also use the personal history statement to describe any impacts the COVID-19 pandemic may have had on you, such as your academics, obtaining employment, or pursuing public health experiences. We understand that there may be downstream effects of the pandemic on your ability to meet criteria for admission that is beyond your control. Use this essay to provide context on your other application materials, and elaborate on anything that may be helpful for the admissions committee to be aware of.

Applications should include a resume or CV. Prior work experience, preferably in health sector related activities, is required for some programs. Resumes should include: Educational degrees, Employment, Experiences (especially those that are public-health related), Professional skills and accomplishments, Volunteer activities (specify any leadership roles).

Your Statement of Purpose should explain why you are pursuing graduate training in public health. Your essay should also explain your eventual career goals and why you need a degree in your specific program. You can choose to explain why you are pursuing this degree now and why at Berkeley Public Health. If you are applying to a doctoral program, include your proposed research topics. Please be sure to check your program’s page, as some programs have specific questions to answer. If there are no specific program guidelines, please follow the above-mentioned general guidelines.

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