About the Program

Academic degree programs in the Graduate Group in Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) are recommended for individuals with clear research orientations who wish to complete work of an interdisciplinary nature. Applicants may apply to the MS program, the PhD program, or to the joint MS/PhD program. (Continuation into the PhD program is contingent upon successful completion of the MS requirements or the Graduate Professional MPH degree requirements). EHS is administered within the Division of Environmental Health of the School of Public Health. Although students receive their academic degrees from the graduate group (under the jurisdiction of the Graduate Division of the UC Berkeley campus), students are also affiliated with and apply to the School of Public Health.

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Admissions

Admission to the University

Uniform minimum requirements for admission

The following minimum requirements apply to all programs and will be verified by the Graduate Division:

1. A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;
2. A minimum grade-point average of B or better (3.0);
3. If the applicant comes from a country or political entity (e.g. Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, 230 on the computer-based test, 90 on the iBT test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7 (note that individual programs may set higher levels for any of these); and
4. Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field.

Applicants who already hold a graduate degree

The Graduate Council views academic degrees as evidence of broad research training, not as vocational training certificates; therefore, applicants who already have academic graduate degrees should be able to take up new subject matter on a serious level without undertaking a graduate program, unless the fields are completely dissimilar.

Programs may consider students for an additional academic master’s or professional master’s degree if the additional degree is in a distinctly different field.

Applicants admitted to a doctoral program that requires a master’s degree to be earned at Berkeley as a prerequisite (even though the applicant already has a master’s degree from another institution in the same or a closely allied field of study) will be permitted to undertake the second master’s degree, despite the overlap in field.

The Graduate Division will admit students for a second doctoral degree only if they meet the following guidelines:

1. Applicants with doctoral degrees may be admitted for an additional doctoral degree only if that degree program is in a general area of knowledge distinctly different from the field in which they earned their original degree. For example, a physics PhD could be admitted to a doctoral degree program in music or history; however, a student with a doctoral degree in mathematics would not be permitted to add a PhD in statistics.
2. Applicants who hold the PhD degree may be admitted to a professional doctorate or professional master’s degree program if there is no duplication of training involved.

Applicants may only apply to one single degree program or one concurrent degree program per admission cycle.

Any applicant who was previously registered at Berkeley as a graduate student, no matter how briefly, must apply for readmission, not admission, even if the new application is to a different program.

Required documents for admissions applications

1. Transcripts:  Upload unofficial transcripts with the application for the departmental initial review. Official transcripts of all college-level work will be required if admitted. Official transcripts must be in sealed envelopes as issued by the school(s) you have attended. Request a current transcript from every post-secondary school that you have attended, including community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs.
   If you have attended Berkeley, upload unofficial transcript with the application for the departmental initial review. Official transcript with evidence of degree conferral will not be required if admitted.
2. Letters of recommendation: Applicants can request online letters of recommendation through the online application system. Hard copies of recommendation letters must be sent directly to the program, not the Graduate Division.
3. Evidence of English language proficiency: All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This requirement applies to applicants from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and most European countries. However, applicants who, at the time of application, have already completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better at a U.S. university may submit an official transcript from the U.S. university to fulfill this requirement. The following courses will not fulfill this requirement: 1) courses in English as a Second Language, 2) courses conducted in a language other than English, 3) courses that will be completed after the application is submitted, and 4) courses of a non-academic nature. If applicants have previously been denied admission to Berkeley on the basis of their English language proficiency, they must submit new test scores that meet the current minimum from one of the standardized tests.

Admission to the Program

Application to the MS or MS/PhD programs requires an undergraduate degree in one of the natural sciences, commonly biology, chemistry, engineering, or environmental sciences. Admission to the doctoral program generally requires a masters degree in similar fields or in environmental health. In all cases an important aspect of the application for admission is the personal statement indicating an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of the field of environmental health, the applicant’s future aspirations in the field, and the relevance of their previous academic background and/or their research or professional experience.

Doctoral Degree Requirements

Normative Time Requirements

Normative Time to Advancement: 4 semesters

The normal time from entry into the doctoral program to Advancement to Candidacy is four semesters although it is generally somewhat less for students who complete a masters degree in Environmental Health at Berkeley.

Total Normative Time: 12 semesters

Time to Advancement

Curriculum

Although there are no formal course requirements for the doctoral degree students are expected to be well-versed in the material covered in the following courses at the time of the Qualifying Examination:

Prospectus

A preliminary examination including a research prospectus must be successfully completed prior to the Qualifying Examination

Time in Candidacy

Dissertation

Dissertation required.

Required Professional Development

Presentations

Presentations are common, but only required in context of doctoral seminar.

Professional Conference

Professional conference presentations are common, but not required.

Colloquium Presentaion

Colloquium presentations are common, but not required.

Poster Presentation

Poster Presentations are common, but not required.

Teaching

Service as a Graduate Student Instructor for at least one upper-division or graduate course in required.

Master's Degree Requirements

Curriculum

• No internship/field work/practicum but field work common
• Capstone/Thesis (Plan I)
• Capstone/Comprehensive Exam (Plan II)
• Capstone/Master's Project (Plan II)