UCLA Community Health Sciences Program: An In-Depth Overview
The UCLA Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health stands as a prominent institution dedicated to advancing public health through education, research, and community engagement. Located within the Center for Health Sciences building on UCLA's Westwood campus, the school offers a range of programs, with the Community Health Sciences (CHS) program being a cornerstone of its offerings. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the CHS program at UCLA, covering its mission, curriculum, faculty, research focus, and contributions to the field of public health.
History and Overview of UCLA Fielding School of Public Health
UCLA's involvement in public health education began in 1946 with undergraduate instruction. The UCLA School of Public Health was officially established on March 17, 1961, with Lenor S. (Steve) Goerke as its first dean. In June 1993, there was a proposal to merge the School of Public Health into the School of Public Policy, but it did not happen. The school received a significant boost on February 16, 2012, when the Fielding family donated $50 million, marking the largest single donation since the school's inception in 1962. The school was subsequently named the UCLA Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health.
The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health comprises five academic departments: Biostatistics, Community Health Sciences, Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, and Health Policy and Management. It offers three degree types: MPH, MS, and PhD. The school also maintains 19 Memoranda of Understanding with institutions across the globe, including those in Cambodia, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Germany, Mexico, and the Philippines. The location of the school on UCLA's Westwood campus places it in close proximity to the schools of medicine, law, nursing, business, dentistry, and engineering, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.
Mission and Focus of the Community Health Sciences Department
The discipline of community health sciences emphasizes that a person’s health isn’t simply about genes or habits, but also depends on where they live, work, and play. Structural issues - such as housing, discrimination, geography, and education - are key social determinants of health. CHS faculty are action-oriented. The department includes experts in topics such as nutrition, reproductive health, the health effects of racism, maternal and child health, cancer screenings, homelessness, disaster response, public health communications, and more.
Master's Program in Community Health Sciences
The Master's program in Community Health Sciences (CHS) at UCLA is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to address complex public health challenges at the community level. The program emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach, integrating social, behavioral, and environmental factors to promote health equity and well-being.
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Curriculum and Requirements
Students in the CHS master's program must complete a minimum of 15 courses (60 units), with at least five being graduate courses in the 200 or 500 series. Specific course requirements include mandatory core courses such as Biostatistics 100A, 100B, and Epidemiology 100. These core courses may be waived for students who have taken equivalent courses elsewhere and successfully pass a waiver examination. Additional required courses include Community Health Sciences 210, 211A-211B, 212, Biostatistics 406, PH 201 (or equivalent), and 24 units of electives. Only one 596 course (four units) taken for a letter grade or one 598 course (four units) taken for a S/U grade may be applied toward the total course requirement; only four units of either course may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirement. Community Health Sciences 597 may not be applied toward the degree requirements.
Advising and Guidance
An adviser is appointed for each new master’s student by the department chair. The student and adviser together agree upon a study list for each academic quarter and any subsequent alterations must be approved by both the adviser and the associate dean of Student Affairs. Students are expected to meet with their advisers each quarter. A departmental guidance committee should be established no later than the end of the Fall quarter of the student’s second year. The student’s adviser is responsible for supervising the student’s academic progress. Progress is evaluated on an ongoing basis. At the end of each quarter, the associate dean of Student Affairs reviews academic listings of students and notifies them and the advisers when the cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0. Advisers review each case with their advisees and make recommendations to the associate dean of Student Affairs for continuance or academic disqualification.
Capstone or Thesis Option
As part of the master's program, students may have the option to complete a capstone project or a thesis. If the capstone option is approved, the student works closely with his/her faculty advisor or another CHS faculty member (by blue petition) in selecting a topic and preparing a major written report. In addition to the major written research report, the student must pass the Department comprehensive examination. If the thesis option is approved, a thesis committee is established. The committee approves the thesis prospectus before the student may file for advancement to candidacy.
Time to Completion
From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is six academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the School of Public Health.
Doctoral Program in Community Health Sciences
The doctoral program in Community Health Sciences (CHS) at UCLA is designed to prepare students for leadership roles in research, academia, and public health practice. The program emphasizes rigorous training in research methodologies, theoretical frameworks, and community engagement strategies.
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Curriculum and Requirements
Students must complete 48 units in residence in the doctoral program, to include Community Health Sciences 270A-270B and Community Health Sciences 219 and Public Health 201. If the student has a degree from a CEPH accredited school of public health, they are not required to take PH 201, but instead take a broad public health course, approved by the adviser. No more than four units may be individual studies course work (Community Health Sciences 596). All doctoral students must enroll in Community Health Sciences 286 (doctoral roundtable) every quarter for the first two years of doctoral study. The doctoral roundtable does not fulfill any of the 48 units required for the doctorate. Students must also complete four graduate-level courses (16 units) in a Ph.D. granting department outside of the School of Public Health, in a discipline relevant to community health sciences. These courses should provide a theoretical foundation and therefore may not be in methodology or statistics. Students must consult with their advisers before selecting these courses. Final approval rests with the Department Chair/Vice Chair. In addition to the courses listed above, students who have not taken the following courses (or their equivalent) are required to do so: Biostatistics 100B, and 406, CHS 212, and an epidemiology course. If the student does not have a master’s degree in public health, the following courses are also required: Biostatistics 100A, Epi 100, CHS 210, 211A, and 211B. If the student has a master’s degree in public health, but not in community health sciences, the following course is also required: CHS 210.
Guidance Committee
After being enrolled for six quarters, students file Doctoral Form 1, which designates the membership of the guidance committee. The guidance committee consists of the student’s adviser in the major field, a second faculty member in Community Health Sciences, and the student’s minor field adviser, who administers the student’s minor exam. The minor field adviser is an outside member who is approved by the department chair and is in communication with the other members of the student’s guidance committee about the student’s progress. Courses to be taken for the minor field are listed on Doctoral Form 1. The members of the Guidance Committee must be full-time faculty with appointments in the professorial series (tenure-eligible, in-residence, or acting or emeritus in these series). The Guidance Committee membership must be approved by the department chair. This committee is distinct from the student’s Doctoral Committee and functions as a group to assist in tailoring the program to the student’s needs and objectives prior to the oral qualifying examination (defense of the proposal for the dissertation). The student is responsible for informing the committee about the student’s progress, and should also turn to the committee first in the event that special assistance or intervention is required.
Examinations
Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass university written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations, the University Oral Qualifying Examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to university requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. Before advancement to candidacy, all course work must have been completed and the student must pass the second year comprehensive examination administered by the department and the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is a defense of the proposal for the dissertation. The second year comprehensive examination may be repeated only once. Additionally, the student must complete a minor field written examination related to the coursework they have completed in a Ph.D. After the student has passed the second year comprehensive examination and completed the minor field written examination, and at least one month prior to taking the University Oral Qualifying Examination, a doctoral committee is nominated. The composition of the committee must be approved by the department chair and the Graduate Division. The student is advanced to candidacy and commences work on a dissertation by passing the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which is administered by the doctoral committee. Students usually take this examination by the middle of the fourth year of study. Only the student and the committee members attend this examination; all committee members must be present. If the student fails, the examination may be repeated once if a majority of the committee so recommends.
Time to Completion and Disqualification
From graduate admission to award of the degree, normal progress is eighteen academic quarters. Maximum allowable time for the attainment of the degree is 24 academic quarters of enrollment, including quarters enrolled in previous graduate study at a UC campus prior to admission to the doctoral degree program and leaves of absence. A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for academic disqualification of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department.
Applied Practice Experience (APEX)
The program requires a minimum of 68 quarter-credit units of graduate and upper division coursework. Students are required to select three (12 units) of methods & skills courses and three (12 units) of Department Elective courses. At least 40 units must be taken in the department. A maximum of 8 elective units from outside of the department may count towards the 68 graduate or upper-division units. All students are required to complete an APEX, which requires a minimum of 400 hours in the field. An APEx takes place in a health agency or organization in the community, under the supervision of a qualified public health professional.
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Faculty and Research
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.
CHS faculty are highly collaborative across the UCLA campus and in communities near and far. Many are active participants and leaders in school-wide centers of excellence.
Examples of faculty include:
- Mary Anne Foo, MPH, BS: Founder and Executive Director of the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA).
- Anne Rimoin, MPH, PhD: Gordon-Levin Chair in Infectious Diseases and Public Health.
- Patience Afulani, PhD, MD, MPH: Associate Professor, Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Health, and Epidemiology at UCSF.
Community Engagement and Partnerships
These close ties throughout the diverse Los Angeles metropolis and throughout the state are reflected in the growing emphasis on community-engaged research, in which the active participation of local partners, building on community assets, helps to ensure the relevance and sustainability of the work. The department also has a strong commitment to working with some of the most health-challenged communities around the world and has well-established partnerships in many parts of Africa, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
Student Support and Resources
The University offers several options for emergency loans for employees in need of financial assistance. Employees who participate in UC’s 403(b) Plan may borrow their own funds for emergency needs or, if ineligible for a loan, they may be able to take a hardship withdrawal.
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