Admissions

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Fall 2025 Application Deadlines:

Applications for our Fall 2025 cohort open Wednesday, September 4th, 2024.

Deadline to apply: February 5th, 2025.

Deadline Extended to March 14th, 2025.

Please note, we only accept students to begin in Fall quarter of each academic year.

Did you miss our info session?

Review the recording and powerpoint here:

Eligibility:

Have received a bachelor's degree and have a minimum of a 3.3 GPA.
Have completed a global health field experience (international or domestic) or have postgraduate global health related volunteer or work experience (e.g. Peace Corps, nurse, healthcare worker).
- Examples of global health field experiences can range from study abroad to activities such as volunteering at a hospital working with individuals from diverse backgrounds or with community organizations (samples of global health undergraduate field experience opportunities can be found here).
Have completed undergraduate coursework in global health, medical social sciences, international studies or related field.
Have completed a statistics course (may be completed the summer prior to beginning program).

Application Requirements:

Completion of online application via Grad Apply.
2 Essays/Writing Samples - This can be a paper you have written for a previous course, it does not need to be global health related, however it is preferred, if possible.
Resume/CV
Statement of Purpose - Applicants should include their interest, background, and how this program fits in with future goals (typically 1-2 pages long).
Transcripts - Unofficial transcripts are accepted. Official copies of final transcripts are only required if you are offered and accept admission.
2- 3 Letters of Recommendation
- One letter must be from a faculty member the student has worked with or taken a course with. The second letter must be from a faculty member or internship/field experience supervisor. Please do not submit letters of recommendation from TA's or grad students.
- UC San Diego Students - You may use the following letter of recommendation form in place of a formal letter if you're requesting a letter from UC San Diego faculty. This form can only be used for the UC San Diego MA in Global Health degree. If faculty are writing you a letter for other programs, please feel free to use that letter. Faculty will submit the letter in the grad portal. Once you identify them as a recommender n gradapply they will receive an email with a link to submit a letter (or this form).
International Students: TOEFL (Minimum TOEFL score for admission is 550 for the paper based test (PBT), 80 for the Internet Based Test, or 231 for the computer based test). More details here.

FAQ'S

Please see the Graduate Division Application FAQ page for questions pertaining to your application.

Where do I send letters of recommendation?

In the Grad Apply application, there is a section for requesting letters of recommendation. A link will be sent to letter writers for them to upload the document to your application. Make sure to contact the letter writer first and get their confirmation before sending the request through Grad Apply.

Please note the following when it comes to requesting a letter:

Select professors who have personally come to know your abilities from your written work and your active participation in their course or a campus group to write your letter of recommendation (earning a good grade in a course is not enough for a professor to write a persuasive, detailed letter of recommendation).
Students should give recommenders plenty of time to complete the letter of recommendation--the more time, the better.
Please make sure to provide any specific instructions or questions that may be requested by the program/position.

Can I submit my application before all letters from recommenders are submitted?

Yes. Submit your application by the deadline. The letters of recommendation may be uploaded by the recommender after your submission, but preferably within one week of the deadline. Please note that departments may not review the application until all letters have been received.

Can I make changes to my application once it has been submitted?

The following areas of the application can be added to and/or updated online after submission: contact information, transcripts, CV/Resumes, and writing samples or additional miscellaneous documents. Please contact your department directly for any other changes and/or additions to your application.

What is the application fee?

Applicants will be required to pay the application fee or to request a fee waiver at the end of the online application.

Current application fees can be found here.

For additional application fee information visit the Graduate Division Application Fee Questions page.

How do I qualify for a fee waiver?

U.S. citizens and permanent residents may request a waiver for the application fee. Applicants must provide supporting documentation within three weeks of the application submission date.

Applicants may qualify for a Fee Waiver upon verification of one of the following:

Need-Based Federal Aid - FAFSA report, Financial Aid Award Letter, or document posting Federal need-based aid.
Financial Hardship - Most recent state or federal tax forms, exhibiting the number of dependents and the adjusted gross income or Federal 1040 forms. See the "Income Eligibility Guidelines" link for more information.
U.S. Military Service - Copy of DD 214 (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy) or if active duty, send an email with your legal name, date of birth, and branch of service.
Graduate Prep Program Participation - UC San Diego provides a fee waiver for applicants who have participated in specific graduate programs. Note: Not all graduate preparation programs are eligible for the fee waiver. On the "Additional Information" page of the online application select the program in which you participated. The name and business email address of the program director are required for the UCSD Graduate Admissions staff to verify your participation. If this verification cannot be completed, you will be asked to provide additional information or pay the application fee.

How to apply for a fee waiver:

Complete the online application. The option to request a fee waiver is provided before the official submission of your application.
Review the "Apply for Fee Waiver" section, sign, and submit. This action submits your final and official application to UCSD Graduate Admissions.
Check your email. A confirmation email with be sent with further instructions for submitting your verification.

Please note: Application Fee Waivers can only be processed after Steps 1 and 2 have been completed.

For additional questions on the application fee, visit the Graduate Division Application Fee Questions page.

Can I attend this program if I already have a graduate degree?

Students who already hold an advanced academic degree may be admitted to UC San Diego to pursue a second advanced academic degree at the same level only under limited circumstances, and only with the consent of the Graduate Council.

If you hold an advanced degree and are unsure if it is at the same level as the degree for which you will be applying, please email us at gradadmissions@ucsd.edu.

When can I expect to hear a decision on my application?

The program begins to review applications within two weeks of each admissions deadline.

The committee will review the priority deadline applications first and offer admission to the top few candidates.

When the extended deadline passes (February), all applications from both pools will be reviewed together. The program aims to send decisions out within one month of this deadline.

The official notification of admission will come from the Graduate Admissions office. Your Application Status page will update as soon as a decision has been made.

Students will need to provide a decision by April 15th.

Can I defer my admission?

Applicants who are admitted but are unable to register for the quarter to which they were admitted, may request to defer admission to the following year or another quarter within the same academic year. This request must be made no later than the first day of instruction of the term to which the applicant was admitted. Please note that department-specific deadlines may vary. The department must pre-approve the deferral request. A deferral is not a guarantee of admission for a later term. The deferred application will be considered along with the next year's applicant pool.

To activate the application for admission in the subsequent quarter or academic year, the applicant must notify the department and submit a Statement of Activities and official transcripts for any academic work taken since the original application was submitted. No application fee will be required.

Deferred applicants are allowed one reactivation of the application and may not defer for more than one academic year.

If you have additional questions about the MA in Global Health application requirements, feel free to contact us at ma-globalhealth@ucsd.edu.