Admission Requirements
The Master of Data Science in Health (MDSH) applicants are expected to fulfill the minimum requirements for admission to the Fielding School of Public Health. Prospective students are encouraged to attend an information session, or contact us for an admissions consultation.
Admission Requirements
Resume/CV: Full-time work experience is not required.
Official Transcripts: A bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA, or the equivalent. You may apply to the program using Unofficial Transcripts. Official transcripts will be required before enrollment. They must be sent directly by your University’s Registrar Office or via Parchment to admissions@ph.ucla.edu.
Statement of Purpose. Applicants should use these statements to highlight their academic background, research, or work experience, and their qualifications to contribute to the MDSH and to the field. Include your career goals and how the MDSH might aid in your professional growth.
Three Letters of Recommendation: Uploaded to the UCLA application site directly by your recommenders. Letters should be from a professional and/or academic source.
TOEFL/IELTS Scores: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required for applicants who completed their post-secondary education outside of an Anglophone country. See University Policies and Requirements for details. Be sure to use exactly the same personal information (name, date of birth, gender) in your UCLA Graduate Application as you did in your TOEFL/IELTS testing.
GRE Scores (optional). If you choose to submit GRE scores, make sure to use exactly the same personal information on the GRE application as on the UCLA graduate application.
How to Apply
All applicants must apply online and submit application materials via UCLA’s Application for Graduate Admission.
- Program name: Data Science in Health MDSH (Major code 00J7).
- The GRE Code for UCLA is 4837, if you choose to submit these scores.
- Please be sure to fill in all required sections.
- The Personal Statement is optional.
- A SOPHAS application is not needed.
The application fee is $135 for U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents, or $155 for other applicants. The application fee is devoted to the administrative cost of processing applications, and is non-refundable.
Deadlines
The following deadlines apply to applications for Fall 2025 enrollment:
Priority deadline: February 1, 2025
Regular deadline: April 1, 2025
Final deadline: June 15, 2025
Admissions Timeline
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; decisions will be released in the 4-6 weeks following each deadline (priority, regular, and final deadlines).
The length of time it will take to release the admissions decision will depend on several factors, including the completeness of the application (transcripts, TOEFL/IELTS scores, Letter of Recommendation, etc.). To ensure the fastest possible processing of your application, be sure to upload all required documents.
Admissions Appeals
We acknowledge the effort required to submit an application to our program and thank each applicant for their attention to creating a high-quality submission. Multiple reviewers thoroughly review all applications. The MDSH program does not consider appeals except in light of new information. New information is limited to academic qualification which may include higher GPA, grades, and certification not already included in the application. TOFEL/IELTS scores are not considered new information. Due to the volume of applications, we do not provide individual feedback on the quality of applicants nor provide suggestions on how to strengthen future applications. If you wish to submit an appeal: email mdsh@ucla.edu with subject line, “Admissions Appeal” with the following content:
- A one sentence summary of the new information
- Relevant supporting documentation