A major chosen after arrival
Yale says every student begins undeclared and has until the end of sophomore year to choose from over 80 majors. The pages read describe no separate application to History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health.
Undergraduate · Yale College
Yale History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health: knowledge, health and society
Yale College admits students without a declared major, and History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health is a major they can choose once enrolled. Yale's catalogue describes how knowledge and technology are created and how they shape the modern world, with seven standard concentrations and room for pre-med students. This guide makes no claim of a separate application to the major.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Yale says about Yale History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health
Taken from the Yale College Programs of Study 2026–2027 entry for History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health and Yale Undergraduate Admissions' Majors, Standardized Testing and International pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Yale's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Twelve term courses
The major includes a seven-course concentration and a two-term senior requirement.
Seven standard concentrations
They include Medicine and Public Health, Minds and Brains, and Science, Technology, and Society, or a customised concentration.
Compatible with pre-med interests
Yale says premedical students can combine preprofessional training with a broad humanistic education.
The SAT or ACT is required
Yale's testing policy requires scores from either test; international applicants meet the same requirements.
Official sources
- Yale Undergraduate Admissions: Majors & Academic Programsadmissions.yale.edu
- Yale College Programs of Study 2026–2027: History of Science, Medicine, and Public Healthcatalog.yale.edu
- Yale Undergraduate Admissions: Standardized Testingadmissions.yale.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Yale College Programs of Study 2026–2027 entry for History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health and Yale Undergraduate Admissions' Majors, Standardized Testing and International pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Yale's department website, the course listings behind each course code, deadlines and financial aid were not read, and the admissions pages do not mention A-levels or the IB by name and are not stated.
The major
What the catalogue says the major is
Yale's catalogue describes an interdisciplinary programme on how different forms of knowledge and technology have been created in various times, places and cultures and how they have shaped the modern world, asking whether science is universal and how medical expertise relates to society. The major requires twelve term courses including a two-term senior requirement. Students choose a seven-course concentration from seven standard ones, such as Environment and Society or Medicine and Public Health, or design their own with the director of undergraduate studies. This guide does not list individual courses.
Is it the right major?
This major beside the science majors
Yale describes these as separate majors, so the choice is made after admission. Avandy's comparison is general.
This major fits if
you want to study how science and medicine are made and used, in history and society.
Neuroscience fits if
you want the laboratory science of the brain. Avandy's Yale Neuroscience guide covers it.
Cognitive Science fits if
you want the study of the mind. Avandy's Yale Cognitive Science guide covers it.
Admission and testing
A Yale College application and the SAT or ACT
Yale requires first-year applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores and has no preference between them. International applicants complete the same application with the same requirements, and the admissions pages read do not mention A-levels or the IB by name. The major is chosen after admission, not applied for separately. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Yale's.
Are questions about how knowledge is made interesting to you?
The major is built on them.
Would you choose a standard concentration or design your own?
Both are possible.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Yale requires one of them for first-year applicants.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Yale's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Yale's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Yale has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Yale for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health entry in Yale's Programs of Study and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Yale College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Yale College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Yale History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health?
The pages read describe admission to Yale College. Students begin undeclared and choose a major by the end of sophomore year.
Is the major suitable for pre-med students?
The catalogue says premedical students and others in health-related fields can combine preprofessional training with a broad humanistic education.
What are the concentrations?
Colonialism, Knowledge, and Power; Environment and Society; Gender, Reproduction, and the Body; Media, Information, and the Public; Medicine and Public Health; Minds and Brains; and Science, Technology, and Society.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Yes. Yale's testing policy requires scores from either test.
Does Yale name A-levels or the IB on these pages?
No. The admissions pages read do not mention them by name.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Yale's wording with no entry-year label. Check Yale's pages again when Yale publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Yale History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their humanities and science subjects, their interest in medicine or technology and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.