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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES

Environmental health sciences represent the study of environmental factors including biological, physical and chemical factors that affect the health of a community.

Competencies: Upon graduation a student with an MPH should be able to…

    1. Describe the direct and indirect human, ecological and safety effects of major environmental and occupational agents.
    2. Describe genetic, physiologic and psychosocial factors that affect susceptibility to adverse health outcomes following exposure to environmental hazards.
    3. Describe federal and state regulatory programs, guidelines and authorities that control environmental health issues.
    4. Specify current environmental risk assessment methods.
    5. Specify approaches for assessing, preventing and controlling environmental hazards that pose risks to human health and safety.
    6. Explain the general mechanisms of toxicity in eliciting a toxic response to various environmental exposures.
    7. Discuss various risk management and risk communication approaches in relation to issues of environmental justice and equity.
    8. Develop a testable model of environmental insult.

The learning objectives of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences include a comprehensive understanding of the effects of biological, chemical and physical hazards in the environment on human and ecosystem health, and the means of managing these hazards.

These objectives are fulfilled through required courses and elective courses chosen in consultation with the academic advisor. Performance-based outcomes are obtained through course written and oral examinations and papers, a department comprehensive exam/internship (for the MPH), a thesis or major report/written comprehensive exam (MS), and ongoing interactions between the student and academic advisor. Fulfillment of the objectives is measured by the dissertation for students in the doctoral programs (DrPH, PhD in Environmental Health Sciences or Molecular Toxicology, and the DEnv).

The MPH and DrPH programs focus on training expert professionals with a broader understanding of the synergistic relationship between applied environmental and public health issues. The MS and PhD programs educate professionals and innovative researchers in specialized areas of the field.

The department also offers the DEnv degree, a unique interdepartmental degree program that provides students with a broad understanding of the environment and with the technical and managerial skills of environmental problem solving. The Department is also the home of the Molecular Toxicology Program, a doctoral program that utilizes the campus-wide ACCESS program to provide a sound grounding in laboratory techniques as well as the traditional in-depth original investigation.