Master of Science, Concentration in Environmental Health PDF Print
The MS in Environmental Health prepares graduates to work as program or project managers, as staff scientists or research associates.  As awareness of environmental influences on human health increases among policymakers and the public, opportunities for graduates to make a difference are expanding.  These opportunities are found in state and federal agencies, town governments, nonprofit organizations, environmental consulting firms, university settings and industry. Students focus in one of four substantive areas: environmental epidemiology; urban and community health; exposure and risk assessment; or toxicology. The MS program is strongly rooted in the Department of Environmental Health and the School of Public Health and also takes advantage of the rich intellectual community of Boston University to create a deep and flexible curriculum. 

MS Requirements

MS candidates must complete a total of 48 credits (12 courses), with a minimum grade of B in each required course.  The program can be completed in 18 months and must be completed in 5 years. 

All students take a common set of six courses:  
EP 713 Introduction to Epidemiology
EH 710 Physiologic Principles for Public Health
EH 765 Survey of Environmental Health
EH 768 Introduction to Toxicology
EH 804 Exposure Assessment
BS 723 Introduction to Statistical Computing


Students also take a set of three courses required for their chosen area of focused study.  There is some overlap in the course requirements of the four areas of study, all of which draw on the following list of courses:  

EH 757 Environmental Epidemiology
EH 807 Urban Environmental Health
EH 811 Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Public Health
EH 840 Intermediate Toxicology
EH 866 Risk Assessment Methods
BS 805 Intermediate Statistical Computing and Applied Regression Analysis
BS 852 Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
BS 857 Anlys Corr Data
SB 818 Qualitative Research Methods
EP 775 Social Epidemiology
EP 813 Intermediate Epidemiology
EP 854 Advanced Epidemiology (formerly Modern Epidemiology)
- EH962 Research in Environmental Health

- MS753* Cell Biology 
*in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences of the Boston University School of Medicine.  

Students participate in an integrative experience that has three components: a research or internship experience, a paper in which the student conducts a rigorous analysis of the work conducted, and an oral presentation of the paper in a departmental seminar. 

Eligibility for Admission to the Program
  1. Applicants should hold a Bachelor's degree in a field related to environmental health (i.e. a focused undergraduate program in biology, chemistry, physics, or engineering; or a broader undergraduate program in environmental sciences or public health) or must have completed substantial course work in one of these fields.
  2. Official transcripts for all registered coursework from each college or university attended.  A high level of past academic performance is expected, particularly in courses within the applicant's undergraduate major or coursework related to environmental sciences or public health.  Recommended GPA > 3.2/4.0.
  3. All candidates will be required to submit GRE scores or MCAT scores that are less than five years old. It is recommended that relevant test scores (verbal, analytic and quantitative) be above the 60th percentile.
  4. Applicants must demonstrate competence in English. Candidates from countries where English is not the language of instruction must submit either TOEFL or IELTS scores to the Admissions Committee. Applicants must achieve a TOEFL score of 100 (on the current version of the exam), 250 (for the earlier electronic version), or 600 (for the earlier paper-based version). 
  5. Documentation of academic skills and interests from three references will be required. The Committee will be especially interested in references from former undergraduate (or graduate) school professors and former supervisors of environmental health or research-related employment.
  6. A resume or curriculum vitae.
  7. Applicants must provide evidence of their preparedness, interest, and elementary understanding of the environmental health research field in the form of a concise personal statement. This statement should include: the candidate's reason for studying environmental health; his/her desired particular area of study within the department;  the anticipated value of environmental health training at Boston University to the candidate's personal career plans; and the relevance of his/her prior education and experience.
For more information about the program, please contact Dr. Verónica Vieira, Program Director.