Prospective Students

Welcome to the Department of Environmental Health. On this page, you will find basic guidance about choosing a degree program in environmental health--or about choosing a concentration in the MPH program. We've also provided links to other parts of the department website that we think you'll find interesting.

Which environmental health degree is right for you?

The MPH program trains students to work as environmental health practitioners in a wide range of settings. MPH students concentrating in environmental health get a thorough grounding in environmental health science and basic research methods. However, the program has a broad public health scope and includes required courses in health law, health services, and social and behavioral sciences. To find out more about the environmental health concentration in the MPH program, click here.

The DSc program trains students for careers in research and teaching in an academic setting, and the degree requirements include research rotations, a qualifying exam, research, and a thesis. The curriculum for this program provides considerably more depth than the MPH curriculum, in both environmental health science and in the epidemiologic and statistical methods used to do research in environmental health. Not all DSc graduates work in research-some work in policy settings, for example-but all are trained to do so. To find out more about the DSc program, click here.

Which concentration in the MPH program is right for you?

The Department of Environmental Health has especially close ties to two other departments in the School-the Department of Epidemiology and the Department of International Health, which reflects the connections between research and practice in these fields. Prospective MPH students often ask which of these concentrations will be the best fit to their interests.

Environmental health and epidemiology. Epidemiologic research provides much of what we know about environmental health risks to people. What motivates you most? A desire to work on environmental health problems in the field, perhaps using your training in epidemiology? Or a desire to work as part of an epidemiologic research team, on health issues ranging from hormone-mimicking chemicals to heart disease?

Environmental health and international health. Many environmental health problems create especially heavy burdens in lower-income countries. What motivates you most? A desire to work on environmental health problems, focusing in lower-income countries? Or a desire to work in lower-income countries, addressing problems ranging from pollution to pharmaceutical policy?

More about education in the Department of Environmental Health

These links will tell you about some of our doctoral students and their research interests: read about Jessica Nelson, Mose Herne, and Joe Allen.

All doctoral students take part in three one-semester rotations in ongoing research projects in the department. During these rotations, students explore different topic areas by taking part in research activities and meetings. These experiences help students figure out where their own research interests lie, and often lead to dissertation work. To browse through doctoral research rotations, click here.