Environmental Health – Campus

Environmental health

Improve public health by preventing, identifying, tracking, and mitigating envrionmental risk factors

Career opportunities: State/federal environmentalist, food safety specialist, environmental research associate, built environment specialist, environmental health specialist, academic

Field research

Overview

Professionals trained in environmental health study the impact of our surroundings on our health. They understand how environmental risk factors can cause diseases like asthma, cancer, and food poisoning. Environmental health professionals make up approximately half of public health personnel and the field accounts for about half of public health expenditures. Students interested in environmental health typically have a background in biological or physical sciences, engineering, nursing, medicine, and veterinary medicine. Prior experience in chemistry, biology, statistics, and Microsoft Excel software is desirable. Those who graduate with an MPH in environmental health find challenging positions in federal, state, and county departments of health and environmental protection, other federal agencies, consulting and research companies, academic institutions, and industry.

The MPH in environmental health is part of the Department of Environmental and Global Health. Many faculty who teach in the concentration have research laboratories in the Emerging Pathogens Institute or the Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology. Some faculty members hold joint appointments in other UF colleges, including the College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Medicine. The program offers depth in the effects of chemical exposure and biological agents on human health and the environment. Required concentration core courses include general toxicology, human health risk assessment, risk communication, and exposure assessment. Environmental health courses draw on the extensive expertise of the University of Florida faculty and the unique ecology of our state.

If you are interested in the environmental health concentration, please contact askmph@phhp.ufl.edu.

Environmental Health Curricula

Additional information on the curriculum, including plans of study, can be found in the MPH Student Handbook.

Environmental Health Core Courses

  • PHC 6937 Environmental Toxicology Applications in Public Health
    Prereq: working knowledge of bio, physiology, and biochem
  • PHC 6424 Environmental Policy and Risk Management
  • PHC 6702 Exposure Measurement and Assessment
    Prereq: calc, stats & some chem, physics and/or bio
  • PHC 6937 Environmental Ecology of Human Pathogens
  • PHC 6764 Global Health and Development I

Concentration Competencies

Upon completion of the MPH program, students with a concentration in environmental health should have mastered the following competencies:

  1. Examine the direct and indirect human and ecological health effects of major environmental agents
  2. Develop a quantitative risk assessment framework for environmental hazards
  3. Apply knowledge of environmental legislation to case studies to determine jusidiction and approach
  4. Apply approaches for assessing environmental exposures, including exposure assessment design and methods
  5. Demonstrate cultural sensitivity and appropriate communication when engaged in public health practice and research

Interested in the other concentrations offered in the MPH program? Explore more options on the Concentrations page.