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MS, Environmental Health Sciences

SPH Environmental Health Sciences students conducting water sampling

Understand and mitigate environmental hazards to promote human health and well-being

Environmental health explores the impacts of environmental hazards (air, water, soil and food) on human health in the context of socio-cultural, economic, work and family environments.

Perfect for...

  • Individuals seeking early graduate training to support future PhD applications
  • Individuals with overlapping interests in engineering, medicine, health policy, agriculture, epidemiology, computer modeling, chemistry, microbiology or geography

Career Paths

  • State departments of health environmental officer
  • Federal agency environmental officer
  • Academic researcher
  • Industry researcher
  • Medical professional

Program Overview

The Master of Science program in Environmental Health Sciences provides advanced graduate-level training in environmental health research. The program includes essential core knowledge in environmental health, exposure assessment, epidemiology and biostatistics and includes completion of practical research training, culminating in a Master's Thesis. Within the program, there is a significant public health focus on underserved communities experiencing environmental injustices. 

See all Global, Environmental, and Occupational Health student resources.

  1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the interdisciplinary field of environmental health.
  2. (for M.S. non-thesis project students) Develop a testable hypothesis that would advance the field of environmental health.
  3. (for M.S. thesis students) Design and conduct a research study, analyze data and test a hypothesis that advances the science of environmental health.

Students in the Master of Science (MS) program in Environmental Health Sciences complete an essential core of knowledge in environmental health, epidemiology and biostatistics, in addition to a laboratory rotation, an ethics course and a seminar course.

32 credits including thesis and rotation with a faculty member.


Course Module Course Name Credits
Required School of Public Health courses SPHL600 Foundations of Public Health 3
SPHL602 Foundations of Epidemiology and Biostatistics 4
SPHL603 Public Health Data Laboratory 1
SPHL611 Public Health Ethics or SPHL612 Research Ethics 1
Cognate Area Courses MIEH600 Foundations of Environmental Health 3
MIEH720 Principles of Toxicology 3
MIEH740 Environmental Health Risk Assessment 3
MIEH771 Exposure Assessment of Environmental Hazards 3
MIEH609 Methods in Environmental Health 3
Elective 2
Thesis MIEH799 Master's Thesis Research 6
Non-thesis MIEH789 Independent Study 3
Elective Non-thesis students will take a second elective (3 credits) 3
Total 33

*In order to meet the academic standards of GEOH, students must achieve a grade of B- or higher in all required courses (ie: all MIEH and SPHL courses). Failure to meet this requirement will result in the need for a student to retake a course in which they earn a C+ or lower.

Example MS Course Sequence