• Description of Program
• Degree Requirements
• Special Opportunities
• Careers

Description of Program

The Master of Science (MS) in Environmental and Occupational Health is a research-focused degree, designed to be completed in two years, with either a thesis or a graduate research project that is typically completed during the final year in the program. The MS in Environmental and Occupational Health degree will provide graduate students with training in important analytic and technical skills and cutting-edge research methods in environmental and occupational health. Students who graduate from this program will be prepared to enter the job market, where there are a wide range of opportunities in environmental health and related fields. Furthermore, this degree will prepare students to enter advanced graduate programs focused on research in environmental, occupational and other public health disciplines (PhD, DrPH), as well as other health-related academic and professional disciplines (MD, DO, DVM).

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 36 credit hours is required to complete this degree program. A minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) is required for graduation. A minimum grade of C is required in each course.

Public Health Foundations Requirement (0 credits)
All new Master's degree students must complete the Public Health Foundations online course no later than the end of their first semester of graduate study. Complete details and registration information for this course can be found at the following website: https://iu.instructure.com/enroll/MNG3L6

Environmental and Occupational Health Core: (15 credits)

Complete each of the following courses (15 cr.):

• SPH-E 651 Epidemiology (3 cr.)
• SPH-Q 501 Introduction to Statistics in Public Health (or equivalent)
• SPH-V 541 Environmental Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 549 Public Health Biology (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 692 Research in Environmental Health (3 cr.)

Environmental and Occupational Health Electives: (9 credits)

Complete 9 credits from the following courses (15 cr.):

• SPH-V 542 Principles of Toxicology (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 545 Exposure Assessment and Control (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 546 Risk Assessment, Policy, and Toxic Regulations (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 522 Global Environmental Health Issues (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 548 Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 532 Foundations of Global Environmental Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 533 Human Health Assessment Methods in Global Settings (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 633 Field Research Methods in Global Environmental Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 635 Interdisciplinary Field Research in Global Environmental Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 5__ Other advisor approved Environmental and Occupational Health course at the 500-level or higher (3 cr.)

Required Research Option: (3-6 credits)

Complete one of the following courses:

• SPH-V 599 Masters Thesis (6 cr.)

          OR

• SPH-V 598 Graduate Research Project in Environmental and Occupational Health (3 cr.)

Multidisciplinary Electives: (6-9 credits)

Complete between 6 and 9 credits from the following courses, or from the Environmental and Occupational Health Electives from above which are in addition to the required 9 credits above:

• SPH-E 653 Chronic Disease Epidemiology (3 cr.)
• SPH-E 655 Infectious Disease Epidemiology (3 cr.)
• SPH-E 658 Intermediate Epidemiology (3 cr.)
• SPH-E 659 Intermediate Epidemiological Methods (3 cr.)
• SPH-Q 502 Intermediate Statistics in Public Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-Q 602 Multivariate Statistical Analysis (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 560 Environmental Justice in the Anthropocene (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 625 Integrated Models for Environmental Health Research (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 650 Special Topics in Environmental Health (3 cr.)
• SPH-V 691 Readings in Environmental Health (3 cr.)
• SPEA-E 536 Environmental Chemistry (3 cr.)
• SPEA-E 539 Aquatic Chemistry (3 cr.)
• SPEA-E 542 Hazardous Materials (3 cr.)
• SPEA-E 543 Environmental Management (3 cr.)
• SPEA-E 552 Environmental Engineering (3 cr.)
• SPEA-E 560 Environmental Risk Analysis (3 cr.)
• SPEA-E 562 Solid and Hazardous Waste Management (3 cr.)
• SPEA-E 564 Organic Pollutant Environmental Chemicals and Fate (3 cr.)
• BIOC-B 501 Integrated Biochemistry (3 cr.)
• BIOC-B 530 Macromolecular Structure/Function (1.5 cr.)
• BIOC-B 531 Biomolecular Analysis/Interact (1.5 cr.)
• BIOC-B 580 Intro to Biochemical Research (3 cr.)
• Others as approved by the student’s faculty committee (3 cr.)

Special Opportunities

The Department of Environmental and Occupational Health is committed to promoting and protecting the health and well-being of human populations. Our department is comprised of diverse faculty who are engaged in multidisciplinary research, teaching and service in Indiana and globally. The research of faculty within the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health is broadly focused on understanding how environmental risks impact human health. We seek to provide students with the necessary skills and knowledge in toxicology, occupational health, and global environmental health to solve environmental health challenges locally and globally.

Careers

The MS in Environmental and Occupational Health degree will serve both a national and a state labor market need. The job outlook for Environmental Health scientists and specialists is strong. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates an approximate 11% increase in employment of environmental scientists and specialists from 2014 to 2024 (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/environmental-scientists-and-specialists.htm). The Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD) estimates an 17.7% increase in jobs for environmental scientists and specialists, and a 16.4% increase in jobs for environmental science and protection technicians between now and 2024.

Students who graduate with an MS in Environmental and Occupational Health degree will be prepared to enter the job market where there are a wide range of opportunities. Individuals holding an earned MS in Environmental and Occupational Health degree are employed in virtually every sector of the workforce including employment in:

• State and local health departments, for example the Indiana State Health Department or Marion County Health Department
• Federal government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Pharmaceutical and chemical companies such as Cook, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Chevron Corporation, DowAgro Corporation, Dupont, and Eli Lilly
• International agencies and organizations such as the World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, and World Bank
• Consulting firms
• National and global organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Kaiser Foundation, CARE, Save-the-Children, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization
• Academia, including medical centers and biomedical research laboratories

This research-intensive degree, the MS in Environmental and Occupational Health degree, will also prepare students to enter advanced graduate programs focused on research in environmental, occupational, and other public health disciplines, (PhD, DrPH), environmental science, biology, and health-related professions including medicine, nursing, and veterinary medicine, and other health professions.