OEH Programs

Occupational and Environmental Health Master of Science Degree

Degree Description and Learner Objectives

This program aims to prepare graduate level students for professional careers in environmental and occupational health. The program targets baccalaureate degree students who have had strong undergraduate preparation in science including two semesters of chemistry, one semester of physics, and mathematics and calculus. Course work in biological science, microbiology, and computer programming is highly desirable. The degree requires a minimum of 38 semester hours and prepares students for career opportunities in local, state, or federal health agencies and in departments of industrial health and safety in commercial enterprises and academic institutions.

Graduates of the MS Occupational and Environmental Health will be able to:

1. Understand and demonstrate the use of statistical analyses including: graphs and tables, descriptive statistics, probability, binomial and normal distributions, sampling distributions, tests of significance, confidence intervals, frequency data analysis, linear regression and correlation and nonparametric tests.
2. Understand epidemiological principles including: design and analysis of case-control and cohort studies, historical and current examples of descriptive and analytic epidemiologic studies, etiologic factors in human disease and the determinants of disease in man.
3. Understand the principles and integration of the practice of occupational medicine, industrial hygiene and safety, occupational health nursing, ergonomics and occupational health management.
4. Assess contemporary human health issues associated with the biological, chemical and physical factors of the environment and to perform a critical review of environmental factors that affect health.
5. Discuss and identify the sources, routes of entry, and effects of environmental toxicants and their effects on humans; as well as the pathophysiology of toxicant actions, including those of air and water pollutants, metals, pesticides, solvents, mycotoxins, food toxicants and other chemicals.

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