MS, Environmental Health

Degree Program Summary:

The Department of Environmental Health Science offers two graduate degrees: M.S. in environmental health and PhD in environmental health. We also participate in the M.S. and Ph.D. in toxicology through the Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program. An additional (professional) degree, the MPH (Master of Public Health) is administered through the College of Public Health with a concentration in environmental health science (EHS). The M.S. degree in environmental health is offered with the opportunity to specialize in environmental protection, industrial hygiene, or public health and may be completed as a terminal degree or as a preparatory step toward a Ph.D. degree. Faculty within the Department of Environmental Health Science have expertise in several fundamental and applied disciplines affording a diverse selection of courses and research programs. Courses in environmental air and water quality, risk assessment, industrial hygiene, toxicology, waste management, environmental epidemiology, and statistics provide in-depth training for employment in commercial concerns, government agencies and academic institutions. Research resources include facilities equipped to handle a wide range of chemical, molecular and genomic studies, toxicological bioassays, air or water quality assessments, microbiological and environmental issues. Prospective students who desire financial aid may apply for assistance directly to the Department of Environmental Health Science. A limited number of research and teaching assistantships are available through individual faculty members or the department. Other assistantships are available through the Graduate School. Apply before December 31 to allow for full consideration for these university-wide competitions.

Graduate programs in environmental health science emphasize the chemical, microbiological, physical, risk assessment, and policy aspects of environmental and occupational exposures and effects. Faculty members measure and model human and wildlife exposures to environmental and workplace contaminants; develop techniques and methods for collecting, analyzing, and assessing the effects of chemical, microbiological, and physical factors; and conduct risk evaluations of hazardous agents in water, soil, air, and food. Collaborative research is conducted with investigators throughout the United States and abroad.

Graduate students conduct research under the guidance of one or more faculty member in the department and complete a curriculum of required and elective courses. The department comprises 9 full-time faculty members, two emeritus faculty members, and one adjunct faculty. All faculty members are housed on the Athens campus with fully equipped laboratories and instrumentation needed for graduate environmental health.

To the extent possible, the EHSC faculty supports the education of graduate students in the form of a graduate research assistantship. An assistantship grants the student a tuition waiver and a monthly stipend. Typically, research assistantships are funded by research projects directed by individual faculty members. Thus, prospective graduate students are strongly encouraged to browse the biographical sketches of EHSC faculty and learn about their research interests and current projects. In addition, a few Teaching Assistantships through the EHS Department are available on a competitive basis. Prospective students are encouraged to initiate contact with faculty members whose research interests overlap with the interests and career goals of the student.