Pursing a degree in environmental health is an excellent decision for those who wish to help communities to maintain overall well health while observing how the environment surrounding them impacts their general well-being. Environmental health observes a person’s environmental surroundings and realizes how these surroundings affect the state of their overall health in terms of exposure to different biological, chemical, and environmental factors.
Environmental health professionals can work in a variety of different settings from local community centers to certain populations around the globe, and many find that this type of career is as rewarding as it is challenging. Professionals in environmental health also help to come up with solutions to aid communities in improving their health as it is affected by their external environment.
Featured MPH Programs for Environmental Health
For those looking to obtain a degree in environmental health some schools and programs worthy of consideration are:
Baylor University College of Arts and Sciences
Bachelor of Science Degree Major in Environmental Health Science
Summary
Graduates from this program obtaining a bachelor’s degree in environmental health sciences are prepared to work in research in a variety of different fields from nuclear agents to biological health hazards around the globe. Baylor University’s College of Arts and Science’s environmental health science program is comprised of 37 semester hours of study in order to obtain the degree and these semester hours of study are broken into required courses as well as electives to allow students to explore their related areas of interest.
Tuition
The tuition costs associated with this program are around $44,176 for each academic year during the course of the program.
Boston University School of Public Health
Master of Public Health with concentration in Environmental Health
Master of Science with concentration in Environmental Health
Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Health
Summary
Boston University’s School of Public Health offers 3 different graduate programs with environmental health as their main focus. This allows students to obtain a specialized degree in environmental health while also earning their master or PhD degree as well, providing them with a way to work in their desired career field faster.
The Environmental Health Department of Boston University uses cutting edge technology to teach students about all of the different factors involved with environmental health and students are prepared to work in a global setting upon graduation.
Tuition
For the master of science program, students can be expected to pay around $21.985 per year for full time study, for the PhD program this tuition price is $1,374 per credit.
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Health
Summary
This undergraduate program offered to students by University of Massachusetts Lowell allows students to obtain a bachelor’s degree in environmental health. The faculty teaching the program is both nationally and internationally recognized for excellence in environmental health teaching, and this is the sole environmental health bachelor’s degree program in all of New England.
Internships and hands-on work is available to students to better prepare them for their work in the field, and the interdisciplinary education received through the program helps to build a strong foundation for furthering one’s education or excelling in a real-world implementation of skills.
Tuition
Full-time in state students can expect to pay around $1,454 per year during the course of this program, while out of state students will be expected to pay $8,567 per year.
University of Washington School of Public Health
Master of Science in Environmental Health
Summary
This graduate program allows students to pursue a master of science degree in environmental health, preparing them to implement their skills in a leadership position while succeeding in their professional lives. The focus of this program is to teach students to identify multiple environmental health hazards and create solutions to aid the health of those who may have been exposed to them. This program is comprised of required master’s core courses, environmental health core courses, and 9 credits of chosen electives.
Tuition
Residents of Washington can expect to pay around $14,904 per year in tuition during the course of the program, while non-residents will pay $27,594 per year.
University of Georgia College of Public Health
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health
Summary
This undergraduate program offered by University of Georgia’s College of Public Health allows students to obtain a bachelor’s degree in public health during the course of 4 years. This program focuses on multiple science studies to allow for a well-rounded and strong foundation in the field, allowing students all they need to expand upon their education should they choose.
Tuition
The tuition for this school is around $332 per credit hour for in state students and $937 per credit hour for out of state students.
Selection Criteria for Environmental Health Degree Programs
Accreditation
The quality of any public health program rests on the academic standards of the department that offers it. The qualifications of the faculty, the research and reference resources available, the subjects covered in the curriculum, the standards for administrative support and evaluation… these are all aspects of your degree program that you really want to know are nailed down.
That’s why accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is a crucial criteria behind the schools on this list. As the speciality accreditation agency for public health programs recognized by the U.S. Department of Education since 1974, CEPH evaluates #MPH programs according to the unique demands and core competencies required for public health service. Accreditation is so important that it is a requirement in order to sit for the major professional certification exam, the CPH (Certified in Public Health) from NBPHE (National Board of Public Health Examiners).
Research
Public health is a field that is constantly evolving, and it’s evolving because of the hard work that instructors and doctoral students put into both statistical and on-the-ground research efforts. Getting a solid education in environmental health means getting directly involved in the front-line investigations of emerging threats and tracking old foes. Whether it’s continuing work on the eradication of malaria or controlling dengue, or breaking ground on Ebola or other hemorrhagic viruses, your expertise in the field will be honed only at schools that offer deep and meaningful research options.
Faculty
Although the CEPH accreditation process covers the basic skills and qualifications that a public health program must require of faculty, there’s plenty of room above that baseline for schools to distinguish themselves. There’s no question that it’s a field that has rock stars… professors like Minnesota’s Ancel Keys, who launched the revolutionary Seven Countries Study, or James Harlan Steele of UT, widely considered to be the father of veterinary public health.
And while not every school has a faculty that reaches those heights, there are many that have instructors who are highly respected in the field. We sought out programs who have faculty with genuine on-the-ground experience and expertise in the field who are active in making important contributions in both research and practice.
Cost
Although cost was not our primary consideration in developing this top picks list, it’s always something to look at when considering what school to pick for a doctoral degree. So while we chose only schools that are the very best in the field, we let you know what the costs will look like so you can choose something that is not only excellent, but affordable.
Reputation
The top schools in public health don’t hide their light under a bushel; usually we’re not the only ones who have figured out they belong on lists like this. We consider the opinions of other popular third-party rankings, such as those from The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report, or the Economist. Chances are good that a school we’ve found at the top of the spectrum has also been well-reviewed by one or more of them.
Hands-on Practice
Public health is a hands-on business, and any CEPH-accredited program will include practical experience that puts you out in the real world for a face-to-face exposure to the conditions that you will face in practicing after graduation. This kind of experience is critical for the kind of practical, well-rounded graduates that the field demands, and some schools do a better job of planning, supporting, and placing students in experiential positions than others.
All schools shown here have been contacted and informed of their inclusion on this list. Schools that do not wish to be featured are immediately removed. School names are the registered trademarks of their original owners. The use of any trade name or trademark does not imply any association with the school.
