Environmental Health Sciences
Introduction
Degree Programs
Admissions
Financial Support
Opportunities for Graduates
Further Information
Environmental factors are estimated to be responsible for 25-40 percent of the burden of human ill-health around the world and often most seriously affect the most vulnerable members of society, such as young children, pregnant women, and the poor. The EHS curriculum prepares students to assess the health impacts of physical, chemical, and biological agents in the environment and workplace and to explore means for their measurement and control. EHS integrates several disciplines with emphasis in assessment of exposures to environmental contaminants, toxicology, environmental and occupational epidemiology, risk assessment, and policy analysis. Students learn to apply tools in these disciplines to problems in both the U.S. and other parts of the world.
Much of our work at Berkeley is focused on the study of human populations exposed to chemical or biological agents in either the community or occupational environments. Faculty in our group are closely involved with epidemiological studies, often employing biological markers of human exposure. Many of these studies are done in collaboration with other first-rank research institutions in the USA and around the world. Collaborative research opportunities also exist with strong groups in exposure assessment in the College of Engineering at Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Graduate programs are offered for both professional degrees (M.P.H. and Dr.P.H.) and academic degrees (M.S., Ph.D. and joint M.S./Ph.D.). The EHS Division in the School of Public Health is the administrative home for the M.P.H. and academic degree programs. The EHS core courses: PH 220C (or PH 270E), PH 250A (or PH250B), Ph 270A, PH 270B and PH 292/293), as well as two biostatistics courses (such as PH 142A and PH 142B) are general requirements of all students regardless of the degree or program being pursued.
The EHS Division is affiliated with the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH) which links the EHS program with clinically oriented programs at the Davis and San Francisco campuses. The COEH is also an Educational Resource Center of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which provides student support at Berkeley in the areas of industrial hygiene and ergonomics. Additionally, the COEH sponsors community outreach to labor groups through the Labor Occupational Health Program.
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)
The M.P.H. program is recommended for students who wish to work as environmental or occupational health practitioners. The M.P.H. is a two-year program and is often the degree path for students who wish to go on to a Ph.D. program in environmental health sciences.
Requirements for the M.P.H. Degree:
The M.P.H. degree in environmental health sciences requires four semesters (two semesters for students with prior medical or doctoral training) of academic work, for a minimum of 40 units. Additional requirements are as follows:
- EHS core courses PH 220C (or PH 270E), PH 250A (or PH 250B), PH 270A, PH 270B, - 13 units
- M.P.H. seminar (PH 292 or PH 293) - 1 unit
- An advanced biostatistics course (e.g. PH 145)
- School of Public Health breadth requirements PH 142, PH 145, PH 250A (or PH 250B) (or alternatives listed in SPH Handbook) and PH 200 - 9 units
- Advanced courses - 9 units, minimum
- Electives, including seminars - 5 units, minimum
- A written comprehensive exam to be taken during the final semester in residence.
- Internship/field training (required of students without prior relevant experience and those who specialize in Industrial Hygiene)
Doctor of Public Health (Dr.P.H.)
The Dr.P.H. Degree is a schoolwide program and is conferred in recognition of a candidate's comprehensive knowledge of the field of public health and proven leadership ability. Those who complete this degree program will hold positions that have major influence on the policies, programs and institutions of public health. Although the core of this program is public health administration and leadership, students may chose to focus their studies in the environmental health field. For further information about the Dr.P.H., please contact the Student Services Office in the School of Public Health at (510) 643-0881.
Academic Degrees: Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Academic degree programs in the Graduate Group in Environmental Health Sciences are recommended for individuals with clear research orientations who wish to complete work of an interdisciplinary nature. Applicants may apply to the M.S. program only, to the Ph.D. program, or to the joint M.S./Ph.D. program (continuation into the Ph.D. program is contingent upon successful completion of the M.S. requirements). The Graduate Group in EHS is administered within the Division of Environmental Health. Although students receive their academic degrees from the Graduate Group (under the jurisdiction of the Graduate Division of the Berkeley campus), academic degree students are affiliated with and apply to the School of Public Health.
The M.S. program requires a minimum of 20-24 semester units of course work (depending on the degree plan being pursued) plus a thesis or an original research project. Course work is designed to provide specialization in one area and to develop skills required for the research project. The M.S. generally takes two full years to complete.
Students with M.S. or M.P.H. degrees may apply to the Ph.D. program, provided they have well-focused project goals and firm knowledge of the research techniques. Ph.D. students typically spend one to two years in course work before taking the qualifying examination. An additional one to three years is required for completion of research and submission of the dissertation.
The M.S. HED (Health, Environment, and Development) Program offers a cross-campus curriculum to interested students (see above).
Educational Background: A baccalaureate or higher degree in physical, chemical or biological science; engineering; or medicine with a GPA of 3.0 (minimum). Applicants with non-science majors who meet the undergraduate course work requirements will be considered.
Prerequisite Course Work: Calculus (one year minimum), chemistry (two years minimum, including organic chemistry), and biology (one year minimum). All of these courses must be completed prior to enrolling in the program.
Graduate Record Exam (GRE): All domestic applicants (except physicians), and international applicants whose native language is English or who have studied for one year or more in schools or universities where English is the language of instruction, are required to submit the verbal, quantitative and analytical scores for the GRE. Test scores more than five years old will not be accepted. Specific subject tests are not required. Although there is no minimum GRE score required for admission, most applicants score at or above the 60th percentile. In order to guarantee that scores are available before the admission deadline, applicants must take the exam by December, but an earlier exam date is preferable.
Evidence of English Language Proficiency: All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. There are two standardized tests applicants may take, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) assessment. For admission, the minimum TOEFL score is 570, and the IELTS score must be at least 7 on a 9-point scale. Tests taken before June 1997 will not be accepted.
Statement of Purpose: Clarity and focus are critical, especially for students applying to the research-based academic degrees.
Work Experience: Highly beneficial, but not required.
Applicants must also meet the School's admissions requirements to be admitted to the program.
Graduate students are eligible and encouraged to apply for: Extramural fellowships (e.g. from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease) and intramural fellowships through UCB Graduate Division Teaching and Research Assistantships awarded by the Environmental Health Sciences Division and Environmental Health Sciences faculty.
Excellent career opportunities are available for graduates, especially for specialists in industrial hygiene and toxicology. Graduates of the Ph.D. program enter positions in academia and in both public and private institutions where research is performed. M.S. and M.P.H. graduates usually work for industry or government. In the last few years, alumni have accepted job offers at such organizations as USEPA (Research Scientist), Hewlett Packard (Industrial Hygienist), University of Oxford (Postdoctoral Fellow), California EPA (Research Scientist), Public Service Corporation of Colorado (Environmental Analyst), State Compensation Insurance Fund (Industrial Hygienist/Compliance Officer), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Director of Clinical Services), State Department of Health Services (Health Program Manager), Environmental Toxicology Inc. (Toxicologist), California Department of Toxic Substances (Chief of Technological Clearing House), California Legal Assistance Foundation (Environmental Health Consultant), Applied Risk Management (Information Services Manager), and Bechtel Corporation (Environmental Engineer).
Visit the Environmental Health Sciences Division web site at EHS Division web site to learn more about the program or contact contact Norma Firestone, EHS Program Coordinator at ehs_div@berkeley.edu or (510) 643-5160.
Also see the EHS Student Handbook.