PhD in Environmental Health

Pending IBHE Approval

Admission Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

  • Baccalaureate Field A major in the biological, physical, or social sciences is preferred. Students must have a relevant master's degree and meet the prerequisites for admission to the MS which include one year of college math, one course in college chemistry, and one course in biology or physics prior to enrollment in the MS program.
  • Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00.
  • Tests Required None; Standardized test scores are optional. Test scores are not required but will be considered if an applicant chooses to submit them.

  • English Proficiency Additional information on the English proficiency test requirement for international students can be found on the UIC Admissions website. Minimum test scores for this program are:

    • Exam Score Reading Listening Speaking Writing
      TOEFL iBT 80 19 17 20 21
      IELTS Academic 6.5 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0
      PTE Academic 54 51 47 53 56
  • Letters of Recommendation Three required.
  • Personal Statement Required; the statement should address the applicant’s intended research, career goals, and reason for pursuing the PhD degree in the chosen area.
  • Other Requirements: Applicants may submit their master’s thesis as evidence of their ability to plan and complete significant health-related research.

Degree Requirements

  • Minimum Semester Hours Required 96 from the baccalaureate.
  • Coursework Students must complete a minimum of 9 semester hours in formal 500 series courses in major area of concentration (not necessarily in one division). Students must also complete 6 semester hours in a collateral area. Note: The 595-seminar series may not be counted towards fulfillment of this requirement. 

School of Public Health Core Requirements

Required Courses
IPHS 450
Foundations and Determinants of Public Health
EPID 403
Introduction to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods
BSTT 400
Biostatistics I
BSTT 401
Biostatistics II
Required Non-Credit Training
Human Subjects Research
Title IX Training
SPH Academic Integrity Tutorial

Divisional Requirements 

Required Courses
EOHS 401
Foundations of Environmental and Occupational Health
EOHS 402
Systems Approach in Environmental and Occupational Health
EOHS 495
Environmental/Occupational Health Seminar
EOHS 501
Exposure Assessment Strategies
EOHS 502
Environment, Toxicology, and Disease
EOHS 556
Risk Assessment in Environmental and Occupational Health
EOHS 595
PhD Seminar in EOHS
Methods Selective
Students should select one course from one of the following lists of courses in either qualitative OR quantitative methods; to be selected according to academic needs and research activities.
Qualitative Methods
CHSC 534
Management and Analysis of Qualitative Data
CLJ 561
Qualitative Methods and Design
DHD 546
Qualitative Methods in Disability Research
NURS 574
Qualitative Research in Nursing
PSCH 531
Community Research
Quantitative Methods
BSTT 537
Longitudinal Data Analysis
EPID 500
Applied Methods for the Analysis of Epidemiologic Data
EPID 501
Advanced Quantitative Methods in Epidemiology
IE 442
Design and Analysis of Experiments in Engineering
Electives
Students are required to complete 9 semester hours of 500-level courses related to their declared area of concentration, and 6 semester hours of 500-level courses related to their declared collateral area. EOHS 595 cannot be applied towards these requirements.
Students are required to take electives to obtain a minimum of 96 semester hours. Students without a prior master’s degree in public health or a related area will be required to complete 37 semester hours of electives.
  • Dissertation Required. Students must register in IPHS 599 for at least 32 semester hours.
  • Other Requirements Students must obtain supervised experience in classroom teaching in at least one course for at least part of a semester.