Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences
Admission Requirements
- Prior Degree Bachelor's degree in any field.
- Grade Point Average Admitted students typically have at least a combined undergraduate/graduate grade point average of 3.00/4.00. However, all applicants are given a holistic evaluation of their application. Applicants with less than a 3.00 are encouraged to apply if they believe that their application is strong in other areas.
- Prerequisite Courses Two semesters of college math, one course in college chemistry and one course in either biology OR physics prior to enrollment. In addition, applicants should have completed coursework in college-level mathematics, biology, general and organic chemistry, and physics. Exceptions may be granted for applicants with relevant work experience or high-level academic achievements. Exceptions may be admitted with an individually documented plan of study to compensate for deficiencies, although applicants are strongly encouraged to satisfy all deficiencies prior to matriculation. Applicants are invited to consult with the Industrial Hygiene Program Director about possible deficiencies.
- Tests GRE is optional.
- Letters of Recommendation Three required, uploaded via the SOPHAS application.
- Resume or CV Required, uploaded via the SOPHAS application.
- Personal Statement Applicants will upload a 500-800 word statement focused on their interests/experiences in public health and the program they are applying to specifically, goals with the degree, and why they would be successful in the program. For students applying to research focused programs, the personal statement should also address potential research interests.
- Minimum English Competency Test Score for International Applicants
- TOEFL 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Test); 60, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Writing 21 (revised Paper-Delivered Test), OR,
- IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores, OR,
- PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
Degree Requirements
Minimum Semester Hours Required Comprehensive Program, 43; Professional Enhancement Program, 42; Industrial Hygiene Concentration, 49; Occupational and Environmental Medicine Concentration, 42; Occupational Safety Concentration, 48; Water Quality and Health Concentration, 47.
Course Work Students in the MPH program at UIC School of Public Health are required to complete 18-20 hours of school-wide core curriculum, two non-credit trainings, and concentration-specific requirements.
School-Wide Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Determinants of Population Health | ||
| Analytic and Research Methods in Population Health Part I and Analytic and Research Methods in Population Health Part II | ||
or IPHS 402 | Analytic and Research Methods in Public Health | |
| Public Health Systems, Management and Community Health Methods | ||
| Interprofessional Education | ||
| Applied Practice Experience | ||
| Integrative Learning Experience | ||
Non-Credit Training Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Training | ||
Title IX Training - Sexual Harassment | ||
SPH Academic Integrity Tutorial | ||
Divisional Core and Concentration Requirements
In addition to School-Wide Core requirements and Non-Credit Training requirements, students in the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences concentrations complete the following divisional and concentration requirements.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses (for all EOHS students) | ||
| Ethics and Justice in Environmental and Occupational Health | ||
| Systems Approach in Environmental and Occupational Health | ||
Concentrations
Students may select from the following concentrations or may build a general program of study within EOHS, in conjunction with their faculty advisor.
Generalist
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Chemistry for Environmental Professionals | ||
| Environmental/Occupational Health Seminar | ||
| Exposure Assessment Strategies | ||
| Environment, Toxicology, and Disease | ||
| Risk Assessment in Environmental and Occupational Health | ||
| At least one of the following computing skills courses: | ||
| Introductory Special Topics in Biostatistics | ||
| Programming and Simulation in R | ||
| Special Topics in Biostatistics | ||
| GIS for Environmental and Public Health Professionals | ||
| Health Related Database Design and Analysis | ||
| Datamining Applications in Public Health | ||
| Injury Epidemiology and Prevention | ||
| Epidemiologic Computing | ||
| Geographic Information Systems for Planning and Policy | ||
| Electives | ||
| Students in the Comprehensive Program must complete the electives necessary to reach the minimum required hours of 43 semester hours; PEP students must complete a total of 42 semester hours. Chosen electives must add depth to the student’s training in EOHS, and further the student’s attainment of the program competencies. | ||
Industrial Hygiene (ANSAC-ABET Accredited)
Students that complete the program in Industrial Hygiene reduce requirements to be a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH ®) and are eligible to become a Graduate Safety Practitioner (GSP ®) upon graduation ahead of Certified Safety Professionals (CSP ®) certification. The Industrial Hygiene Program is accredited by the Applied and Natural Sciences Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Occupational Health and Safety Practice | ||
| Evaluation and Control of Radiation Exposures | ||
| Evaluation and Control of Physical Agents | ||
| Evaluation and Control of Airborne Contaminants | ||
| Evaluation and Control of the Psychosocial Work Environment | ||
| Environmental/Occupational Health Seminar | ||
| Exposure Assessment Strategies | ||
| Environment, Toxicology, and Disease | ||
| Risk Assessment in Environmental and Occupational Health | ||
| Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems | ||
Additional Requirements
Trainees are required each year to:
-
Attend all weekly Illinois ERC Interdisciplinary Seminars (EOHS 495) (held weekly throughout the academic year)
-
Attend at least 4 Industrial Process Tours each year
Trainees are required to complete once:
- Present an Industrial Process Talk (scheduled during the ERC Seminar)
Occupational and Environmental Medicine
This concentration is only available to students in the Residency in Occupational Medicine program.
Students must complete the School-Wide Core Requirements and a sufficient number of the following courses to attain 42 semester hours of credit.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses (16 semester hours) | ||
| Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response | ||
| Occupational Health and Safety Practice | ||
| Environmental/Occupational Health Seminar | ||
| Environment, Toxicology, and Disease | ||
| Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems | ||
| Injury Epidemiology and Prevention | ||
Occupational Safety
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Occupational Health and Safety Practice | ||
| Evaluation and Control of Radiation Exposures | ||
| Evaluation and Control of Physical Agents | ||
| Evaluation and Control of the Psychosocial Work Environment | ||
| Environmental/Occupational Health Seminar | ||
| Exposure Assessment Strategies | ||
| Environment, Toxicology, and Disease | ||
| Occupational Safety | ||
| Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics | ||
| Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems | ||
| Injury Epidemiology and Prevention | ||
Additional Requirements
Trainees are required each year to:
-
Attend all weekly Illinois ERC Interdisciplinary Seminars (EOHS 495) (held weekly throughout the academic year)
-
Attend at least 4 Industrial Process Tours each year
Trainees are required to complete once:
-
Present an Industrial Process Talk (scheduled during the ERC Seminar)
Water Quality and Health
Note: Students enrolling in this concentration should have at least one year of college chemistry in addition to the standard divisional admission requirements. Students must complete the School-Wide Core Requirements and a sufficient number of the following courses to attain 47 semester hours of credit.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Exposure Assessment Strategies | ||
| Environment, Toxicology, and Disease | ||
| Water Quality Management | ||
| Water Quality Analysis in Public Health | ||
| Current Challenges in Water and Health | ||
| Global Environmental Health | ||
| Selectives | ||
| Select at least one of the following: | ||
| Chemistry for Environmental Professionals | ||
| Health Related Database Design and Analysis | ||
| Risk Assessment in Environmental and Occupational Health | ||
| Geographic Information System Application in Public Health | ||
| Outbreak Investigation and Field Epidemiology | ||
| Environmental Microbiology | ||
| Geographic Information Systems for Planning and Policy | ||