ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY—MPH (TRACK III)
This double major is administered jointly by the Environmental and Occupational Health and the Epidemiology programs and is designed for persons with special interest in studying how environmental factors affect health and disease. Students in this major gain the epidemiologic skills necessary to conduct research, as well as to meet the eligibility requirements to sit for the Registered Environmental Health Specialist Examination.
Learner outcomes
Graduates of this program in environmental epidemiology will have the skills necessary to:
- 1. Conduct high-quality environmental epidemiology research.
2. Develop valid instruments for assessing environmental exposure, choose appropriate study design, determine sample size and data-collection methods, and analyze data.
3. Generate adequate hypotheses for testing the relationship between environmental factors and health/disease, and identify potential confounders and interactions that might bias the results.
4. Critically review the literature and report research findings, both orally and in writing.
5. Collaborate with or serve as a research consultant to health professionals by providing technical expertise with regard to literature review, study design, data analysis, and interpretation and reporting of results.
Program Educational Effectiveness Indicators
| Name | Description | Location |
| Culminating Activity | Oral exam | LLU campus |
| Culminating Activity | Oral presentation of applied research using PowerPoint | LLU campus |
| Culminating Activity | Written report of applied research | LLU campus |
| Term papers | Evaluation of writing skills | LLU campus |
| Final exams | Integration and application of skills learned in courses | LLU campus |
| Course evaluation forms | Suggestions by the students to improve delivery of course material and the design of the course itself | LLU campus |
PREREQUISITE
- Biological science with laboratory (one year) (preferred courses include histology, pathology, physiology, etc.)
- General chemistry with laboratory (one year)
- Organic chemistry with laboratory (two-quarter sequence minimum)
- General microbiology with laboratory (one course)
- Physics (one year)
- College algebra or equivalent (one course), calculus preferred
- Biochemistry (one course)
- Behavioral science (one course)
COREQUISITE
(a limited number of the above courses may be taken during first two quarters of program, in addition to units required for degree)
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Public health core courses (25 units)
- ENVH 586 Environmental Health Administration (3)
- EPDM 509 Principles of Epidemiology I (3)
- HPRO 509 Principles of Health Behavior (3)
- ±REL 534 Ethical Issues in Public Health (3)
- PHCJ 605 Overview of Public Health (1)
- STAT 521 Biostatistics I (4)
- HPRO 536 Program Planning and Evaluation (2)
- GLBH 524 Issues in Health Disparities and Cultural Competencies (2)
- NUTR 505 Public Health Biology (2)
- PHCJ 675 Integrated Public Health Capstone (2)
Environmental epidemiology core courses (44 units)
- ENVH 515 Food Quality Assurance (3)
- ENVH 566 Outdoor Air Quality and Human Health (3)
- ENVH 567 Hazardous Materials and Solid-Waste Management (3)
- ENVH 568 Water Quality Assurance (3)
- ENVH 569 Environmental Sampling and Analysis (4)
- ENVH 587 Environmental Toxicology (3)
- ENVH 589 Environmental Risk Assessment (3)
- ENVH 605 Seminar in Environmental and Occupational Health (1)
- EPDM 510 Principles of Epidemiology II (3)
- EPDM 512 Multivariate Modeling in Epidemiology (3)
- EPDM 544 Epidemiology of Infectious Disease (3)
- EPDM xxx Elective course must be either EPDM 565 or EPDM 566 (3)
- STAT 522 Biostatistics II (4)
- STAT 548 Analytical Applications of SAS (2)
- STAT 564 Survey and Advanced Research Methods (3)
Research Project^
- EPDM 699 Applied Research (2)
- and
- HADM 699 Applied Research (2)
MINIMUM UNITS REQUIRED:
69 + 4 units applied research^one project approved and administered by both ENVH and EPDM/STAT
± refer to section IV of this CATALOG for other religion courses descriptions
Research and forums
Students are required to attend a minimum of twenty forums in the Department of Epidemiology and
Biostatistics and/or Center for Health Research during their program. Attendance at these forums will be in
addition to attendance at the public health seminars.
Culminating activity
In order to obtain a degree, the student is required to successfully complete the culminating activity as
required by the Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and of Environmental and Occupational
Health.
The culminating activity consists of: research, including a written report and oral presentation; professional
portfolio (upon completion of the research); and an exit interview with the department chairs (at the
conclusion of the program).
