The PhD in Environmental Sciences is a minimum of 48 semester credit hours and offers in-depth didactic and research training for students who want to focus their careers in academic, governmental, or other research institutions, and/or in high-level policy/regulatory positions. The Total Worker Health Track is an addition to the NIOSH-funded Education and Research Center (ERC) Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (SWCOEH). Graduates will be able to conduct research that characterizes worker well-being, as well as implement policies and practices that improve worker health.
Special Entrance Requirements
Applicants to the PhD program should have a prior MS or equivalent degree in Environmental Health Sciences or a related field from an accredited institution of higher education. In addition, applicants are expected to have successfully completed coursework in calculus, organic chemistry, physics, and biological sciences. For more information, see the Admissions section.
Course of Study
The following courses are required for a PhD in Environmental Science, Total Worker Health Track:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required for all School of Public Health Students | ||
| PH 101 | Foundations of Public Health 1 | 0 |
| Leveling Courses 1 | 0 | |
| Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health | ||
| Intermediate Biostatistics | ||
| Public Health Ecology & the Human Environment | ||
| Toxicology I: Principles of Toxicology | ||
| Epidemiology I | ||
| Major Courses | ||
| PHD 2105L | Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Doctoral Seminar 3 | 2 |
| PHD 2106L | Introduction to Doctoral Research Methods in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences | 2 |
| PH 2245 | Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene | 4 |
| Total Worker Health Track Courses | ||
| PH 2205L | Health & Safety Program Management | 3 |
| PH 2241L | Fundamentals of Occupational Safety | 3 |
| PH 2256 | Occupational Health Psychology | 2 |
| PH 2270L | Total Worker Health and Worker Well-being | 2 |
| PHD 2271 | Total Worker Health Field Experience | 3 |
| PHD 2360L | Occupational Epidemiology | 3 |
| Minor in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences | ||
| PHD 1113L | Advanced Methods for Planning and Implementing Health Promotion Programs (Intervention Mapping) | 3 |
| PHD 1120L | Program Evaluation | 3 |
| PHD 1118L | Qualitative Methods | 3 |
| or PHD 1123L | Community Health Promotion Theory and Practice | |
| Worker-Centered Well-Being Breadth | ||
| Select 12 credits of the following: | 12 | |
| Issues in Aging | ||
| Addiction and Society | ||
| Principles of Occupational Ergonomics | ||
| Injury Epidemiology | ||
| Nutritional Epidemiology | ||
| Environmental Epidemiology | ||
| Health Policy in The United States | ||
| Health Economics | ||
| Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Programs | ||
| Gender and Leadership | ||
| Physical Activity Assessment & Surveillance | ||
or PH 5401L | Physical Activity & Public Health Practice | |
or PH 2735L | Physical Activity and Health: Epidemiology and Mechanisms | |
| Dissertation | ||
| PHD 9999 | Dissertation Research | 3 |
| Total Hours | 48 | |
- 1
Online, not-for-credit course
- 2
Academic credits from leveling courses do not count towards the total required number of credits for the degree program.
- 3
Taken twice
For a sample course of study, see the PhD in Environmental Health, Total Worker Health Track degree planner.