Program Overview
Our goal is to provide students with a multi-disciplinary approach to analyzing and solving occupational and environmental health problems, along with the requisite knowledge foundation and basic technical skills.
In addition to completing the core program course requirements, students also have the opportunity to take elective courses in relevant areas such as biological hazards, biomarkers, drinking water and safety, business management, environmental law, and social/cultural perspectives in public health, as well as environmental engineering, green product development, sustainable manufacturing, indoor air quality, fire protection engineering, traffic-safety and injury prevention from engineering departments.
Core Program Curriculum
IH Core Curriculum |
MPH |
MS |
PH 142 Introduction to Probability and Statistics in Public Health (4 units) |
X |
X |
A second biostatistics course, such as: |
||
PH 240A Biostatistical Methods: Advanced Categorical Data Analysis (4 units) or |
X |
X |
PH 145, Multivariate Statistics Analysis of Continuous Outcome Data (4 units) |
X |
X |
PH 270 Introduction to Environmental Health with Seminar (3 units) |
X |
X |
PH 270B Advanced Toxicology (3 units) or equivalent |
X |
X |
PH 250A Epidemiologic Methods (3 units), or equivalent |
X |
X |
PH 270A Exposure Assessment and Control I: Chemical Agents (3 units) |
X |
X |
PH 290-005 Exposure Assessment & Control II: Control Ventilation and Physical Agents (3 units) |
X |
X |
PH 267B Characterization of Airborne Contaminants (4 units) |
X |
X |
PH 269C Occupational Biomechanics (4 units) |
X |
X |
PH 220C Health Risk Assessment, Regulation and Policy (4 units) |
X |
X |
PH 271H Greener Solutions: A Safer Design Partnership |
X |
X |
PH 271E Science and Policy for Environment and Health (3 units), or equivalent |
X |
X |
PH 200C Public Health Breadth Core Seminar (2 units) |
X |
|
PH 200D Applied Public Health (2 units) |
X |
|
PH 298 Occupational Safety/Case Fatality Analysis (2 units) |
X |
X |
PH 298 Section Occupational Health Clinic (1 unit) |
X |
X |
PH 298 Section Workplace Site Visits (1 unit) |
X |
|
PH 297 Public Health Practice [Summer Internship] (3 units) |
X |
RECOMMENDED Electives |
CE 107 Climate Change Mitigation (3 units) |
MBA 296 Special Topics in Business Administration (3 units) |
CE 111 Environmental Engineering (3 units) |
NUCENG 256M Nuclear Criticality Safety (3 units) |
CE 214 Environmental Analytical Chemistry (3 units) |
PH 250B Epidemiologic Methods II (4 units) |
CE 216 Hazardous & Industrial Waste Treatment (3 units) |
PH 254 Occupational & Environmental Epidemiology (3 units) |
CE 293A Technology and Sustainability (2 units) |
PH 260A Principles of Infectious Disease (3 units) |
CE C265 Planning for Traffic Safety & Injury Control (3 units) |
PH 269E Current Topics in Environmental Medicine (2-3 units) |
ESPM 290 Special Topics in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (1-4 units) |
PH 271G Health Implications of Climate Change (3 units) |
EW 252. 11 Negotiations and Conflict Resolution (3 units) |
PH 285A Public Health Injury Prevention and Control (2 units) |
INFO 225 Managing in Information-Intensive Companies (3 units) |
PH 290 Grant Writing or PH 290 Global Occupational Health (1-4 units) |
JOURN 226 Science Reporting (3 units) |
PH C285 Traffic Safety and Injury Control (3 units) |
MBA 209F. 1 Fundamentals of Business (3 units) |
PH W218 Evaluation of Health and Social Programs (3 units) |
MBA 292B. 11 Nonprofit Boards (3 units) |
PH W224 Organizational Behavior and Management in Health Care (3 units) |
MBA 292N. 11 Social Impact Marketing (1 unit) |
PUBPOL 250 Politics of Public Policy (4 units) |
MBA 295A. 1 Entrepreneurship (3 units) |
PUBPOL 273 Public Management and Policy Implementation (4 units) |
MPH Academic Program
MPH students are required to participate in a 12-week IH internship that enables them to apply their theoretical and practical knowledge. MPH students are required to complete an Integrated Learning Experience (i.e., capstone or thesis) that demonstrates knowledge and skills gained in the program. Successful completion of a capstone project is an important step in demonstrating mastery of skills and competencies needed for successful careers across public health professions and settings. Environmental health and industrial hygiene skills gained during the MPH program will be applied, integrated and presented through oral, poster, and written work produced in the duration of the program. Students will make an original, substantive contribution to the field by engaging in critical evaluation of methodological and policy issues surrounding topics investigated, undertaking effective communication strategies for complex environmental health issues, and applying Industrial Hygiene and public health theories and principles to Industrial Hygiene problems, including those that relate directly to professional practice.
Curricular Plan for the Master of Public Health Training Program
Sample of Two-Year Curricular Plan for the Master of Public Health Training Program
Table 1a. Sample Two-Year Curriulum for an MPH IH Student |
Year 1 |
Fall Semester |
||
PH 142 |
Introduction to Probability and Statistics in Public Health |
4 units |
PH 200C |
Public Health Core Breadth Seminar |
2 units |
PH 250A |
Epidemiologic Methods |
3 units |
PH 270 |
Introduction to Environmental Health |
3 units |
PH 270B |
Advanced Toxicology |
3 units |
Spring Semester |
||
PH 145 |
Statistical Analysis of Continuous Outcome Data |
4 units |
PH 270A |
Exposure Assessment & Control 1 |
3 units |
PH 267B |
Characterization of Airborne Contaminants |
4 units |
PH 298 |
Workplace Site Visits |
1 unit |
PH 269C |
Occupational Biomechanics |
4 units |
PH276 |
Integrity in the Conduct of Research |
2 units |
Summer Semester |
||
PH 297 |
Public Health Practice [Full-time Summer Internship] |
3 units |
Year 2 |
Fall Semester |
||
PH 298 |
[Section] Occupational Safety/Case Fatality Analysis |
2 units |
PH 298 |
[Section] Occupational Health Clinic |
1 unit |
PH 260A |
Principles of Infectious Disease (Elective) |
3 units |
PH W224 |
Organizational Behavior and Management in Health Care |
3 units |
CE C265 |
Planning for Safety and Injury (Elective) |
3 units |
PH 269E |
Current Topics in Environmental Medicine |
2 units |
PH 271H |
Greener Solutions: A Safer Design Partnership |
3 units |
Spring Semester |
||
PH 220C |
Health Risk Assessment, Regulation, and Policy |
4 units |
PH 290-005 |
Exposure Assessmnet and Control II |
3 units |
PH 200D |
Applied Public Health |
2 units |
PH 271E |
Science and Policy for Environment and Health |
3 units |
PH 240A |
Biostatistical Methods: Advanced Categorical Data Analysis |
4 units |
MS Academic Program
MS students normally complete a research thesis in two academic years. The student's advisor and thesis committee approve the written thesis.
Curricular Plan for the Master of Science Training Program
*Note that MS Students must also follow the Curricular Plan for the Master of Public Health Training Program. Discuss with the program director about the specific courses MS students are exempted from taking on the Curricular Plan for the Master of Public Health Training Program and refer to Table 1: IH Core Curriculum provided.*
The curriculum for MS IH students is similar, except that MS students are not required to take "Public Health Core Breadth Seminar'' (PH 200C) or "Applied Public Health" (PH 200D) or complete a summer internship (PH 297). MS students take more elective courses in their areas of interest and focus on their original research programs.
PhD Academic Program
PhD students normally complete coursework in 2 years, complete a research project, and dissertation in 4-6 years overall. There are no formal course requirements for the PhD IH students other than the "Doctoral Seminar'' (PH 293). For their Graduate Group Examination, students are expected to know the material taught in the required courses for the EHS MPH students, and most PhD students take these courses unless they have learned the material previously.
In general, other coursework for a PhD student is designed to provide academic knowledge geared to the dissertation project, and to fulfill the course requirements of two minor subjects. The development of a research plan, collection and analysis of data, and the written description of the project are done under the tutorial direction of the student's major advisor. PhD students are required to teach one semester as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI). The process of preparing teaching materials is a learning experience for the PhD student, because diverse ideas must be integrated and well-articulated, and lingering uncertainties about the material must be satisfactorily resolved. In addition, the teaching experience is a competitive advantage for those PhD students who intend to apply for academic faculty positions after graduation.
DrPH Academic Program
DrPH students are able to conduct an original analysis of a pertinent applied program, including Industrial Hygiene. For more information on the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree at Berkeley School of Public Health, visit https://publichealth.berkeley.edu/academics/interdisciplinary/doctor-of-public-health-drph/ .