Master of Public Health in Environmental and Occupational Health

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Students will learn to identify, measure, and evaluate risks posed by chemical, biological, physical, ergonomic and safety hazards, preparing them to respond to emerging threats at the intersection of workplace safety, environmental crises, and public health policy.

Program Flyer SOPHAS Express

Taking LOCAL Impact to GLOBAL Change

Students motivated to improve health by bridging science, practice, and policy and with backgrounds in biology, chemistry, engineering, or related fields to apply their technical knowledge to real-world problems. Professionals in government, industry and consulting to expand their expertise in workplace safety, risk management, or regulatory policy.

Training in instrumentation use, risk assessment, data analytics, environmental assessments and workplace health inspections to protect worker safety and promote healthy living environments.
Memphis Climate Health Environment Equity Research (MCHEER) facilitates opportunities to conduct transdisciplinary and translational research in air pollution and health research, climate changes, environmental justice, global environmental health and healthy building in the Greater Memphis Area.

Career fairs, professional development workshops, faculty mentoring, partnerships with environmental and occupational health professionals, engagement in professional associations foster your professional network and opportunities for certification.

Safety Specialists, EHS Coordinators, and Industrial Hygienists, with salaries ranging from $70,000 to $105,000 for mid-level roles and exceeding $115,000 for senior positions in distribution hubs, chemical plants, healthcare systems and consulting firms (2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Credit Hours: 42

Foundational Courses

PUBH 7180 | Foundations of Public Health (0 credit hours)
HADM 7105 | Health Policy and Organization of Health Services
PUBH 7120 | Environmental Health
PUBH 7150 | Introduction to Biostatistics
PUBH 7160 | Social and Behavioral Sciences Principles
PUBH 7170 | Principles of Epidemiology

Environmental and occupational health track

PUBH 7122 | Workplace Health and Safety
PUBH 7124 | Advanced Exposure Assessment and Toxicology
PUBH 7126 | One Health and Risk Management
PUBH 7128 | Environmental and Occupational Health Policy
PUBH 7129 | Environmental Health Data Analytics

Applied Practical Experience

PUBH 7985 | Fieldwork - 1 credit hour: Gain real-world experience in a public health setting (180 hours minimum).
180 hours (minimum) of fieldwork in environmental and occupational settings, instrumentation and field investigations are embedded as experiential and service learning in partnership with environmental and occupational health practitioners.

Culminating Experience