Master of Public Health 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.

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 Buerau of Labor Statistics

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.

42 Credit Hours

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).

CULMINATING EXPERIENCE

PUBH 7998 | Capstone Project - 2 credit hours: Apply your knowledge to solve a real public health problem.

3 ELECTIVE COURSES - 9 CREDIT HOURS

Choose electives that align with your interests and career goals

Completed SOPHAS application
Undergraduate degree with minimum GPA of 3.0
Curriculum Vitae/Resume
Statement of Purpose (400-500 words)
Two (2) letters of recommendation
Credentials evaluation for foreign transcripts
Language proficiency test if language of instruction was not English

In Numbers

8:1 Student to Advisor

17:1 Student to Instructor

90% Courses taught by faculty

98% Off-campus PH Fieldworks

8 Centers and labs

42 Credit hours

Connect with us

Alex Parkhouse, PhD, MA, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator
Ph: 901.678.5308

Email to Alex Parkhouse

Briana McNeil, MBA, M.Ed., Recruitment and Admissions Coordinator
Ph: 901.678.3740

Email to Briana McNeil

Shirl Sharpe, MS, Manager, Academic Services
Ph: 901.678.1710

Email to Shirl Sharpe