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Rutgers School of Public Health

Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice

Master of Public Health (MPH) in Occupational and Environmental Medicine (45 credits)

The MPH in Occupational and Environmental Medicine prepares public health students who are medical professionals to conduct research or work in public health programs in Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM). For physician trainees enrolled in the Rutgers OEM residency program, the specified concentration curriculum provides academic training necessary to qualify trainees to sit for the American Board of Preventive Medicine’s board examination in Occupational Medicine. All OEM concentration students will learn about the relevant health problems, policies, programs, and regulations that contribute to worker health. MPH graduates in this concentration will be the practitioners, leaders, and educators who advance the recognition, management and prevention of illness and injury caused or influenced by agents or conditions in the home, community, and workplace environment.

Competencies

Competencies for the Master in Public Health (MPH) in Occupational and Environmental Medicine (45 credits)

Each Concentration identifies competencies for each degree offered. These competencies reflect the full range of knowledge, skills, and other attributes that a student will acquire as a result of completing the requirements for a particular degree.

Upon graduation, a student completing the MPH curriculum in Occupational and Environmental Medicine will be able to:

  • Articulate occupational safety and health issues in the workplace and as applicable the related exposure risks to the general public as well as to vulnerable communities or susceptible sub-populations;
  • Explain basic mechanisms of toxicology and dose-response regarding occupational toxicants;
  • Apply federal and state regulatory standards which are related to worker (occupational) safety and health protection;
  • Evaluate the impact that environmental factors have on vulnerable populations; and
  • Specify current environmental risk assessment approaches and methods for a particular hazard or risk in a workplace or community.

Curriculum

Curriculum for the Master of Public Health (MPH) in Occupational and Environmental Medicine (45 credits)

Students seeking the MPH in Occupational and Environmental Medicine must complete 45 credits of academic work with a minimum GPA of at least 3.0; earn no more than nine (9) credits bearing grades less than “B,” and complete the degree requirements within six years. Courses are three credit hours unless otherwise noted and semester when each course is typically offered is noted parentheses. Students should review the Forward Schedule for long-term course planning and the Course Schedule for each semester to determine when, where, and how a course is offered.

  • CORE COURSES (18 credits)
    • PHCO 0501 - Health Systems and Policy
    • PHCO 0502 - Principles and Methods of Epidemiology
    • PHCO 0503 - Introduction to Environmental Health
    • PHCO 0504 - Introduction to Biostatistics (Prerequisite: Quantitative Skills Assessment)
    • PHCO 0505 - Social and Behavioral Health Sciences in Public Health
    • PHCO 0513 - Leadership and Management Essentials for Public Health
  • PRACTICUM (3 credits)
    Note: Students should review the Practice Experience webpage for information about Practicum.
    • PRAC 0715 - Applied Practice Experience (0 credits) [Prerequisite: APE Learning Agreement and select PHCO and concentration courses]
    • PRAC 0716 - Practicum Capstone (3 credits) [Prerequisite: Completion of the APE and Practicum Capstone Learning Agreement]
      Current students (enrolled prior to Summer 2022) who have not yet completed PRAC 0716 should complete PRAC 0717 and PRAC 0718; if these students complete PRAC 0716 with special permission, they are still expected to complete their Practicum Capstone over two semesters, unless they have special permission. OEM Residents complete PRAC 0716.
    • PRAC 0717 - Practicum Capstone-Two Semester (1.5 credits; taken in first semester of two semester capstone) [Prerequisite: Completion of the APE and Practicum Capstone Learning Agreement]
    • PRAC 0718 - Practicum Capstone-Two Semester (1.5 credits; taken in second semester of two semester capstone) [Prerequisite: Passing (P) Grade in PRAC 0717]
      Students who enrolled prior to Summer 2022 are encouraged to complete PRAC 0717 and PRAC 0718; PRAC 0717 and PRAC 0718 are required for students who enroll Summer 2022 and after.
    • Review the School’s Registration Calendar for important MPH Practice Experience Registration dates specific to PRAC 0715, PRAC 0716, PRAC 0717 and PRAC 0718.
    • REQUIRED COURSES (15 credits)Note: Students should review the Course Descriptions in the School Catalog for specific information about prerequisites required for required courses and recommended electives.
      • ENOH 0594 - Environmental and Occupational Toxicology (Spring)
      • ENOH 0656 - Environmental Risk Assessment (Spring)
      • ENOH 0693 - Principles of Occupational and Environmental Health (Fall)
      • ENOH 0699 - Principles of Industrial Hygiene (Fall)
      • EPID 0650 - Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology (Spring)
    • OTHER REQUIREMENTS (0 credits)
      • PRAC 0621 - Interprofessional Education (0 credits) [Fall/Spring]
        Students are required to register for and complete an Interprofessional Education activity prior to graduation.
    • RECOMMENDED ELECTIVE COURSES (9 credits)
      • Students may choose elective courses from among other concentration courses, from courses within Rutgers School of Public Health, or other Rutgers graduate programs with faculty advisor approval.