Rutgers School of Public Health

Environmental & Occupational Health

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.

  • CORE COURSES (18 credits)
    • PHCO 0501 - Health Systems and Policy
    • PHCO 0502 - Principles and Methods of Epidemiology (Prerequisite: Quantitative Skills Assessment)
    • 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)
    • PRAC 0715 - Applied Practice Experience (0 credits)
    • PRAC 0716 - Practicum Capstone (3 credits)
  • 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
    • ENOH 0656 - Environmental Risk Assessment
    • ENOH 0693 - Principles of Occupational and Environmental Health
    • ENOH 0699 - Principles of Industrial Hygiene
    • EPID 0650 - Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology
  • OTHER REQUIREMENTS (0 credits)
    • Students are required to complete an Interprofessional Education activity prior to graduation (0 credits)
  • RECOMMENDED ELECTIVE COURSES (9 credits)
    • Students may choose elective courses from among other department courses, from courses within Rutgers School of Public Health, or other Rutgers graduate programs with faculty advisor approval.