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Rutgers School of Public Health

Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice

Master of Public Health (MPH) in Occupational Safety & Health (45 credits)

The MPH degree in Occupational Safety & Health prepares students for a challenging career in reducing workplace risks. Every sector of our nation’s and state’s workforce relies on dedicated S&H professionals to keep workers safe from occupational hazards and natural and man-made disasters. Our MPH program combines industry leading best practices with leadership from our distinguished faculty and experienced industry practitioners from around the New Jersey/New York region to create a unique program rooted in the fundamentals of public health and safety science.

Benefits of an MPH in Occupational Safety and Health:

  • Convenient schedule of courses to meet the needs of the working professional;
  • Graduates enhance their ability to anticipate, evaluate, and control hazards within the workplace to protect the health and safety of their workers;
  • Gain guidance and perspective from accomplished faculty and industry leaders through course work and a practicum; and
  • Learn how to design and then apply regulatory-compliant programs to address unique work environment safety and emergency response issues.

In addition, students will be informed about and encouraged to attend summer review courses held on Rutgers-New Brunswick campus (Office of Continuing Professional Education) for preparing for the Registered Environmental Health Specialist, or REHS; Certified Safety Professional, or CSP; and, Certified Industrial Hygienist, or CIH, exams, which are separate from earning a graduate degree.

Competencies

Competencies for the Master of Public Health (MPH) in Occupational Safety and Health (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 Safety and Health will be able to:

  • Identify 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
  • Develop testable models to validate occupational exposures (one or more agents) and adverse health outcomes (causing injury, disability, or other morbidity or mortality)
  • List current quantitative risk assessment approaches and methods for specific occupational safety and other health hazards

Curriculum

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

Students seeking the MPH in Occupational Safety and Health degree must complete 45 credits of academic work with a minimum GPA of 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 (15-18 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 (required for students enrolled Fall 2018 and after)
  • FIELDWORK (6 credits) -- For Students Enrolled Prior to Fall 2016
    • FDWC 0600 - Fieldwork I (1 credit)
    • FDWC 0601 - Fieldwork II (5 credits)
  • PRACTICUM (6 credits) -- For Students Enrolled Fall 2016 through Spring 2018
    • PRAC 0705 - Practicum I (1 credit)
    • PRAC 0707 - Practicum IIA (2 credits)
    • PRAC 0709 - Practicum IIB (3 credits)
  • PRACTICUM (3 credits) -- For Students Enrolled Fall 2018 and After
    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 (completed twice); 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.
    • PRAC 0717 - Practicum Capstone-Two Semester (1.5 credits; required 2 times) [Prerequisite: Completion of the APE and Practicum Capstone Learning Agreement]
      Students who enrolled prior to Summer 2022 are encouraged to complete PRAC 0717 (completed twice); PRAC 0717 (completed twice) is 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 and PRAC 0717.
    • 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 0654 - Occupational Safety and Workplace Risk Mitigation (Spring)
      • ENOH 0656 - Environmental Risk Assessment (Spring)
      • ENOH 0693 - Principles of Occupational and Environmental Health (Fall)
      • ENOH 0695 - Environmental Exposure Measurement and Assessment (Fall)
      • ENOH 0699 - Principles of Industrial Hygiene (Fall)
    • OTHER REQUIREMENTS (0 credits) -- For Students Enrolled Spring 2018 and After
      • 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.