Program Overview

MS in Environmental Health

Admission Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

• Baccalaureate Field: A major in the biological, physical, or social sciences is preferred (EOHS students).
• Students must have completed one year of college math, one course in chemistry, and one course in biology or physics prior to enrollment in the MS program.
• Those interested in the ASAC-ABET Accredited MS Program in Industrial Hygiene must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited school, have one year of college math, one course in college chemistry, one course in biology, and one course in physics.
• Exceptions may be granted for applicants with relevant work experience or high-level academic achievements.
• Exceptions may be admitted with an individually documented plan of study to compensate for deficiencies, although applicants are strongly encouraged to satisfy all deficiencies prior to matriculation.
• Grade Point Average: At least 3.00/4.00.
• Tests Required: None; Standardized test scores are optional.
• English Proficiency: Additional information on the English proficiency test requirement for international students can be found on the UIC Admissions website.
  • Minimum test scores for this program are:
    • TOEFL iBT: 80
    • IELTS Academic: 6.5
    • PTE Academic: 54
• Letters of Recommendation: Three required.
• Personal Statement: Required; the statement should address the applicant’s intended research, career goals, and reason for pursuing the MS degree in the chosen area.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

• Minimum Semester Hours Required: 48; 53 for the optional Industrial Hygiene concentration; 52 for the optional Occupational Safety concentration.
• Coursework: At least 32 semester hours must be in courses other than IPHS 598, and at least 9 semester hours must be at the 500 level.
• Comprehensive Examination: Not required.
• Thesis, Project, or Coursework-Only Options: Thesis is required for students earning the MS without a concentration.
  • The Industrial Hygiene concentration and the Occupational Safety concentration require the completion of a project.
  • Students must earn at least 12 hours in IPHS 598.
  • Students must complete EOHS 505.

School-Wide Requirements

The following courses are required:

• BSTT 400: Biostatistics I
• EPID 403: Introduction to Epidemiology: Principles and Methods
• IPHS 450: Foundations and Determinants of Public Health
• IPHS 598: Research in Public Health Sciences - M.S.
• or EOHS 505: Occupational Safety and Industrial Health Consulting
• Required Non-Credit Training:
  • Human Subjects Research
  • Title IX Training
  • SPH Academic Integrity Tutorial

Requirements for MS (no concentration)

The following courses are required:

• EOHS 401: Foundations of Environmental and Occupational Health
• EOHS 402: Systems Approach in Environmental and Occupational Health
• EOHS 440: Chemistry for Environmental Professionals
• EOHS 495: Environmental/Occupational Health Seminar
• EOHS 501: Exposure Assessment Strategies
• EOHS 502: Environment, Toxicology, and Disease
• EOHS 556: Risk Assessment in Environmental and Occupational Health
• Computing Skills Selective (2-4 semester hours): Select at least one of the following courses:
  • BSTT 568: Programming and Simulation in R
  • BSTT 594: Special Topics in Biostatistics
  • HPA 436: GIS for Environmental and Public Health Professionals
  • HPA 480: Health Related Database Design and Analysis
  • HPA 565: Datamining Applications in Public Health
  • EOHS 571: Injury Epidemiology and Prevention
  • EPID 406: Epidemiologic Computing
  • UPP 461: Geographic Information Systems for Planning and Policy
• Electives: Electives as needed to bring the total semester hours to 48

Optional Concentrations

Industrial Hygiene Concentration

MS students concentrating in the ASAC-ABET-Accredited Program in Industrial Hygiene must complete all of the SPH School-Wide Core Requirements for the MS degree, including 4 semester hours of EOHS 505.

• Required Courses:
  • EOHS 401: Foundations of Environmental and Occupational Health
  • EOHS 402: Systems Approach in Environmental and Occupational Health
  • EOHS 421: Occupational Health and Safety Practice
  • EOHS 424: Evaluation and Control of Radiation Exposures
  • EOHS 425: Evaluation and Control of Physical Agents
  • EOHS 426: Evaluation and Control of Airborne Contaminants
  • EOHS 427: Evaluation and Control of the Psychosocial Work Environment
  • EOHS 495: Environmental/Occupational Health Seminar
  • EOHS 501: Exposure Assessment Strategies
  • EOHS 502: Environment, Toxicology, and Disease
  • EOHS 556: Risk Assessment in Environmental and Occupational Health
  • EOHS 563: Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems

Occupational Safety Concentration

MS students concentrating in Occupational Safety must complete all of the SPH School-Wide Core requirements for the MS degree, including 4 semester hours of EOHS 505.

• Required Courses (30 semester hours):
  • EOHS 401: Foundations of Environmental and Occupational Health
  • EOHS 402: Systems Approach in Environmental and Occupational Health
  • EOHS 421: Occupational Health and Safety Practice
  • EOHS 424: Evaluation and Control of Radiation Exposures
  • EOHS 425: Evaluation and Control of Physical Agents
  • EOHS 427: Evaluation and Control of the Psychosocial Work Environment
  • EOHS 495: Environmental/Occupational Health Seminar
  • EOHS 501: Exposure Assessment Strategies
  • EOHS 502: Environment, Toxicology, and Disease
  • EOHS 503: Occupational Safety
  • EOHS 504: Occupational Ergonomics and Biomechanics
  • EOHS 563: Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems
  • EOHS/EPID 571: Injury Epidemiology and Prevention