Environmental Health Sciences

The PhD degree in Environmental Health Science is designed to train professionals for advanced basic research, teaching, and leadership positions in the area of environmental health sciences. Doctoral students acquire an understanding of the application of modern scientific methods and techniques to solve problems related to how environmental exposures affect human health.

Students also develop an appreciation for environmental health risk assessment and policy, and a deep understanding of the physiological, cellular, and molecular mechanisms of action of environmental agents on various disease processes. Students in the PhD program focus on basic, fundamental, or theoretical research problems within a subspecialty area of environmental health sciences. The Department also offers three tracks that PhD students can focus their work on: the Molecular Epidemiology Track, the Molecular Toxicology Track and the new Climate and Health Track.

Career Opportunities for EHS PhD Graduates

While the career paths of our past graduates vary greatly with individual interests, the following is a brief sampling of career opportunities available to graduates.

• Academic positions within universities and hospitals as faculty members and senior level researchers.
• Senior roles in research, management, or data analysis with governmental regulatory agencies at the local, state, national, and international levels.
• Researchers within private industry, including pharmaceutical companies.
• Leadership/senior roles at government organizations involved in environmental and health protection, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) health departments, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
• Consulting firms.
• Community-based organizations concerned with health issues related to environmental exposure.