PhD in Environmental Health Sciences
PhD in Environmental Health Sciences
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Programs Overview
The PhD in Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) provides students with interdisciplinary training to better understand the impact of the environment on human health and disease. Students in the program have a wide range of unique opportunities for research and education through the participating departments across campus and the numerous health agencies affiliated with the program. Further, the program aims to produce a unique cadre of future leaders in the field of environmental health sciences who have expertise in both laboratory- and population-based research. Upon graduation, EHS students will have received comprehensive training in the EHS core areas of exposure science, biological mechanisms of susceptibility and disease, and environmental determinants of population health.
Curriculum
Required Courses
Students participate in problem-based learning courses and take classes in areas like research design and management, laboratory and field methods in exposure science, environmental epidemiology, molecular toxicology, public health ecology, risk assessment, and more.
Full-time students matriculate in the fall semester and are required to take a minimum of nine credit hours during fall, spring, and summer semesters. Summer generally consists of a research rotation in the first year and research credits.
Training Areas
Environmental Health Sciences PhD candidates are trained in three areas critical to the environmental health field.
This competency includes training in environmental chemistry, environmental microbiology, environmental exposure assessment and the use of exposure biomarkers.
Students learn the basic theory behind and practical methods for sampling and analyzing chemical and microbiological contaminants in environmental (air, water, soil, food, etc.) and biological (exhaled air, blood, urine, etc.) factors.
Gain training in:
- Direct methods of assessment, including source and micro-environmental sampling and bio essays
- Indirect methods like modeling and conducting survey questionnaires
- Analyzing and interpreting field samples in the lab
- Communicating their results to a public health audience and applying the techniques within a human health effects setting
This research area focuses on the mechanisms of toxic action and its impacts on human physiology.
Develop skills like:
- A basic understanding of human physiology
- Ability to identify factors affecting vulnerability to chemical exposures and infectious agents
- Ability to identify pathophysiological consequences and assessment (biomarkers) of such exposures
Though this area of study typically falls under the field of toxicology, increased environmental exposures (including factors like allergens, mold toxins, and infectious agents) make this competency vital and relevant for global environmental health students. This knowledge is important for understanding why certain populations, such as children and the elderly, may exhibit increased vulnerability to environmental hazards.
This component focuses on how environmental exposures impact human health on a population level, including proximal exposures to environmental toxicants and infectious agents, and distal environmental determinants like climate change, the built environment, and environmental reservoirs of infectious disease.
Topics explored include:
- Epidemiologic studies of environmental exposures
- Risk assessment (which integrates data on external exposure, internal dose, and disease)
- Advanced and emerging risk assessment tools (like remote sensing, geospatial and mathematical modeling, and air and water dispersion models)
Other Degree Requirements
All PhD students must participate in the Teaching Assistant Training and Teaching Opportunities (TATTO) program. This includes a three-day summer teacher training workshop (normally taken in the summer before the second year in the PhD program), serving as a teaching assistant during the second and third years in the program and practical experience in statistical consulting.
Starting with their first semester, all environmental health sciences PhD students participate in three research rotations. Each rotation is with a different faculty member and represents one of the three core competency areas: Exposure science, biological mechanisms of susceptibility and disease, and population health.
The goal is for students to gain experience in real research settings. Each rotation should include development of a research problem, collection/analysis of data, and a laboratory report. It is also an opportunity to develop a relationship with a faculty member and to explore and develop dissertation ideas.
Upon completion of all required course work the student may sit for the qualifying examination. The Qualifying Examination consists of a written and oral section.
All PhD students are required to complete and defend a dissertation. Students are encouraged to begin exploring potential research topics as soon as they enter the program by meeting with faculty advisors.
The doctoral dissertation must meet the requirements of both the department and Laney Graduate School. In particular, the dissertation must make a new contribution to the student’s field of study or present a unique new interpretation on existing knowledge. Students are required to pass an oral defense of the dissertation proposal.
Admissions
Admissions Requirements
Applications for each fall cohort generally open a year in advance in September with a firm deadline of December 1. The EHS program only has a fall start date.
All applicants must have:
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
- Required prerequisite coursework includes college-level biology and chemistry. Statistics, calculus, organic chemistry, and physiology are also preferred, but not required. Accepted applicants who have not taken biology and chemistry may be asked to take these classes prior to matriculating in the fall.
- A cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher in upper-division courses
The application includes:
- Application to the Laney Graduate School
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
- Transcripts from each post-secondary institution you have attended
- Resume/CV
- Optional diversity statement
Paying for Your PhD
All admitted PhD students are fully supported for the entirety of their training. Their first year through the Laney School of Graduate Studies and in years after through research funding, including mentor grants, training grants, fellowships, or by the Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health.
For 2024-2025, doctoral students receive annual stipends of $37,467 for full time year-round commitment, and scholarships for full tuition and health insurance.
Students may work in additional paid positions, such as research assistants or in other activities related to their professional development, for up to 10 hours/week with permission. Laney Graduate School also offers Professional Development Funding and Training to attend conferences and conduct research.