Exploring a Future in Public Health: Why Choose an MPH in Environmental Health?

Published on: Oct 14, 2024

WRITTEN BY

Katherine Paul, MPH

Of all the areas of public health, environmental health underlies much of what we take for granted on a daily basis: the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the quality of the soil in which our food is grown. And yet, these are perhaps some of the biggest predictors for our quality of life. The challenge inherent in addressing any environmental health issue is that there is not a clear cause and effect pattern that can be delineated and addressed. For example, there is no one single cause of air pollution to pinpoint and fix; rather, it’s a myriad of causes that coalesce.

The need for skilled environmental health professionals is especially pressing with the well-documented and irreversible issues from climate change like the melting of ice sheets and increased severity of heat waves¹. Climate change is also inherently linked to occupational health as occupational health focuses on improving the health and safety of working conditions², something clearly more challenging for outdoor workers as temperatures rise and severe weather incidents increase.

In this article, we will discuss how to start pursuing an environmental health MPH, what your curriculum will include and career paths open to you after completing this degree.

What is Environmental Health?

Before we delve into the details of an MPH in environmental health or what the career of an environmental health professional might entail, it’s important to define environmental health. Environmental health is one of the core areas of public health and (as the name implies) focuses on the connection between people and their environments - the food they eat, the water they drink, and the air they breathe³. This branch of public health seeks to improve health by reducing environmental hazards and environmental exposures. The World Health Organization offers a comprehensive explanation of the components of environmental health:

“Clean air, stable climate, adequate water, sanitation and hygiene, safe use of chemicals, protection from radiation, healthy and safe workplaces, sound agricultural practices, health-supportive cities and built environments, and a preserved nature are all prerequisites for good health.”

Check out this short video from the American Public Health Association explaining environmental health:

Environmental health is a broad field with several key areas for study and career paths, including environmental health sciences, occupational health, and public health policy.

Environmental health sciences:

this area of environmental health is what most people associate with the field. It looks at the connection between our lived environment and health outcomes. It explores how environmental hazards, climate change, and pollution impact human health. Someone in this field might conduct an environmental risk assessment to understand the impact of a given pollutant. Check out our in-depth look at environmental health science here.
Occupational health:

occupational health, or occupational health sciences, has the same goal to promote the health and well-being of individuals broadly, with a focus on workplace settings⁵. This can include industrial hygiene to identify and measure workplace hazards. Occupational health has a two-pronged approach that tries to improve the health and safety of workers and improve working conditions and occupational safety⁵.
Public health policy:

as we explore in our overview of public health policy, this branch of public health has broad implications and seeks to improve community health by the development and implementation of laws related to environmental hazards. People employed in environmental health policy can research existing health policies to understand the impact of these policies on health and develop new policy proposals related to environmental standards and regulations⁶.

MPH in Environmental Health - Curriculum

As with any concentration within public health, an MPH student with a focus in environmental health is going to start with standard core courses that make up any public health program. An environmental health sciences MPH will also include field experience to give you hands-on experience to prepare for your career.

As part of your MPH, you’ll take elective courses in your second year to hone in on a particular area of environmental health. While each MPH program will differ slightly in what is offered and reviewing what courses are available is a key part of your decision making process, here are several topics that are likely to be covered.

Environmental toxicology:

A course in environmental toxicology will explore the causal pathway from the environmental exposure of pollutants and hazardous materials to negative health outcomes. A strong foundation in environmental health sciences is key for future career options. Environmental exposures to toxins can be from both natural sources and industry, such as the production of pesticides and construction materials⁷.
Health promotion:

Any public health degree program should include health promotion coursework, as it underpins most public health efforts. In this context, health promotion will focus on community education and awareness campaigns related to environmental hazards as well as policies that limit environmental exposures. A famous example of successful environmental health policy is the development of laws regulating lead paint exposure⁸.
Epidemiology:

This area of public health became famous first with the movie Contagion and then with the COVID-19 pandemic. We have an overview of epidemiology that delves into the field in-depth here, however generally the goal of epidemiology is to study the causes and risk factors for infectious disease and negative health outcomes. A subfield within epidemiology is occupational epidemiology with a focus on environmental exposures and hazards in the workplace.
Field experience:

Many MPH programs will have an internship (sometimes called a practicum) as a graduation requirement. Getting this field experience gives you the chance to apply what you learn in a classroom out in the world. Real world training is invaluable and sets you up for starting a career with lived environmental health experience. Applied practical experience like this also will teach you some of the challenges of actually working in environmental health. For example, a risk assessment on paper is relatively straightforward with a clear process⁹. You might explore how a given hazard like increased mosquito-borne illness as a result of climate change negatively impacts human health, but actually demonstrating how rising temperatures caused mosquitos to migrate to new climates is challenging.

MPH in Environmental Health - Choosing a Program

As you consider various MPH programs for your environmental health degree, it’s important to keep some of the basics in mind. Luckily, we’re here to help with this. You should ask yourself a series of questions like “Does the program’s ranking matter?”, “Is the program accredited? And how does that affect my chances at a student loan?” and “Will the program set me up to graduate with skills needed for any public health professional?”

Of course, you’ll want to make sure that the program offers a concentration in environmental health. Additional factors to consider are the quality of the environmental health faculty and whether the alumni network might help with a job after graduation. All of these factors might not matter to you, however, it’s important to think through these considerations before making a major financial and time commitment to pursue an advanced degree.

What happens after you graduate? Career Opportunities and Professional Paths

While you’re working toward your public health degree, it’s easy to only think as far as your next reading assignment or paper. This is part of why field experience is so important since it’s a way to test out a real-world application for all the environmental science information you’ve been learning and see potential career paths.

Most jobs in environmental health will require a bachelor’s degree, and many prefer or require a master’s degree. Luckily for someone just starting out, there’s incredible variety in the opportunities available for environmental health professionals¹⁰. To give you a broad sense of what opportunities are available, here we’ll describe a few common job titles and employment sectors.

Common environmental health jobs:

Environmental health specialist:

An environmental health specialist can work on a broad range of environmental health issues to identify, track and manage health issues like air quality, natural disasters, and chemical exposures¹¹.
Public health advisor:

Working as a public health advisor within environmental health is a great fit for someone with a strong interest in health policy. This role allows you to research health issues and recommend programs and policies to mitigate environmental health hazards.
Industrial hygienist:

The scope of industrial hygiene is remarkably broad, as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets regulations related to workplace safety for over 6 million businesses in the United States¹². Industrial hygienists complete risk assessments, identify potential worker health hazards and develop strategies to mitigate those risks.

Employment sectors:

Given OSHA’s regulation of over 6 million businesses, it’s not surprising that the government is a major employer of those working in occupational health. Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) employ almost 30,000 people^13,14. State and local governments also have environmental health divisions with roles suited for someone with an environmental health degree. Opportunities exist with non-profits from well-known organizations like the Sierra Club, Rainforest Alliance, and National Resources Defense Council. Lastly, private companies have environmental health roles, particularly focused on the prevention of workplace hazards and disaster management and recovery¹⁵.

Where Do We Go From Here? The Future of Environmental Health

The COVID-19 pandemic served as a prime example of how many health issues are no longer local, but global. In the case of environmental health, climate change is a key driver of global environmental health issues, and in some ways, it is shrinking the world. Any country with a coastline is already being impacted ) by the polar ice caps melting, with flooding causing short-term health risks and erosion causing long-term risks to housing, workplace safety, and mental health.

Technological advancements provide environmental health professionals with new strategies for completing risk assessments and tracking health hazards. For example, a geographical information system (GIS) can track earth surface level changes in temperature and deforestation¹⁶, all of which help develop the evidence base for environmental programs and policies.

These technological changes are causing rapid changes in employment opportunities and career options, especially with respect to global environmental health. Of course, with these advancements come new challenges such as bigger datasets and more complicated legislation and policy needs beyond a local community. These challenges present an exciting opportunity - we need driven, smart people to tackle global environmental health issues head on and we’re here to help you take the first step on your public health journey.

References:

About the Authors

Written by:

Katherine Paul, MPH

Katherine Paul, MPH is a senior project manager at a leading medical communications and publications organization. She supports multidisciplinary teams handling large-scale accounts, the deliverables of which improve health outcomes and patient well-being. Ms. Paul holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Health Promotion from Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health and passed the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) shortly after graduation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Dickinson College.

Ms. Paul previously worked at a public health non-profit where she managed all aspects of diverse health-related projects, including the implementation of a randomized controlled clinical trial on sexual health for teens with developmental disabilities, as well as the evaluation of a statewide tobacco cessation program with more than 20,000 annual cases. She has developed and delivered posters and presentations at national conferences including the American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting.

Opinions and information published by the author here on MastersPublicHealth.com are of my own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of my employer or other organizations for my designated roles.

Katherine Paul, MPH

Editorial Lead

Education: Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health

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