The Ph.D. program in Environmental Health Sciences is designed to prepare students for research careers in the environmental health sciences; graduates are trained for entry into positions in universities, colleges, research institutes, government agencies, private industry, and other research-oriented settings. Areas of research emphasis correspond to those of the departmental faculty.
Doctoral students complete a program of study that emphasizes professional development, scientific competence, and research expertise. The Ph.D. requires a minimum of 60 hours of course work beyond the baccalaureate and includes 12 credit hours of dissertation preparation. A limited number of graduate course-work hours from a graduate program may be applied toward the Ph.D. with advisory committee approval. A minimum of 30 hours, including 12 hours of dissertation preparation must be unique to the doctoral program of study. Those students entering without a master’s degree are required to take additional foundational course work in environmental health sciences equivalent to the master’s degree. To achieve doctoral candidate status, students must pass a qualifying examination after the first year of study. Upon completion of all course and language requirements or research methods proficiency, doctoral candidates must pass an oral and/or written comprehensive examination. All doctoral candidates must prepare and defend a dissertation that represents significant research in their area of advanced study. Doctoral students must demonstrate a reading proficiency in a modern foreign language if deemed necessary by the doctoral advisory committee. The specific curriculum for the doctoral degree varies with the discipline and some programs require additional credit hours. Students enrolled in a doctoral program have eight years from the first term of enrollment in which to complete the degree. Students must be enrolled for at least one (1) credit during the term of graduation.
Learning Outcomes
- Students are expected to demonstrate an overall mastery of the core concepts of public health as it relates to environmental health sciences and display the ability to extend this understanding to relevancy and application to real-world environmental health sciences issues.
- Ph.D. students will demonstrate an ability to write competitive research proposals.
- ENHS Ph.D. students will demonstrate the ability to present talks to a scientific and/or public audience as well as presenting at their final dissertation defense.
- Clarify critical gaps in scientific knowledge concerning the resolution of environmental health problems and plan and execute original research that will lead to solutions of such problems.
- Students are expected to promote and actively participate in the dissemination of research results in environmental health sciences in order to further the overall knowledge of the field.
Degree Requirements (60 Hours)
Specific curriculum requirements for the Ph.D. in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences are listed below.
Curriculum Requirements
Course List | Course | Title | Credits |
| EPID 701 | Concepts and Methods of Epidemiology | 3 |
| PUBH 700 | Perspectives in Public Health | 3 |
| ENHS 660 | Concepts of Environmental Health Science | 3 |
| ENHS 899 | Dissertation Preparation | 1-12 |
| Total Credit Hours | 10-21 |
Other Program Requirements
Doctoral degree students must complete at least half of the hours on the Program of Study (D-POS) in courses numbered 700 or higher. A dissertation of original research is required. A period of residency, a foreign language or research methods proficiency, a comprehensive examination, and a dissertation defense and examination are also required. The specific curriculum for the doctoral degree varies with the discipline and some programs require additional credit hours. Students enrolled in a doctoral program have eight years from the first term of enrollment in which to complete the degree. Students must be enrolled for at least 1 credit during the term of graduation.
