Community and Environmental Health
Department website: http://www.odu.edu/academics/programs/undergraduate/environmental-health
James Blando, Interim Chair
The School of Community and Environmental Health offers undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs that lead to careers in public health, environmental health, health services research, community health, emergency preparedness, health care administration, industrial hygiene, and occupational safety and health. Additionally, the Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH), and the Master of Public Health (MPH) offer practicing professionals the opportunity to complete their degrees in an online format.
Programs
Bachelor of Science Program
Bachelor of Science in Public Health Programs
Minor Programs
Certificate Program
Linked Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) to Master of Public Health (MPH) Program
Overview
The linked Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) to Master of Public Health (MPH) Program provides qualified ODU undergraduate students with the opportunity to earn a Master of Public Health degree while taking up to 12 credits in the MPH Program as an undergraduate BSPH student. The linked program is designed for highly-motivated students with the desire to continue their education after the BSPH degree. It is especially relevant for individuals seeking to work (or currently working) in the public health, health services, or non-profit sectors. Successful applicants must have demonstrated both a mature attitude and superior academic achievement.
Eligibility
BSPH students in the Public Health, Health Services Administration (HSA), and Health Services Administration-Professional (HSA-P) majors are eligible for the linked BSPH to MPH Program. Additional eligibility requirements are below:
- Students in a major under the BSPH degree
- Note: Students in the HSA or HSA-P majors may need to take additional public health-related courses (see Required Coursework below)
- Students with a 3.5 grade point average (GPA) or higher in their major
Required Coursework
BSPH students interested in the linked BSPH to MPH Program should carefully consider their undergraduate degree program requirements when planning their course of study. Students in the linked program work in close consultation with the BSPH Co-Directors and MPH Director to develop an individualized plan of study based on the required coursework.
Students in the BSPH-HSA or BSPH-HSA-P majors, who are interested in the linked program, are required to take the following electives: (1) PUBH 422: Health, Culture and Diversity-Reducing Disparities in Public Health and (2) ENVH 448: Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Students must make a C or higher in the courses. Students should make note of the course prerequisites.
Process
Eligible BSPH students may take MPH-level courses as early as four semesters prior to their graduation and count up to 12* graduate credit hours toward their undergraduate degree. Once in the linked program, BSPH students must maintain a 3.0 GPA or above throughout the program. Undergraduate students who fail to maintain a 3.0 GPA may revert to the regular BSPH degree and count up to 12 hours of completed graduate coursework toward the undergraduate degree.
After receiving the undergraduate degree, the student must officially apply to the MPH Program through the ODU Graduate School. A student will continue with the MPH program, taking MPH courses until completing the required 43 credit hours. Students in the linked program must earn a minimum of 151 credit hours (120 credit hours for the undergraduate degree and 31 credit hours for the graduate degree).
*For additional information, please contact the MPH Program Director at mph@odu.edu.
BSPH to MPH Program Admission Information
Eligible BSPH students who are interested in the linked BSPH to MPH Program must complete the following requirements:
- Complete general education requirements before the end of Junior year.
- Declare major under the BSPH degree at Old Dominion University (ODU).
- Have a 3.5 GPA (or higher) in the major.
- Complete required coursework (for HSA and HSA-P majors)
- Request a course review and interview from the MPH Director after completing a minimum of 60 credits and before completing 105 credits.
- Apply to the MPH program via Graduate Admissions no later than the June 15 of your final undergraduate year. The application includes submitting a personal statement, two letters of recommendation, etc. Please review additional application requirements set by the ODU MPH Program.
Courses
Environmental Health (ENVH)
An introduction to the chemical, physical and biological factors affecting human health and well-being. The emphasis is on application of controls to prevent disease and maximize environmental quality.
Advanced study of selected topics.
An introduction to the industrial environment relative to health problems and the etiologically related agents.
A review of the concepts and practice of administering environmental and occupational health control programs within agencies at the federal, state and local levels. The principles of administration and leadership of programs in the private sector are also discussed. The constitutional, statutory and administrative law bases for organizing and conducting such programs and developing environmental and occupational policies as well as the legal implications of enforcement will be addressed. A review of all major statutes and their agencies that enforce them will be addressed. This is a writing intensive course.
Includes placement in a health-related facility or industrial setting, prearranged with faculty instructor.
Includes placement in a health-related facility or industrial setting, prearranged with faculty instructor.
Includes placement in a health-related facility or industrial setting, prearranged with faculty instructor.
A broad overview of the field of safety. A study of the factors influencing the occurrence of accidents and incidents is set in the context of safety legislation, current issues in the practice of safety and the ethical and professional responsibilities of the safety practitioner. The course also includes discussions of product safety, fire prevention and protection systems safety and human elements in loss prevention.
A review of the important Occupational Safety and Health Standards and Codes with particular emphasis on application of these codes to typical work situations. Governmental enforcement methodologies are also discussed.
An in-depth study of the communicable disease processes as they pertain to environmental sources. A detailed discussion of specific communicable diseases that are manifested by various environmental etiologic agents. Various environmental control measures to prevent the incidence of communicable diseases are presented.
A comprehensive study of food and milk production, processing and preservation and controls exercised for the prevention of foodborne illnesses and spoilage.
Introduction to water quality management and wastewater treatment technology. Topics include the effect of organic, inorganic and thermal pollutants in water quality streams, waterborne diseases, monitoring concepts, methods of water quality management, regulatory considerations, theory and application of wastewater treatment concepts, wastewater characterization, and treatment methods and disposal methods.
Vector-borne diseases affect the health and well-being of humans and other animals in a wide variety of ways. Arthropod vectors (e.g., mosquitoes, filth flies, ticks and related groups) transmit numerous debilitating infectious diseases that oftentimes impose significant burden on healthcare systems. This course provides insight on the ways in which arthropods impact global health and economic growth through the diseases they transmit.
A study of the physical aspects of housing and institutions as they relate to human health and well-being. Coverage is also given to infection control in health-care facilities.
The establishment, implementation and maintenance of occupational safety and health programs. Paradigms of safety, techniques for safety training and creation of value for safety among business managers and employees are emphasized.
An in-depth examination of the varied types of physical hazards in the work environment and the methods of prevention, recognition and control.
This course uses a multi-disciplinary approach and draws on theory, case studies, research, and field experience to examine the global problem of environmental emergencies and disasters. Particular attention is devoted to the public health challenges posed by chemical and radiological contamination situations. Students discuss contemporary issues and controversies, and spend time working in teams to craft solutions to key emergency preparedness problems.
An introduction to the terminology, concepts and applications of physiology, anthropometry, biomechanics and engineering to workplace and work methods design. Emphasis will be given to workplace design and work methods for job safety and health.
An in-depth study of the chemical and physical agents responsible for occupational illness and the methods used for their measurement, evaluation and control.
An introduction to the detection and sampling alternatives used for estimating worker exposure to hazardous chemical, physical and biological agents in the occupational environment. Field and class activities are intended to simulate select occupational exposure situations and provide a basis for selection of the best evaluation techniques. Emphasis is on quantitative and qualitative methods typically used when estimating employee exposure to hazardous agents and the subjective decision making process.
An introduction to the fundamentals of toxicology with emphasis on the interaction of environmental and industrial chemicals with humans are studied. Exposure, dose response, kinetics and distribution of toxicants, metabolism of toxic agents, factors that affect toxicity and introductory chemical carcinogenesis are discussed.
The study of air pollution in relation to air quality criteria, pollutant production, atmospheric evolution, measurement and control techniques.
Use and application of sampling methods and equipment for measurement of physical hazards in the work environment. Includes aspects such as ergonomics, noise, vibration and radiation.
An introductory course in the principles and practices of epidemiology and the application of statistical and mathematical design and analysis of health research studies for the understanding and control of population health and disease with emphasis on environmental applications.
Description of the hazardous waste problem, the fundamentals of the chemistry involved with hazardous waste transport, methods of identification, assessment, control, and disposal of toxic and hazardous waste are discussed. In addition the relevant legal statutes, risk assessment emergency response and case studies are presented. Introduction to the toxicological effects of exposure to hazardous waste is discussed.
The management of hazardous materials includes a wide array of interlocking regulations addressing use, manufacturing, exposure, storage, shipping and disposal. A life cycle review of hazardous materials highlighting best practices and legislation is presented. Useful in preparation for CHMM examination.
The principles of quantitative health risk assessment of toxicants are presented. Qualitative and quantitative skills necessary to evaluate the probability of injury, disease, or death in the general population from exposure to environmental and occupational contaminants are discussed. Hazardous identification, exposure assessment, dose-response evaluation and risk characterization are emphasized. Risk management group projects assessing some real environmental risks are an important segment of the class.
Course addresses day-to-day technical and management aspects of environmental compliance, as well as regulatory issues faced in industrial applications. Includes audits and inspections, air and water pollution and hazardous waste.
Advanced study of selected topics.
An opportunity is afforded students to undertake independent study under the direction of a faculty member.
Advanced seminar.
Public Health (PUBH)
Overview of the principles, practices, and science of public health in the world. This course focuses on origins, evolution, structure and administration of public health science. Exploration and discussion of the core functions of public health - biostatistics, environmental sciences, epidemiology, health policy and management sciences, and social and behavioral sciences - will be instructed.
An introduction to the chemical, physical and biological factors affecting human health and well-being. The emphasis is on application of controls to prevent disease and maximize environmental quality. Cross-listed with ENVH 301.
Course designed especially for those entering the health education or health care field, covering the physiology of each of the major body systems as a basis for understanding those aspects of its function that reflect the importance of various nutrients.
This course will explore the history of health equity and disability and how prejudice and discrimination against people with disabilities impact health. Students will learn how to apply health equity frameworks, theories, and research to address disability-specific models of health disparities and to achieve health equity in populations with disabilities.
This course provides a population-based approach to professional work in disease management, chronic care management and politics, in addition to students studying public health, health policy, quality and patient safety, health care administration, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work and other related clinical professions.
This course introduces students to health-care delivery systems of non-Western countries, specifically developing countries. The various factors that influence health-care planning and delivery of health services are addressed.
The uniqueness of the U.S. healthcare delivery system will be explored in terms of a systems framework and its complexity. The basic characteristics that differentiate the U.S. healthcare delivery system from that of other countries will be presented. An understanding of the U.S. health care system has specific implications for health services managers.
Study of selected topics.
The course will emphasize the importance of social context and cultural construction, social and behavioral foundations of public health and examine current issues in health from a social and behavioral sciences perspective. The course uses a social ecological framework to address multilevel influences on health and enlarge the dominant 'risk factor' approach to health behavior. This is a writing intensive course.
This course will teach students the applications of multidisciplinary competencies towards solving human health challenges. The course will identify all areas of global health issues that require human, veterinary and environmental applications for solutions.
The course will introduce students to the main theories of leadership in public health covering key concepts and strategies using the six levels of leadership framework. The course will explore how individual, team, organizational, community, professional and global leadership impact population and public health.
The course will introduce students to the main theories of culture, health and diversity and examines what is meant by culture, the ways in which culture intersects with health issues, how public health efforts can benefit by understanding and working with cultural processes, and a brief selection of conceptual tools and research methods that are useful in identifying relationships between culture and health. The course will also include practical guidelines for incorporating cultural understanding in public health settings and examples of programs where that has occurred.
Identifies major issues and problems in meeting health care needs of the aged. Emphasis on role of social assets and supports in determining effects of life changes on the aging process.
Designed to provide information about community health resources. This is a writing intensive course.
This course covers financial management functions in healthcare organizations including operating and capital budgeting processes along with budgeting and financial controls.
This course focuses on health services research and its assessment abilities and application in health care and public health. Topics include the use of EXCEL, SAS, and SPSS to analyze data. An exploration of the issues and challenges of health services research for health related organizations and other organizations. Statistical procedures and practices will also be conducted.
An introductory course in the principles and practices of epidemiology and the application of statistical and mathematical design and analysis of health research studies for the understanding and control of population health and disease with emphasis on environmental applications. Cross-listed with ENVH 448.
A review of the principles and practice of administering public and community health organizations and programs at federal, state, and local levels. Constitutional, statutory and administrative bases for organizing and conducting public/community health programs will be discussed.
This course will blend theory and application of epidemiology. This course will also provide a comprehensive introduction to epidemiology and explain how to use epidemiological concepts and tools to improve decisions about the management of health services.
This course will explore both health policy and the politics of health. Students will develop an understanding of the systematic and analytical framework for developing health and health care policy issues.
The internship will allow a student new to the health administration field or public health field to complete a capstone internship to gain entry skills for a beginning career pathway in the profession. The course is intended to provide field experience and assimilation of the theoretical aspects learned in the coursework in a practical/work setting. A minimum of 200 hours is required for the 3-credit internship.
This course provides a basic understanding of marketing in a health care setting. It will cover the following: the history of marketing in a health care setting, health care markets, marketing techniques, and leadership skills in managing and supporting the marketing efforts.
This course provides the students with a basic knowledge of health law and examines legal issues confronting health services administrators in various health care environments.
This course focuses on healthcare informatics (information systems) and applications in health care organizations. It provides an overview of health information system concepts, management, and integration of technology in healthcare organizations.
This course provides the opportunity for the study of selected topics in public/community health, including informatics, under the supervision of a faculty member.