www.hs.odu.edu/commhealth/academics/bs_enviro/
Charlene Brassington, Interim Program Director
Environmental health is the study and management of factors that can adversely affect the environment and the health and well-being of humans. The curriculum in environmental health, which is accredited by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council, encompasses a variety of disciplines in the preparation of environmental health professionals, industrial hygienists, and occupational safety and health specialists.
Environmental health professionals manage environmental health and safety programs, work with communities to address environmental hazards, conduct environmental hazard and accident investigations, provide safety training, conduct safety audits, perform Job Hazard Analysis, work to foster sustainability, and lead emergency preparedness and response services. Industrial hygienists conduct evaluations and monitor harmful agents and health hazards (such as: noise and vibration, chemicals, gases and vapors, radiation, heat, and biohazards) in the work environment and recommend controls to minimize the health risk to workers in the occupational environment. In simple terms they anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control occupational exposures. On the environmental side, environmental health professionals engage in education, consultation, and enforcement relating to local, state and federal environmental health laws, regulations, and standards. They work on air and water quality, food safety, management of hazardous and infectious materials, housing, disease vectors, institutional environments, and other environmental health issues. Environmental health professionals manage environmental health and safety programs for companies, government agencies, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, health departments, and military installations.
The program requires three credit hours of internship field practice within an environmental or occupational health facility or industrial site. A variety of internship sites are available in the Hampton Roads area for these experiences. Internship sites throughout the U.S. and overseas are also available. Internships are available any semester but are typically completed in the summer between the junior and senior year. Most internships are paid and many out of area internships offer a stipend to cover expenses.
Upon graduation, students are eligible to sit for the professional licensing examination in environmental health. With work experience, students are eligible to take the certification examinations in industrial hygiene as Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and/or in safety as Associate Safety Professional (ASP) and then a Certified Safety Professional (CSP).
A broad spectrum of employment opportunities are available to graduates. Alumni employment success has been outstanding, with graduates finding employment in agencies such as the USDA, EPA, OSHA, NASA, FDA, and DOD. Many work in private industries, manufacturing plants, the oil industry, consulting firms, health departments, waste and wastewater plants, civil service, and other organizations.
Admission
Students may be admitted to the program on the satisfactory completion of 60 semester hours of recommended study of required prerequisite courses and with the approval of the program director. Applications to the program, including all materials, may be submitted any time during the academic year for consideration for admission. Permission must be granted by the program director prior to applying to the program if the student has fewer than the 60 semester hours of required prerequisite courses.
Requirements
Lower-Division General Education
Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours |
| 6 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 0-6 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 8 |
| 3 |
ENGL 231C, COMM 101R, MATH 162M, and PHYS 101N, PHYS 102N, PHYS 111N, PHYS 112N, PHYS 231N, or PHYS 232N must be completed prior to acceptance into the environmental health program.
Oral Communication: COMM 101R
Mathematics: MATH 162M
Information Literacy and Research: HLTH 120G preferred
Philosophy and Ethics: PHIL 345E preferred; meets upper-division general education.
Nature of Science: Select one of the following sequences - BIOL 110N/BIOL 111N and BIOL 117N/BIOL 118N OR BIOL 121N/BIOL 122N and BIOL 123N/BIOL 124N and select one of the following - PHYS 101N, PHYS 102N, PHYS 111N, PHYS 112N, PHYS 231N, PHYS 232N.
Upper-Division General Education
- Option A. Approved Disciplinary Minor, 12-24 hours minimum; also second degree or second major.
- Option B. Interdisciplinary Minor (specifically 12 hours, 3 of which may be in the major)
- Option C. An approved Certification Program such as teaching licensure
- Option D. Two Upper-Division Courses from outside the College of Health Sciences and not required by the major (6 hours)
Requirements for Graduation
Requirements for graduation include the following:
- Minimum of 120 credit hours.
- Minimum of 30 credit hours overall and 12 credit hours of upper-level courses in the major program from Old Dominion University.
- Minimum overall cumulative grade point average of C (2.00) in all courses taken.
- Minimum overall cumulative grade point average of C (2.00) in all courses taken toward the major.
- Minimum overall cumulative grade point average of C (2.00) in all courses taken toward a minor.
- Completion of ENGL 110C, ENGL 211C or ENGL 231C, and the writing intensive (W) course in the major with a grade of C or better. The W course must be taken at Old Dominion University.
- Completion of Senior Assessment.
Environmental Health Major
Course List
Code |
Title |
Credit Hours |
| 45-51 |
| 0-15 |
STAT 130M | Elementary Statistics * | 3 |
BIOL 150 | Introductory Microbiology * | 3 |
BIOL 151 | Introductory Microbiology Laboratory * | 1 |
BIOL 240 | Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology I * | 4 |
or BIOL 250 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I |
CHEM 121N & CHEM 122N | Foundations of Chemistry I Lecture and Foundations of Chemistry I Laboratory +* | 4 |
CHEM 123N & CHEM 124N | Foundations of Chemistry II Lecture and Foundations of Chemistry II Laboratory +*† | 4 |
CHEM 211 & CHEM 212 | Organic Chemistry I Lecture and Organic Chemistry I Laboratory * | 5 |
ENVH 301 | Principles of Environmental Health Science | 3 |
ENVH 402W | Environmental and Occupational Health Administration and Law ** | 3 |
ENVH 403 | Environmental and Occupational Health Internship I | 3 |
ENVH 406 | Principles of Occupational Safety and Health | 3 |
ENVH 420 | Communicable Diseases | 3 |
ENVH 422 | Water and Wastewater Technology | 3 |
ENVH 441 | Industrial Hygiene | 3 |
ENVH 443 | Principles of Toxicology | 3 |
ENVH 448 | Epidemiology and Biostatistics | 3 |
ENVH 466 | Environmental and Occupational Risk Assessment and Decision Analysis | 3 |
ENVH 499 | Environmental and Occupational Health Senior Seminar | 1 |
*** | 12 |
| Occupational Health | |
| Occupational Safety Standards, Laws and Regulations | |
| Food Safety | |
| Vector-Borne Diseases and Their Control | |
| Occupational Safety and Health Program Management | |
| Physical Hazards and Their Control | |
| Principles of Ergonomics | |
| Industrial Hygiene Sampling Methods | |
| Air Pollution and Its Control | |
| Industrial Environmental Management | |
| 6 |
Total Credit Hours | 118-139 |
Elective Credit
Elective credit may be needed to meet the minimum requirement of 120 credit hours.
Degree Program Guide
The Degree Program Guide is a suggested curriculum to complete this degree program in four years. It is just one of several plans that will work and is presented only as broad guidance to students. Each student is strongly encouraged to develop a customized plan in consultation with their academic advisor. Additional information can also be found in Degree Works.
Plan of Study Grid
Freshman |
Fall |
ENGL 110C |
English Composition |
3 |
BIOL 121N
|
General Biology I
or Environmental Science for Non-Majors |
3 |
BIOL 122N
|
General Biology I Lab
or Environmental Science Lab for Non-Majors |
1 |
MATH 162M |
Precalculus I |
3 |
|
3 |
|
|
| Credit Hours | 13 |
Spring |
ENGL 211C
|
Writing, Rhetoric, and Research
or Writing, Rhetoric, and Research: Special Topics |
3 |
BIOL 123N
|
General Biology II
or Introduction to Human Biology |
3 |
BIOL 124N
|
General Biology II Lab
or Introduction to Human Biology Lab |
1 |
CHEM 121N |
Foundations of Chemistry I Lecture |
3 |
CHEM 122N |
Foundations of Chemistry I Laboratory |
1 |
STAT 130M |
Elementary Statistics |
3 |
| Credit Hours | 14 |
Sophomore |
Fall |
ENVH 301 |
Principles of Environmental Health Science |
3 |
CHEM 123N |
Foundations of Chemistry II Lecture |
3 |
CHEM 124N |
Foundations of Chemistry II Laboratory |
1 |
|
3 |
BIOL 150 |
Introductory Microbiology |
3 |
BIOL 151 |
Introductory Microbiology Laboratory |
1 |
| Credit Hours | 14 |
Spring |
CHEM 211 |
Organic Chemistry I Lecture |
3 |
CHEM 212 |
Organic Chemistry I Laboratory |
2 |
COMM 101R |
Public Speaking |
3 |
|
3 |
|
4 |
|
Conceptual Physics |
|
|
Introductory General Physics |
|
|
University Physics I |
|
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Junior |
Fall |
BIOL 240
|
Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology I
or Human Anatomy and Physiology I |
4 |
ENVH 402W |
Environmental and Occupational Health Administration and Law |
3 |
ENVH 406 |
Principles of Occupational Safety and Health |
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
| Credit Hours | 16 |
Spring |
ENVH 420 |
Communicable Diseases |
3 |
ENVH 422 |
Water and Wastewater Technology |
3 |
ENVH 448 |
Epidemiology and Biostatistics |
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Summer |
ENVH 403 |
Environmental and Occupational Health Internship I |
3 |
| Credit Hours | 3 |
Senior |
Fall |
ENVH 441 |
Industrial Hygiene |
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
Spring |
ENVH 443 |
Principles of Toxicology |
3 |
ENVH 466 |
Environmental and Occupational Risk Assessment and Decision Analysis |
3 |
ENVH 499 |
Environmental and Occupational Health Senior Seminar |
1 |
|
3 |
|
3 |
|
2 |
| Credit Hours | 15 |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 |