Overview

Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) is concerned with the biological, chemical and physical factors affecting human health and the environment. Our major provides a solid science-based education with practical applications for a safer and healthier environment. As a result, our graduates work in a variety of high-demand jobs, such as air quality, water quality, food safety, housing, industrial hygiene, safety, hazardous waste management, environmental consulting and radiation safety. Our graduates also work in a wide range of settings, including private industry (aerospace, manufacturing, food production, biotechnology and many others), local government (city and county health departments), state government (Cal OSHA and Cal EPA), federal government (Public Health Service, EPA, OSHA, Department of Health and Human Services), unions, public interest groups, universities and lobbying organizations.

Our courses are explicitly designed to give students the skills needed to succeed on the job. Local employers, many of whom have graduated from this Department, routinely seek our graduates as new hires. As one of the largest programs of its kind in the nation, we have an extensive network of environmental and occupational health professionals dedicated to the protection of the environment and community as well as worker health and safety.

The B.S. Degree lays the scientific and practical foundation for a career in EOH. Students are eligible for entry-level jobs in a wide range of locations at competitive salaries. The M.S. Degree is designed to prepare the graduate for higher-level professional activities, including research, analysis and management of EOH systems.

Program Requirements

1. Required Courses (40 units)

Choose one of these course groups:

BIOL 101/L General Biology and Lab (3/1) and
BIOL 281 Human Physiology (3) and
BIOL 282 Lab Experiments in Human Physiology (1)

or

BIOL 106/L Biological Principles I and Lab (3/1) and
BIOL 107/L Biological Principles II and Lab (3/1)

Choose one of these course groups:

CHEM 101/L General Chemistry I and Lab (4/1) and
CHEM 102/L General Chemistry II and Lab (4/1)

or

CHEM 103 Introductory Chemistry I and Lab (3/1) and
CHEM 104 Introductory Chemistry II and Lab (3/1)

Choose one of these course groups:

CHEM 235 Introductory Organic Chemistry and Lab (3/1)

or

CHEM 333 Principles of Organic Chemistry I and Lab (3/1) and
CHEM 334 Principles of Organic Chemistry II and Lab (3/1)

Take the following:

EOH 455/L Microbiological Hazards in Environmental Health and Lab (3/1)*

Take one of the following:

HSCI 132 History of Preventive Medicine and Public Health (3)
HSCI 345 Public Health Issues (3)

Choose one of these course groups:

MATH 105 Pre-Calculus (5)

or

MATH 102 College Algebra (3) and
MATH 104 Trigonometry and Analytic Geometry (3)

Take the following:

PHYS 100A/AL General Physics I and Lab (3/1)
PHYS 100B/BL General Physics II and Lab (3/1)

2. Upper Division Required Courses (24 units)

EOH 352 Environmental Health Policy, Law and Administration (3)
EOH 356A Environmental Health I (3)
EOH 356B Environmental Health II (3)
EOH 456 Fundamentals of Toxicology (3)
EOH 466A The Occupational Health Environment (3)
HSCI 488 Epidemiology: Study of Disease (3)
EOH 494B Academic Internship (2)

Choose one of the following:

HSCI 390/L Biostatistics and Lab (3/1)
MATH 140 Introductory Statistics (4)

3. Electives (15-16 units)

Select from the following, with advisor approval:

EOH 365 Principles of Accident Prevention (3)
EOH 453 Health and Physical Aspects of Housing (3)
EOH 454 Environmental Health Law (3)
EOH 455/L Microbiological Hazards in Environmental Health and Lab (3/1)
EOH 457 Water Supply and Sewage Disposal (3)
EOH 458 Vector Control (3)
EOH 459 Hazardous Waste Management (3)
EOH 465 Occupational Safety (3)
EOH 466B/L Evaluating the Occupational Environment and Lab (3/1)
EOH 466C Controlling the Occupational Environment (3)
EOH 467 Radiological Health (3)
EOH 468 Air Pollution and Health (3)
EOH 469 Environmental Risk Analysis (3)
EOH 556 Advanced Toxicology (3)
EOH 560 EOH Epidemiology (3)
EOH 569 Advanced Risk Analysis (3)
EOH 570 Occupational Ergonomics (3)

*EOH 455/L can count for elective credit or for the science requirements, but not for both.

Note: A minimum grade of “C” is required in all courses within the major.

General Education (40 units)

Several classes from the Lower Division requirements overlap with GE requirements.

Total Units in the Major: 60

General Education Units: 48

Additional Units: 15

Total Units Required for the Degree: 123

A. Option: Industrial Hygiene (16)

Graduates with a B.S. in Environmental and Occupational Health with the Industrial Hygiene Option are prepared for entry-level work in positions such as industrial hygiene, hazardous waste management, environmental compliance and a variety of similar positions.

Take all of the required courses for the B.S. in Environmental and Occupational Health plus the following courses (16 units) from the list of EOH electives.

1. Required Courses

EOH 465 Occupational Safety (3)
EOH 466B/L Evaluating the Occupational Environment and Lab (3/1)
EOH 466C Controlling the Occupational Environment (3)

Choose two of the following:

EOH 459 Hazardous Materials and Waste Management (3)
EOH 467 Radiological Health (3)
EOH 468 Air Pollution and Health (3)
EOH 469 Environmental Risk Analysis (3)
EOH 560 EOH Epidemiology (3)
EOH 570 Occupational Ergonomics (3)