Director:
Associate Professor David M. Gute, Environmental and occupational epidemiology
Core faculty:
Professor Linfield C. Brown, Water quality modeling, environmental engineering
Associate Professor Wayne Chudyk, Drinking water quality and treatment
Associate Professor Christopher Swan, Site remediation
Lecturer Anne Marie Desmarais, Environmental health
Lecturer Diane Silverman, Toxicology
Lecturer Mark Woodin, Epidemiology
The Environmental Health Program is an interdisciplinary program based in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the School of Engineering. Historically, professional programs in environmental health were established in schools of engineering to promote research on control of infectious disease, purification of water supplies, and sanitary disposal of human wastes. Today, focal points of concern have been broadened to such challenging issues as environmental pollution, epidemiological aspects of chronic illnesses, occupational health, brownfields redevelopment, and risk assessment and management.
While the program retains its traditional strength in environmental engineering, it also provides a sound background in epidemiology, biostatistics, and environmental health. The problems and issues in environmental health can be viewed in three broad categories:
1) Biological: living things, ranging from food upon which life depends to pathogenic
microorganisms responsible for disease.
2) Physical: nonliving things affecting people (physical agents such as heat, noise,
radiation, consumer and industrial products, and chemical agents such as environmental
pollutants and systemic poisons).
3) Social: the interrelationship within society, which includes cultural values,
customs, attitudes, economic status, and social-political organization.
In response to these issues and to the current needs of society for a comprehensive
approach to health and disease problems, the program gives students both a theoretical and
practical knowledge of environmental health, epidemiology, biostatistics, drinking water
quality and treatment, occupational hygiene, and environmental toxicology. Supporting
course work is tailored to the interests of the individual student and drawn from other
departments, including the departments of biology, chemistry, economics, engineering
science, mathematics, political science, physics, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and
urban and environmental policy, as well as the School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
Undergraduate Program
Bachelor of Science in Engineering
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers a B.S.E. program in
environmental health. (See Civil and Environmental Engineering for program description and
requirements.)
Graduate Program
Master of Science
Students in the Environmental Health Program are required to elect one of three
tracks: environmental epidemiology, risk assessment and risk management, and
environmental health policy. The tracks are designed to allow students to
concentrate on a specific area of environmental health. The environmental
epidemiology track is designed for students with an interest in public health
issues associated with environmental contamination and its links to chronic
disease. This track will capitalize on the program's links with Tufts' MPH
program. The risk assessment and risk management track focuses on assessing
exposure and risk associated with environmental contaminants, with emphasis on
brownfield redevelopment and environmental cleanup strategies to manage risk.
The environmental health policy track is designed for students with an interest
in how environmental health programs are managed in governmental agencies.
All students are required to complete a total of ten course credits. For students accepted fall term 2001 and later, four core courses are required:
Civil and Environmental Engineering 154 Principles of Epidemiology
Civil and Environmental Engineering 158 Occupational and Environmental Health
Civil and Environmental Engineering 173 Health Effects and Risk Assessment
Civil and Environmental Engineering 292R Research Methods in Environmental
Health
In addition to the four core courses, students must take three additional courses in their respective tracks:
Environmental Epidemiology Track
Civil and Environmental Engineering 164 Environmental Methods
Civil and Environmental Engineering 167 Environmental Toxicology
Civil and Environmental Biology 132 Biostatistics
or Civil and Environmental Engineering 102 Probability and Statistics in Engineering
Risk Assessment and Risk Management Track
Civil and Environmental Engineering 143 Site Remediation
Civil and Environmental Engineering 167 Environmental Toxicology
Civil and Environmental Engineering 168 Exposure Assessment
Environmental Health Policy Track
Civil and Environmental Engineering 168 Exposure Assessment
Civil and Environmental Engineering 176 Pollution Prevention
UEP 230 Negotiation, Mediation, and Conflict Resolution
Students will take one or two electives in addition to the core and track
courses. Students in the master's degree program in environmental health are
encouraged to complete a two-credit thesis; however, they may complete a
one-credit master's project with approval of their adviser.
Environmental Health Courses
(See online bulletin for course descriptions.)
Civil and Environmental Engineering 32 Environmental Systems Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering 132 Environmental Engineering Processes
Civil and Environmental Engineering 133 Water and Wastewater Plant Design
Civil and Environmental Engineering 137 Public Health
Civil and Environmental Engineering 143 Site Remediation
Civil and Environmental Engineering 154 Principles of Epidemiology
Civil and Environmental Engineering 158 Occupational and Environmental Health
Civil and Environmental Engineering 161 Internship in Epidemiology and
Biostatistics
Civil and Environmental Engineering 164 Epidemiologic Methods
Civil and Environmental Engineering 168 Exposure Assessment
Civil and Environmental Engineering 171 Hazardous Materials Management
Civil and Environmental Engineering 172 Fate and Transport of Environmental
Contaminants
Civil and Environmental Engineering 173 Health Effects and Risk Assessment
Civil and Environmental Engineering 175 Hazardous Materials Safety
Civil and Environmental Engineering 176 Pollution Prevention Management
UEP/Civil and Environmental Engineering 207 Environmental
Law
UEP/Civil and Environmental Engineering 267
Methods in Environmental Impact Assessment
Courses in other departments frequently taken by students in environmental health include
the following:
Biology 81 Environmental Biology and Conservation
Biology 143 Biology of Populations
Biology 167 Environmental Toxicology
Chemistry 141 Instrumental Analysis
Community Health 101 Introduction to Community Health
Community Health 102 Health Care in America: Policies and Politics
Mathematics 161, 162 Probability and Statistics
Nutrition 101 Human Nutrition
Nutrition 120 Political Economy of World Hunger
Philosophy 124 Bioethics
Political Science 104 Public Administration
Political Science 114 Urban and State Politics
Sociology 141 Sociology of Medicine
Sociology 145 Science, Technology, and Society
Sociology 180 Sociology of Mental Health
UEP 166 International Environment and Development Policy
UEP 203/Philosophy 173 Political Economy, Ethics, and
the Environment
UEP 205 Urban Planning and Design
UEP 230 Negotiation, Mediation, and Conflict Resolution
UEP 253 Financial Analysis and Management
UEP 262 Environmental Economics
In addition, on a space-available basis, students may enroll in courses offered by the
master's in public health (MPH) degree program at Tufts
School of Medicine.