Twin Cities campus

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Twin Cities Campus

Occupational Hygiene M.S.

School of Public Health - Adm
School of Public Health
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
  • Program Type: Master's
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2024
  • Length of program in credits: 52
  • This program does not require summer semesters for timely completion.
  • Degree: Master of Science
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General Information section of this website for requirements that apply to all major fields.
The Occupational Hygiene program focuses on the health and safety of people at work, the community at large, and the environment. Specific concerns are with the recognition, evaluation and control of potential workplace hazards, including chemical, physical, and biological agents. To complete program requirements, students will choose electives, in consultation with their academic advisor, which may include credits towards a minor.
Accreditation
This program is accredited by Applied Science Accreditation Commission of ABET (ABET)
Program Delivery
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Prerequisites for Admission
The preferred undergraduate GPA for admittance to the program is 3.00.
Other requirements to be completed before admission:
For applicants without occupational/industrial hygiene work experience, undergraduate coursework is required in four subjects for admission: human biology, organic chemistry, physics, and college level mathematics. For applicants with occupational/industrial hygiene work experience, undergraduate coursework in at least three of these subjects is required. Required elements for application: Statement of Purpose and Objectives Resume or C.V. Official transcripts (domestic) WES ICAP evaluation (international) 3 letters of recommendation from academic and/or professional references.
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
  • TOEFL
    • Internet Based - Total Score: 100
  • IELTS
    • Total Score: 7.0
Key to test abbreviations (TOEFL, IELTS).
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the General Information section of this website.
Program Requirements
Plan B: Plan B requires 52 major credits and up to credits outside the major. The final exam is written. A capstone project is required.
Capstone Project:PUBH 7195: Students must complete a written plan B project where they are required to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in coursework and other learning experiences and apply theory and principles in a context that reflects an aspect of professional practice. The culminating experience must be used as a means by which faculty judge whether the student has mastered the body of knowledge and can demonstrate proficiency in the required competencies through written and oral presentation. All master's degree candidates are required to pass a final comprehensive oral examination to be taken after submission of the Plan B project(s).
This program may be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses toward program requirements is permitted under certain conditions with adviser approval.
A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required for students to remain in good standing.
Public Health Core Requirements (12 credits)
PUBH 6102 - Issues in Environmental Health (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6250 - Foundations of Public Health (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6320 - Fundamentals of Epidemiology (3.0 cr)
PUBH 6450 - Biostatistics I (4.0 cr)
PUBH 6741 - Ethics in Public Health: Professional Practice and Policy (1.0 cr)
Occupational Hygiene Core Requirements (23 credits)
PUBH 6130 - Occupational Medicine: Principles and Practice (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6150 - Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Occupational Health and Safety Field Problems (3.0 cr)
PUBH 6159 - Principles of Toxicology I (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6170 - Introduction to Occupational Health and Safety (3.0 cr)
PUBH 6172 - Industrial Hygiene Applications (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6173 - Exposure to Physical Agents (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6174 - Control of Workplace Exposure (3.0 cr)
PUBH 6175 - Environmental Measurements Laboratory (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6192 - Measurement and Properties of Air Contaminants (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6193 - Advanced Topics in Human Exposure Science (2.0 cr)
Applied Practice Experience (3 credits)
Students should take 3 cr of PUBH 7196
PUBH 7196 - Applied Practice Experience: Environmental Health (1.0-5.0 cr)
Plan B Project (3 credits)
Students should take 3 cr of PUBH 7195
PUBH 7195 - MS in Environmental Health Sciences Plan B Project (1.0-5.0 cr)
Electives
Students should take a minimum of 11 credits of electives.
CEGE 4561 - Solids and Hazardous Wastes (3.0 cr)
CEGE 5551 - Environmental Microbiology (3.0 cr)
CMGT 4031 - Construction Safety and Loss Control (3.0 cr)
IE 5511 - Human Factors and Work Analysis (4.0 cr)
IE 5513 - Engineering Safety (4.0 cr)
KIN 5001 - Foundations of Human Factors/Ergonomics (3.0 cr)
ME 5113 - Aerosol/Particle Engineering (4.0 cr)
PA 5721 -  Energy Systems and Policy (3.0 cr)
PUBH 6020 - Fundamentals of Social and Behavioral Science (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6112 - Environmental Health Risk Assessment: Application to Human Health Risks from Exposure to Chemicals (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6115 - Worker Protection Law (1.0 cr)
PUBH 6116 - Environmental Law (1.0 cr)
PUBH 6120 - Injury Prevention in the Workplace, Community, and Home (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6131 - Working in Global Health (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6132 - Air, Water, and Health (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6140 - Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6161 - Regulatory Toxicology (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6162 - Biomarkers (2.0 cr)
PUBH 6177 - Nanotechnology Health and Safety (3.0 cr)
PUBH 6182 - Emerging Infectious Disease: Current Issues, Policies, and Controversies (3.0 cr)
PUBH 6190 - Environmental Chemistry (3.0 cr)
PUBH 6451 - Biostatistics II (4.0 cr)
PUBH 6751 - Principles of Management in Health Services Organizations (2.0 cr)
 
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PUBH 6102 - Issues in Environmental Health
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Current issues, principles, and methods of environmental/occupational health practice. prereq: Public health [MPH or MHA or certificate] student or health journalism MA major or nursing MS student or instr consent
PUBH 6250 - Foundations of Public Health
Credits: 2.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
In this course we will examine values, contexts, principles, and frameworks of public health. We will provide an introduction to public health, consider the history of public health, social/political determinants, impact of health disparities on race, class and gender, moral and legal foundations, public health structures, historical trauma and cultural competence, health and human rights, advocacy and health equity, communication and financing, and the future of public health in the 21st century. Grounded in theory and concepts, we will incorporate core competencies and skills for public health professionals and will focus on developing problem solving and decision-making skills through critical analysis, reflection, case studies, readings, and paper assignments.
PUBH 6320 - Fundamentals of Epidemiology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
This course provides an understanding of basic methods and tools used by epidemiologists to study the health of populations.
PUBH 6450 - Biostatistics I
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
This course will cover the fundamental concepts of exploratory data analysis and statistical inference for univariate and bivariate data, including: ? study design and sampling methods, ? descriptive and graphical summaries, ? random variables and their distributions, ? interval estimation, ? hypothesis testing, ? relevant nonparametric methods, ? simple regression/correlation, and ? introduction to multiple regression. There will be a focus on analyzing data using statistical programming software and on communicating the results in short reports. Health science examples from the research literature will be used throughout the course. prereq: [College-level algebra, health sciences grad student] or instr consent
PUBH 6741 - Ethics in Public Health: Professional Practice and Policy
Credits: 1.0 [max 1.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Introduction to ethical issues in public health practice/policy. Ethical analysis, recognizing/analyzing moral issues. prereq: Public health [MPH or MHA or certificate] student or environmental health [MS or PhD] major or instr consent
PUBH 6130 - Occupational Medicine: Principles and Practice
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Spring
Pathogenesis of diseases caused by occupational hazards. Evaluating work-related illnesses. Overall regulatory framework governing occupational health/safety. prereq: Environmental health major; toxicology course recommended or instr consent
PUBH 6150 - Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Occupational Health and Safety Field Problems
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Guided evaluation of potential health/safety problems at work site, recommendations and design criteria for correction/evaluation of occupational health/safety programs.
PUBH 6159 - Principles of Toxicology I
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall
This is the first of two courses that covers fundamental principles of exposure, uptake and metabolism. This course focuses on identifying the mechanisms and effects of chemical, biological, and physical agents on human health. Discussions will focus on the action of environmental agents and how they interact with humans to cause disease. Emphasis is on understanding the principles of toxicology as they apply to understanding toxicant-human interactions.
PUBH 6170 - Introduction to Occupational Health and Safety
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Nurs/PubH 5170
Typically offered: Every Fall & Summer
Concepts/issues in occupational health/safety. Application of public health principles/decision-making process in preventing injury/disease, promoting health of adults, protecting worker populations from environmental hazards. Observational visit to manufacturing facility. prereq: Environmental health major or instr consent
PUBH 6172 - Industrial Hygiene Applications
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Typically offered: Spring Odd Year
Recognition, evaluation, and control of occupational health/safety hazards. Practice application to specific industrial hygiene problems related to gases/vapors, aerosols, and physical agents.
PUBH 6173 - Exposure to Physical Agents
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
Nature, health effects, monitoring, and control of physical agents in working/living environments. Ionizing/non-ionizing radiations (including lasers, ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light). Noise/vibration, heat/cold stress. Dose, response, and engineering interventions.
PUBH 6174 - Control of Workplace Exposure
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Spring Odd Year
Hierarchy of options for controlling human exposures to airborne contaminants, both gaseous/aerosol. Science/practice of process control/exhaust ventilation in workplaces/other indoor air spaces/air cleaning. Control of emissions to ambient environment.
PUBH 6175 - Environmental Measurements Laboratory
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Spring Even Year
Measuring exposures to potentially hazardous agents in air or water. Sampling the agent. Preparing sample for analysis. Conducting analysis. Interpreting results. prereq: EH or instr consent
PUBH 6192 - Measurement and Properties of Air Contaminants
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Gaseous/particulate air contaminants, their occurrence in workplaces. Factors governing generation/dispersal. Criteria, rationales, and standards for measurement in workplace. Industrial hygiene measurement. Aerosol-related ill-health. prereq: Good grasp of [elementary physics, chemistry, mathematics including calculus]
PUBH 6193 - Advanced Topics in Human Exposure Science
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall
Designing exposure studies for epidemiologic investigations and health risk assessments. Techniques to measure/estimate human exposures to hazardous agents in non-occupational and occupational environments. prereq: 6192 or instr consent
PUBH 7196 - Applied Practice Experience: Environmental Health
Credits: 1.0 -5.0 [max 5.0]
Grading Basis: S-N or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
MPH students are required to complete a supervised Applied Practice Experience (APEx). Students must address five competencies and must submit two products that demonstrate attainment of the competencies. prereq: Environmental health student, instr consent
PUBH 7195 - MS in Environmental Health Sciences Plan B Project
Credits: 1.0 -5.0 [max 5.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Students must complete a written plan B project where they are required to synthesize and integrate knowledge acquired in coursework and other learning experiences and apply theory and principles in a context that reflects an aspect of professional practice. The culminating experience must be used as a means by which faculty judge whether the student has mastered the body of knowledge and can demonstrate proficiency in the required competencies through written and oral presentation. All master?s degree candidates are required to pass a final comprehensive oral examination to be taken after submission of the Plan B project(s).
CEGE 4561 - Solids and Hazardous Wastes
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Periodic Fall & Spring
This course will serve as an introduction to the topics of solid and hazardous waste management. Classes will incorporate information about prevention, treatment options, and the regulations surrounding solid and hazardous waste. They will also provide an opportunity to observe different methods of waste treatment in action.
CEGE 5551 - Environmental Microbiology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Role of microorganisms in environmental bioremediation, pollution control, water/wastewater treatment, biogeochemistry, and human health. prereq: Upper div or grad student or instructor consent
CMGT 4031 - Construction Safety and Loss Control
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Introduction to construction safety, health, and loss control. Hazard recognition. Control procedures. Management systems for measuring/evaluating loss-control performances in construction industry. prereq: 3001, 45 sem cr
IE 5511 - Human Factors and Work Analysis
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: HumF 5211/IE 5511/ME 5211
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Human factors engineering (ergonomics), methods engineering, and work measurement. Human-machine interface: displays, controls, instrument layout, and supervisory control. Anthropometry, work physiology and biomechanics. Work environmental factors: noise, illumination, toxicology. Methods engineering, including operations analysis, motion study, and time standards. prereq: Upper div CSE or grad student
IE 5513 - Engineering Safety
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Occupational, health, and product safety. Standards, laws, and regulations. Hazards and their engineering control, including general principles, tools and machines, mechanics and structures, electrical safety, materials handling, fire safety, and chemicals. Human behavior and safety, procedures and training, warnings and instructions. prereq: Upper div CSE or grad student
KIN 5001 - Foundations of Human Factors/Ergonomics
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: HumF/Kin 5001
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Variability in human performance as influenced by interaction with designs of machines and tools, computers and software, complex technological systems, jobs and working conditions, organizations, and sociotechnical institutions. Emphasizes conceptual, empirical, practical aspects of human factors/ergonomic science.
ME 5113 - Aerosol/Particle Engineering
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Kinetic theory, definition, theory and measurement of particle properties, elementary particle mechanics, particle statistics; Brownian motion and diffusion, coagulation, evaporation and condensation, sampling and transport. prereq: CSE upper div or grad student
PA 5721 - Energy Systems and Policy
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Impact of energy production/consumption choices on environmental quality, sustainable development, and other economic/social goals. Emphasizes public policy choices for energy/environment, linkages between them.
PUBH 6020 - Fundamentals of Social and Behavioral Science
Credits: 2.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Three major approaches to social sciences in public health: psychosocial, community approaches, economic and policy interventions. Covers theories of behavior change, program and policy development, community engagement, and policy implementation and advocacy. Not open to students in Community Health Promotion or Public Health Nutrition MPH programs.
PUBH 6112 - Environmental Health Risk Assessment: Application to Human Health Risks from Exposure to Chemicals
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Introduction to risk in context of regulatory decision making. prereq: PubH 6102 or instructor permission.
PUBH 6115 - Worker Protection Law
Credits: 1.0 [max 1.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Role of government in protecting rights of citizens. Labor movement history as starting point for discussion of systems for protecting workers in unsafe workplaces and compensating them for injuries. Laws against class-based discrimination.
PUBH 6116 - Environmental Law
Credits: 1.0 [max 1.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Questions when pollution protection law conflicts with policy encouraging the use of natural resources. Conflicts when government restricts use of property without compensating its owner. Increasing authority of government to audit businesses.
PUBH 6120 - Injury Prevention in the Workplace, Community, and Home
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Injury epidemiology: analyses of major injury problems affecting the public in the workplace, community, and home using epidemiologic model and conceptual framework; emphasis on strategies/program development for prevention and control.
PUBH 6131 - Working in Global Health
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Introduction to key issues in global health. Global burden of disease. Cultural issues/health. Nutrition. Infectious diseases. Environmental problems. Women/children. Prereq Grad student.
PUBH 6132 - Air, Water, and Health
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring
Issues related to providing adequate levels of clean air/water. Local water quantity/quality, air quality in developed/developing world, global air/water quality, policies meant to protect these resources.
PUBH 6140 - Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Principles/concepts in identifying health effects in workplace. Strategies for identifying excess risk, evaluating strengths/weaknesses of research techniques, assessing bias/confounding. prereq: Coursework in epidemiology, biostatistics
PUBH 6161 - Regulatory Toxicology
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
In-depth introduction to laws (and associated regulations) of U.S. federal regulatory agencies, such as CPSC, EPA, FDA, OSHA, and DOT, that require/use toxicological data/information in their mission of protecting human/environmental health. prereq: Background in toxicology or pharmacology or related field is recommended
PUBH 6162 - Biomarkers
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring
Introduce current status of molecular biomarker research, including biomarkers of chemical exposures, genetic toxicity markers, genomics-based biomarkers of susceptibility, organ/systems biomarkers. Progression of biomarker development/application from laboratory environment to clinical or population-based settings/development of public health policies/interventions. prereq: Introductory courses in toxicology and exposure analysis recommended
PUBH 6177 - Nanotechnology Health and Safety
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
As defined by ASTM, nanotechnology is the emerging field of "technologies that measure, manipulate, or incorporate materials and/or features with at least one dimension between approximately 1 and 100 nm". Toxicology studies have indicated that exposures to nanomaterials present unique health risks not encountered with their parent materials. After completing this course, students will understand how the fundamental concepts and methods of occupational hygiene are applied specifically to nanomaterials. Students will learn to use aerosol science, toxicology, product lifecycle assessment, exposure assessment, and occupational hygiene data interpretation methods comprehensively to evaluate workers' disease risks from nanomaterial exposures and to guide intervention efforts. Emphasis will be placed on control measures appropriate for nanomaterials, and control banding approaches when data are lacking. Participants will study the handling of waste products and potential impacts of released nanoparticles on the public and the ambient environment. The course is aimed at graduate and upper-level undergraduate students in the health and basic sciences, engineering, public health, and industrial hygiene.
PUBH 6182 - Emerging Infectious Disease: Current Issues, Policies, and Controversies
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Issues/controversies surrounding emerging infectious diseases. Framework for considering realistic/innovative policies. Bioterrorism, public health preparedness. Pandemic influenza preparedness, smallpox vaccination, antibiotic resistance. prereq: AHC student, instr consent
PUBH 6190 - Environmental Chemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Overview air, water, and soil chemistry. Pertinent environmental problems. Human/ecological multimedia exposures to chemicals in the environment. prereq: One course each in [gen chem, org chem] or instr consent
PUBH 6451 - Biostatistics II
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
This course will cover more advanced aspects of statistical analysis methods with a focus on statistical modeling, including: ? two-way ANOVA, ? multiple linear regression, ? logistic regression, ? Poisson regression, ? log binomial and ordinal regression, ? survival analysis methods, including Kaplan-Meier analysis and proportional hazards (Cox) regression, ? power and sample size, and ? survey sampling and analysis. There will be a focus on analyzing data using statistical programming software and on communicating the results in short reports. Health science examples from the research literature will be used throughout the course. prereq: [PubH 6450 with grade of at least B, health sciences grad student] or instr consent
PUBH 6751 - Principles of Management in Health Services Organizations
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Understanding of and improvement in the competencies of managers in organizations, particularly as applied to health services and public health organizations. prereq: [Public hlth MPH or MHA or certificate] student or [environmental health MS or PhD] student or dentistry MS student or instr consent