COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Learn more about the Master of Public Health in Environmental Health.

About the Program

Environmental factors and sustainable development are major determinants of health in individuals and communities. The Master of Public Health in Environmental Health is a professional degree that prepares students for practice-oriented careers in promoting and protecting public health by identifying and addressing environmental factors that may cause or contribute to disease, injury or other adverse health-related outcomes. Students in this program gain a comprehensive understanding of the relationships between human health and the natural and built environment, including topics such as air, water and soil quality; climate change; emerging environmental health threats; environmental justice; food safety; hazardous waste management; occupational health; and sustainability. They also develop skills in epidemiology, exposure and risk assessment, policy analysis, as well as communication and advocacy. The program is grounded in the core MPH competencies and disciplines of public health, with an emphasis on examining environmental factors and policies that affect the public’s health and sustainable environments of communities.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 4 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Students can complete the degree program through evening classes and online courses. Full-time students usually complete the program within two academic years. Part-time students usually take three to four years to complete their degree.

Interdisciplinary Study: Interdisciplinary MPH coursework, research, and interactions with students and faculty in other departments are encouraged to give students as broad a perspective as possible to excel in the complex, diverse, and dynamic state of public health. Through associations with the Center for Obesity Research and Education, Center for Women's Health, and others, students have access to over 100 faculty at Temple University and additional regional scholars who are actively involved in programs, research, and teaching in public health. Further, as with the other four MPH degree programs offered by the College of Public Health, the MPH in Environmental Health can be undertaken as part of these dual MPH degree programs:

• DMD/MPH with Temple University's Kornberg School of Dentistry
• JD/MPH with Temple University's Beasley School of Law
• MD/MPH with the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
• MHA/MPH with Temple University's Fox School of Business and Management
• MPP/MPH with Temple University's College of Liberal Arts
• MS Health Informatics/MPH within the Temple University College of Public Health
• MSW/MPH with the Temple University School of Social Work

For more information, visit https://www.temple.edu/academics/dual-degree-programs.

Affiliation(s): Locally, the program has long-standing research affiliations with Fox Chase Cancer Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), and the Temple University Health System. The program also has affiliations with numerous other health systems and community health agencies and organizations inside and outside of Philadelphia. These partnerships allow us to offer students a wide range of fieldwork opportunities to translate skills learned in the classroom to actual practice in the community.

Study Abroad: Short-term, international travel experiences focused on public health are offered as part of the MPH program of study through the Public Health Beyond Borders (PHBB) group and elective course. Contact the PHBB faculty advisor for information about timing of travel.

Accreditation: The MPH is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Achieving accreditation in 1985, Temple's MPH program is one of the longest established accredited MPH programs in community health in the country.

Areas of Specialization: The MPH degree program is offered in six specialty fields of study:

• Applied Biostatistics (APBIO)
• Environmental Health (EH)
• Epidemiology (EPI)
• Health Policy and Management (HPM)
• Nutrition (NUTR)
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS)

Students in the MPH program may complete transcripted College of Public Health certificate programs by taking their 9 credits of electives in the relevant coursework. For questions about certificates, please contact your Academic Advisor or Graduate Program Director.

Job Prospects: Graduates with an MPH in Environmental Health have positions in a wide range of health-related settings, including academia; consulting firms; government agencies at the local, state or federal level; healthcare sectors (e.g., hospitals, clinics); nonprofit organizations; and private industry. Graduates are employed as consultants, environmental health specialists, environmental health program managers, air and water monitoring coordinators, research coordinators, research assistants, and data analysts. Virtually all students are placed within three to six months of graduation.

Licensure: Students who complete an MPH at Temple University are eligible to sit for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam offered by the National Board of Public Health Examiners and the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®) exam offered by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (NCHEC). For more information about credentialing in public health, visit https://www.nchec.org/.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Non-matriculated students are required to speak with an advisor before registering for classes and to obtain the permission of the professor, whether the coursework is taken in the on-campus or online format. If accepted to the program, a maximum of three courses (9 credits) may be applied toward the degree program. Exceptions to this policy relate to formal certificate programs. For more information, contact Natasha Benoit, Senior Academic Advisor, at nbenoit@temple.edu.

Financing Opportunities: The Graduate School awards fellowships on a competitive basis only to students with outstanding academic records who are admitted to Temple University for the Fall term. Applicants who wish to be considered for fellowships must apply no later than January 26 for consideration for the Fall term. The Admissions Committee of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics nominates outstanding students for these awards, and the Graduate Board's Fellowship Committee makes all award decisions.

Limited Teaching and Research Assistantships may be available in the College of Public Health. The Graduate School website details the types of graduate student support. Assistantships are awarded on a term or annual basis. Students whose Fall applications are complete prior to or at the application deadline are reviewed for eligibility for Teaching Assistant (TA) positions. TAs can work 5 to 20 hours per week in any combination of teaching assignments made by the department and must meet the English Language Proficiency standards set by the University and the College. Students who hold Teaching or Research Assistantships are not permitted to hold other employment without the written prior approval of their advisor, the Director of Graduate Programs, and the Graduate School. To be considered for a Teaching or Research Assistantship, complete an application form that is sent to students upon admission to the MPH program. The completed application must be returned to cphta@temple.edu to be considered.

The College of Public Health has a limited number of scholarship opportunities available for MPH students, as shown at https://cph.temple.edu/admissions/scholarships. Students may also be eligible for financial support through the Office of Student Financial Services.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: March 1

All applicants to the MPH program must apply via the Centralized Application Service for Public Health (SOPHAS). The system can be accessed at https://sophas.liaisoncas.com/.

Applicants should check their application status on the SOPHAS portal often and inquire directly of SOPHAS about receipt of materials. For other questions, please contact the CPH Office of Admissions at cph@temple.edu or 215-204-5200.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation, which are completed electronically through the SOPHAS system, should be obtained from college/university faculty members familiar with academic competence. If the applicant has been out of school for more than 5 years, ensure that letters are provided by professional colleagues who can discuss your relevant academic skills, including critical thinking, research and writing.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: Applicants' files are reviewed for undergraduate coursework in mathematics and/or statistics, social sciences and writing.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: All applicants must present credentials that are the equivalent of an accredited baccalaureate degree. The minimum acceptable undergraduate GPA is 3.0. No prerequisites must be met to apply to the MPH program at Temple University, but applicants with a GPA of 3.25 or greater in mathematics/statistics courses and strong grades in writing are preferred.

A WES evaluation is required for applicants who completed their bachelor's degree outside of the United States. This can be requested at https://www.wes.org and submitted through SOPHAS.

Statement of Goals: Write a well-considered 500- to 1,000-word statement of purpose that articulates your interests in public health and our program in particular. Craft your statement to specifically address the following questions:

• Why are you pursuing the MPH in Environmental Health, and what are your particular areas of interest in public health?
• How does the MPH in Environmental Health best fit your public health interests?
• What are your career goals, and how will this degree help you to achieve these goals?
• What are your plans in the first few years after graduation?

Standardized Test Scores:
GRE: Optional. While the program takes a portfolio approach to admissions, standardized tests provide important insight into quantitative and verbal abilities. If submitted, scores above the 50th percentile on both the verbal and quantitative sections of the test are desired. Official GRE scores should be sent to SOPHAS using code 0151. If GRE scores are not submitted, it is recommended that the applicant’s GPA is 3.25 or greater in mathematics and statistics courses. This provides important information on the applicant's quantitative abilities required for the program. Applications that do not include GRE scores and do not meet the mathematics/statistics GPA must provide some evidence of quantitative abilities either through prior experiences, the personal statement and/or letters of recommendation

Standardized tests considered in lieu of the GRE include DAT, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, OAT, and PCAT.

Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

• TOEFL iBT: 79 (send officially to SOPHAS using the SOPHAS-specific TOEFL code 5688)
• IELTS Academic: 6.5
• PTE Academic: 53
• Duolingo: 110

Resume: Current resume or CV required.

Laptop: Laptops are integrated into the College of Public Health curricula, and all students are required to have a laptop for full participation in class activities; online class sessions; online exam proctoring; and the use of special software, which is used to reinforce the learning objectives and program student learning competencies in certain classes. A laptop that meets the minimum device specifications defined below IS REQUIRED for all undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Public Health.

Review the College of Public Health laptop requirement for additional information: https://cphapps.temple.edu/wiki/it/student/laptop

Transfer Credit: Graduate credits from an MPH program accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) may be transferred into the MPH. The credits must be equivalent to coursework offered at Temple, and the grade must be a "B" or better in order to transfer. The MPH program director approves the transfer of credits based on a review of course materials provided by the student. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 9.

Clearances: The MPH program requires students to complete fieldwork education. In the MPH program, it is the fieldwork site that determines the clearances, such as criminal background check and FBI fingerprinting, needed by a student. The results of these clearances determine whether a student may be onboarded at a respective site.

It is the student's responsibility to ensure they obtain the necessary clearances for their fieldwork. Clearances are site-specific. If you plan on completing your fieldwork in a site that requires clearances such as, but not limited to a hospital, at a health department, or with children or youth, please start to obtain your clearances the semester prior to fieldwork. Many sites now require a background check and child abuse clearance. Hospitals and other clinical sites may also require physicals, immunization records, and drug testing.

These clearances can take up to 4-6 weeks to process. If you do not start this process the semester before fieldwork, it could significantly delay your fieldwork start date and ultimately your graduation.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 42

Required Courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
College Core Course
HRPR 5001	Current and Emerging Issues in Public Health and Health Professions	0
Public Health Core Courses
ENVH 5004	Environmental Health	1.5
EPBI 5006	Biostatistics and Applied Analysis of Health	4.5
EPBI 5201	Epidemiological Research Methods I	3
HPM 5006	Political and Economic Aspects of Health	3
SBS 5001	Fundamentals of Public Health	3
SBS 5002	Program Planning, Theory, and Practice	3
Environmental Health Core Courses
ENVH 8016	Human Health Risk Analysis	3
ENVH 8207	Environmental Epidemiology	3
EPBI 8012	Multivariable Biostatistics	3
Environmental Health Elective 1
Select one from the following:		3
ENVH 5013	Global Environmental Health
ENVH 5309	Water, Sanitation and Public Health
ENVH 8019	Environmental Policy and Regulation
ENVH 8206
ENVH 8306
EPBI 5003	Spatial Analysis in Public Health
Electives 2, 3
Select two from the following:		6
ENVH 5013	Global Environmental Health
ENVH 5309	Water, Sanitation and Public Health
ENVH 8019	Environmental Policy and Regulation
ENVH 8206
ENVH 8306
EPBI 5003	Spatial Analysis in Public Health
EPBI 8204	Multilevel Modeling in Interdisciplinary Research
EPBI 8213	Cancer Epidemiology
MPH Fieldwork Experience
ENVH 9289	MPH Fieldwork I	3
ENVH 9389	MPH Fieldwork II	3
Total Credit Hours		42

¹

Other electives may be taken with approval.

²

Courses not taken to fulfill the Environmental Health Elective above may be selected to fulfill one or both of these general electives.

³

Other electives may be selected with approval.

Minimum Grade to be Earned for All Required Courses: B-

Culminating Events:
Fieldwork Practicum:
Students are required to synthesize and integrate the knowledge acquired in coursework and other learning experiences and to apply theory and principles in a situation that approximates some aspect of professional practice through an internship or practicum experience with a public health agency, health services organization, or under the supervision of a faculty preceptor. The MPH fieldwork experience serves as the applied practice experience as required by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), the accrediting body for schools and programs of public health, for completion of the Master of Public Health degree. In addition, this applied practice experience provides the student with the opportunity to develop expertise in a topic area and to contribute original and independent observations to a body of knowledge.

Evaluative Paper:
For the applied practice experience to fulfill the requirements of ENVH 9289 and ENVH 9389, MPH in Environmental Health students are expected to complete a fieldwork experience. The required deliverable for the MPH fieldwork requirement is a final evaluative paper. Students must demonstrate their proficiency and the application of theory and principles in the paper.

Contacts

Department Contacts: