Courses

All courses carry 3 credits unless otherwise specified.

520 Environmental Epigenetics: Why DNA is Not Destiny
Introduces students to the new field of environmental epigenetics. Through videos and discussion of recent research papers, students will learn how the environment (nutrition, chemicals, psychosocial stress) can shape our genetic makeup and ultimately influence disease susceptibility. Credits: 2.

562 Air Quality and Assessment
Air pollution is presented as a major public health problem. Topics include air pollutant sources and atmospheric transformations, meteorology, health and economic effects, climate change, sampling and analysis, indoor and outdoor exposures, control technology and air quality criteria (including air quality standards, policy, and regulations).

565 Environmental Health Practices
Concepts of control methods used by environmental health and engineering practitioners. Topics include water, wastewater, solid wastes, food sanitation, vector control, housing, and accident control measures.

567 Environmental Compliance Regulations
Principles of environmental compliance obligations, common law, trespass, nuisance, and negligence. The major federal environmental laws affecting companies and agencies, and selected state and local regulations. Civil and criminal penalties and liabilities attached to environmental regulations. Strategies for compliance including proactive and environmental management as a method for reducing legal exposure to environmental issues.

588 Developmental Origins of Disease
Do diseases like cancer and diabetes begin in the womb? This course will introduce students to key concepts and emerging concerns in the field of developmental toxicology. Through a combination of lectures and discussions of historical examples and recent research papers, students will learn how the combination of teratogens and critical windows of exposure can result in a spectrum of outcomes ranging from birth defects to diseases that emerge at later life stages.

590R Communicating Environmental Health Science to the Public
This course will expand the scientific communication skillset for students in public health disciplines, with a focus on environmental health topics, in order for graduates to be more effective science communicators. Course content includes sections on teaching strategies, crafting content for journalism, elevator pitches, data visualization, and disseminating information to policy makers.

600 Molecular Epidemiology
Combines theoretical aspects and hands-on laboratory methods for molecular epidemiology. Topics include biomarkers, gene-environmental interactions, nutrient-toxicant interactions, and epigenetics. Laboratory components include DNA isolation, PCR, and genotyping.

666 Environmental and Occupational Toxicology I
The toxicological activity of toxic substances found in the general environment and in industrial settings. Topics include biochemical mechanisms for absorption, excretion, tissue distribution, metabolic transformations, and conjugations; comparative metabolism of animal species; special applications to the toxicology of heavy metals, pesticides, and other industrial chemicals.

667 Environmental and Occupational Toxicology II (2nd sem)
In this class, developed to meet the demand for a new generation of toxicologists, students learn about new methods and approaches and perform a project based on next generation sequencing, starting from tissues of exposed and control animals through bioinformatic analysis of molecular pathways that were affected by exposure and generation of toxicity assessment data.

671 Risk Assessment and Management
Provides an introduction to the field of multi-media (e.g., air, water, soil, food) environmental health risk assessment and how society incorporates risk assessment findings into regulations and policy.

690X Exposure Assessment In Environmental and Public Health
General approach to and quantitative methods of exposure assessment; issues associated with interpretation of exposure information; statistical considerations, validation, and ethics; quantitative exposure modeling; concepts of biomarkers and biomonitoring.

691B Seminar—Research Methods
Graduate students research and present a one-hour seminar on a topic related to environmental health, and research a topic for a term paper.

696 Independent Study
Students choose a topic to research on their own under the guidance of a faculty advisor who will then grade the final written report. Credits: 1-6.

696D Independent Study—MPH Project
Allows MPH students to tackle an environmental health problem using the skills and educational resources they have developed during their first year of coursework, during their practicum experience, and in their other professional experiences (employment, internships, volunteer work, etc.). Credits: 3-9.

698 Practicum
Opportunity for supervised field observation to gain practical experience in selected public health agencies or other environmental health-related organizations. Credits: 1-12.

699 Master’s Thesis (M.S. candidates only)
Independent research leading to a thesis on a public health subject. Results should be suitable for publication. Credits: 9.

704 Journal Club
Examines current advances in environmental health science via critical reading and discussion of recently published peer-reviewed papers related to environmental health. Using the typical journal club format, the papers (and topics) discussed will change from week to week and will include topics such as pollution, exposure assessments, mechanistic toxicology, environmental epidemiology, and others. Credits: 1.

727 Graduate Seminars in Environmental Health
Current advances in environmental health science via lectures from UMass faculty with research programs related to environmental health, UMass Ph.D. students in the EHS program, as well as visiting scholars. Seminar topics will change from week to week and will include topics such as pollution, exposure assessments, mechanistic toxicology, environmental health policy, environmental epidemiology, and others. Credits: 1.

796 Independent Study
Students choose a topic to research on their own under the guidance of a faculty advisor who will then grade the final written report. Credits: 1-6.

899 Doctoral Dissertation
Credits: 18.