Requirements and Curriculum

Your program will consist of courses addressing foundational public health knowledge and competency areas, required and elective concentration courses, a field training experience and a culminating project.

The MPH in environmental health is 44 to 45 credits.

Up to 9 credits may be transferred from previous coursework and up to 6 credits may be waived. You must complete a minimum of 43 MPH credits, regardless of any waivers or substitutions.

You can complete the program in four semesters of full-time attendance or up to eight semesters of part-time attendance.

On this page:

Advisement

You will be assigned a faculty advisor who will assist you in planning your academic coursework and other program requirements. Learn more about advisement.

Required Courses

Students should enroll in courses following the schedule below.

  • Part-time students taking courses over multiple years should register for courses in order.
    • For example, if you take 2 courses per semester, in your first Fall semester take the first 2 courses under Year 1 Fall, and in your next Fall semester take the next 2 courses.
  • One-year accelerated students combine Fall Semester years 1 and 2 for your Fall schedule, and Spring Semester years 1 and 2 for your Spring schedule.
  • Students admitted in a spring semester should contact their program director for their course pathway.

Year 1 Fall Semester (12 or 13 credits)

Course order Course Credits Course Type
1. EEH 501 Principles of Epidemiology OR EEH 500 Introduction to Epidemiology
4 OR 3 Foundational MPH course
2. CHB 501 Study of Health 3
Foundational MPH course
3. EEH 590 Leadership, Collaboration and Negotiation in Public Health 2
Foundational MPH course
4. STA 527 Statistical Analysis I LEC (lecture) 3 Foundational MPH course
5. STA 527 Statistical Analysis I REC (recitation) 1 Foundational MPH course

Year 1 Spring Semester (14 credits)

Course order Course Credits Course Type
1. EEH 520 Biological Basis of Public Health+ 3
Foundational MPH course
2. EEH 530 Introduction to Health Care Organization 3 Foundational MPH course
3. EEH 550 Environmental Health 3
Foundational MPH course
4. CHB 507 Public Health Teams and Practice 2 Foundational MPH course
5. Environmental health elective 3
Elective course

^ Students can take EEH 501 Principles of Epidemiology (4) in the Fall semester instead of EEH 500 Introduction to Epidemiology if their faculty advisor approves.

+ This course reviews biological processes of chronic and infectious diseases, which is not covered elsewhere in the MPH. Students who have satisfactorily completed college coursework in human biology, immunology, microbiology, pathophysiology, or anatomy and physiology may be able to replace this course with another concentration elective.

Year 2 Fall Semester (12 credits)*

Course order Course Credits Course Type
1. PMY 626 Toxicology Principles and Practice 3 Concentration course
2. EEH 575 Epidemiologic Applications to Environmental Health
3
Concentration course
3.  EEH 555 Exposure Assessment in Environmental Health Research (recommended elective) 3 Elective course
4. EEH 544 MPH Field Training* (Students should not contact the Field Training Coordinator until completing all Year 1 courses) 3 Foundational MPH course
 

To complete field training, submit your INFO Form (in the UB Learns MPH Student Resources portal) by:

Sept. 15 for a Winter placement

Oct. 15 for a Spring placement

Mar. 15 for a Summer placement

May 15 for a Fall placement

   
  MPH Field Training (3) can alternately be completed in Summer of Year 1, or in Fall of Year 2.
   

Year 2 Spring Semester (6 credits)

Course order Course Credits Course Type
1. EEH 551 Advanced Environmental Health Sciences
3 Concentration course
2. EEH 630 MPH Culminating Project 3
Foundational MPH course

Electives

Elective Courses--6 credits

Select courses from the list below.

  • CIE 563 Air Pollution
  • CIE 569 Brownfield Restoration
  • EEH 505 Application of Biostatistics to Epidemiology I
  • EEH 521 Global Health
  • EEH 547 MPH Field Training Elective
  • EEH 555 Exposure Assessment in Environmental Health Research (3)
  • GEO 506 Geographical Information Systems (4)
  • URP 604 Community Food Systems Planning
  • URP 605 Built Environment and Health

Students can petition to take courses outside their concentration area or at the PhD level if the course is relevant to their future career plans and they obtain permission of the course instructor and the MPH graduate director.

Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP)

Interprofessional collaborative practice, or the ability to work effectively on teams with professionals across many health or health-related disciplines, is an important competency for public health professionals.

MPH students, you can earn three interprofessional collaborative practice digital badges and an IPCP micro-credential through your required coursework:

IPCP Foundations Digital Badge by completing:

  • One spring Interprofessional Forum and IPCP Foundational Online Module Series in CHB 507 Public Health Teams and Practice
  • One fall Interprofessional Forum in EEH 590 Leadership, Collaboration and Negotiation in Public Health

IPCP Communication and Teamwork Digital Badge by completing IPCP Innovation Sprint with Pharmacy students in CHB 507 Public Health Teams and Practice.

IPCP Healthcare Practice Digital Badge by completing CHB/EEH/STA 544 MPH Field Training.

Earn the full IPCP micro-credential by completing all three digital badges.

All digital badges and the micro-credential are awarded to you upon completion of the activities. Current students can learn more about IPCP activities, digital badges, and the micro-credential in your courses, and by visiting the MPH Student Resources Portal.

Forms and Documentation

You will complete a series of field training forms before and during your field training experience. You will also complete and submit a field training set of slides about your experience to your advisor. Find more information about the forms in the MPH Student Resource Portal in UB Learns.

All students must also apply for graduation:
  • Students preparing to graduate must log into My Academics in their student HUB record, click on "Apply for Graduation" and select the MPH program and anticipated graduation semester before the appropriate deadline.
    • See details about applying to graduate in HUB.
  • Contact sphhp-eeh@buffalo.edu for more information. 
Graduation Term Apply to Graduate, in HUB by Conferral Date
Spring February 22 June 1
Summer July 15 September 1
Fall October 15 February 1
Graduation Requirements

To ensure you complete all of the necessary forms, review graduation requirements.

Questions? Contact Us