PhD in Environmental Health Sciences

Curriculum

Students entering the program have varied backgrounds, including chemistry, biology, physiology, environmental science/engineering/health, epidemiology, and public health. The curriculum is based on a foundation of basic and health sciences with applications of scientific principles to environmental exposures and their potential health effects. Formal course work is enriched by a strong commitment to student-professor interaction throughout the program. An important and integral part of the learning process is an early and intensive involvement of the student in ongoing original research projects in environmental health sciences. Research grants and contracts are available to support qualified doctoral students as research assistants.

Please note that the courses listed in the UCI Course Catalogue may vary. For the most accurate and up-to-date list of classes, please consult with your academic counselor.

Core Courses

PUBHLTH 200
Foundations of Public Health
4 UNITS
Presents the overarching framework, principles, and core responsibilities of public health research and practice from a multidisciplinary perspective. Provides necessary foundation for further studies toward advanced cross-cutting approaches essential for public health practice. Restriction: College of Health Sciences students only. Program in Public Health students only. Master of Public Health Degree students only. Graduate students only. Public Health Majors only.
EPIDEM 200A
Principles of Epidemiology
4 UNITS
Fundamental principles of epidemiology, biostatistics, and epidemiological research. Topics include research methods of measuring health problems in populations, disease control and prevention in populations, how epidemiology contributes to knowledge of disease etiology, and biostatistical analysis and interpretation of epidemiologic data. Same as PUBHLTH 206A. Restriction: Graduate students only.
EPIDEM 204A
Biostatistics I: Introduction to Statistical Methods
4 UNITS
Introduction to the basic statistical techniques commonly used in public health research. Topics include descriptive statistics, basic probability, inferential statistics (estimation, confidence intervals, and hypothesis testing), and contingency tables. SAS software is introduced. Same as PUBHLTH 204A. Restriction: Graduate students only.
EHS 264
Introduction to Environmental Health Sciences
4 UNITS
Convergence of agents (chemical, physical, biological, or psychosocial) in environment can emerge as diseases influenced by social, political, and economic factors, allowing them to become rooted in society. How these agents from various spheres come together and impact human health.
EHS 298
Seminar in Environmental Health Sciences
2 UNITS
Presentation and discussion of current research problems and issues by students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and guests, covering the broad research and policy areas of environmental health sciences. Students must enroll in this course every quarter.
EHS 299
Research Problems
1-12 UNITS
Research work for the M.S. thesis or Ph.D. dissertation.

Select one track and complete track-specific requirements:

1. Environmental Toxicology Track

Complete the following four courses.

EHS 201
Case Studies in Environmental Toxicology
4 UNITS
Analysis of real problems involving toxic chemicals and the human food, air, water supplies, occupational exposures, and lifestyles. Formal problems will be considered by small groups of students and discussed by the class.
EHS 202
Principles of Environmental Toxicology
4 UNITS
Introduction to basic principles of toxicology. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of xenobiotics are covered and illustrated with specific examples.
EHS 206A
Target Organ Toxicology I
4 UNITS
Mechanistic analysis of responses occurring in various organ systems of experimental animals and humans exposed to environmental and occupational chemicals and radiation. Review distinctive cellular and tissue structure and physiological function of the various organ systems.
EHS 206B
Target Organ Toxicology II
4 UNITS
Mechanistic analysis of responses occurring in various organ systems of experimental animals and humans exposed to environmental and occupational chemicals and radiation. Review of distinctive cellular and tissue structure and physiological function of the various organ systems.

Complete 12 units from the approved elective pool. Please see below.

2. Environmental Epidemiology Track

Pubhlth 204B
Biostatistics II: Intermediate Statistical Methods
4 UNITS
Intended for graduate students in epidemiology, public health, and clinical research fields. Covers common regression-modeling techniques frequently used in biologic and medical applications.
Pubhlth 283
Geographic Information Systems
4 UNITS
Provides a broad introduction to the use of Geographic Information Systems software to carry out projects for visualizing and analyzing spatial data to address significant issues of health care and policy-planning.
EPIDEM 200B
Intermediate Epidemiology
4 UNITS
Explores conceptual aspects of epidemiology, focusing on strengths and limitations of observational designs. Learn to identify, quantify, and correct bias (e.g. selection, confounding), and evaluate causal identical conditions. Gain skills to evaluate study designs systematically. Prerequisite: PUBHLTH 206A. PUBHLTH 206A with a grade of B or better Same as PUBHLTH 206B. Restriction: Graduate students only. Epidemiology Majors only. College of Health Sciences students only. Master of Public Health Degree students only. Program in Public Health students only.

Select one of the following.

EHS 202
Principles of Environmental Toxicology
4 UNITS
Introduction to basic principles of toxicology. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of xenobiotics are covered and illustrated with specific examples.
EHS 206A
Target Organ Toxicology I
4 UNITS
Mechanistic analysis of responses occurring in various organ systems of experimental animals and humans exposed to environmental and occupational chemicals and radiation. Review distinctive cellular and tissue structure and physiological function of the various organ systems.
EHS 206B
Target Organ Toxicology II
4 UNITS
Mechanistic analysis of responses occurring in various organ systems of experimental animals and humans exposed to environmental and occupational chemicals and radiation. Review of distinctive cellular and tissue structure and physiological function of the various organ systems.
PUBHLTH 290
Violence Prevention & Control
4 UNITS
Studies in selected areas of public health. Topics addressed vary each quarter. Repeatability: Unlimited as topics vary. Restriction: Graduate students only.
EHS 203
Occupational Epidemiology
4 UNITS
Importance of psychosocial work environment for workers’ health and productivity has increased with changing technology, work organization, demographics, and occupation/industry structures. This advanced occupational epidemiology course focuses on psychosocial work environment as exposures, and workers’ health and productivity as outcomes. Restriction: Graduate students only.
PUBHLTH 279
Environmental Health Disparities
4 UNITS
Current research in environmental and occupational health. Topics vary from quarter to quarter. Repeatability: May be repeated for credit unlimited times. Restriction: Graduate students only.
EPIDEM 205
Environmental Epidemiology
4 UNITS
Concentrates on epidemiological approaches to the assessment of community environmental hazards; issues involved in environmental exposure estimation; interdisciplinary approaches to environmental epidemiology, including the use of biomarkers of exposures and susceptibility; epidemiological studies within the context of risk assessment. Prerequisite: EPIDEM 200 and EPIDEM 204. EPIDEM 200 with a grade of B- or better. EPIDEM 204 with a grade of B- or better Restriction: Graduate students only.
EHS 275
Environmental Modeling and Risk Management
4 UNITS
Surveys the general principles, basic mathematical methods, and practices of environmental modeling and human health risk assessment. Topics include advection-dispersion models, risk management, and risk perception. Students conduct an original risk assessment as a final group project. Prerequisite: MATH 2A and STAT 7 Same as PUBH 275. Restriction: Graduate students only. Concurrent with PUBH 175.

Complete 12 units from the approved elective. Please see below.

Elective Courses for both tracks.

EHS 204
Neurotoxicology
4 UNITS
The effects of various harmful chemicals upon nervous system function. Emphasis given to the molecular events underlying neurological damage and to the relation of such processes to basic mechanisms of neurobiology.
EHS 212
Inhalation Toxicology
4 UNITS
The principles and practice of laboratory inhalation toxicology. Topics include aerosols, gases, respiratory tract structure and function, lung defenses, aerosol deposition exposure techniques, characterization of exposure atmospheres, experimental designs, animal models, and regulations and guidelines.
EHS 220
Industrial Toxicology
4 UNITS
Analysis of responsibilities toxicologists have in industry, including product safety, generating material safety, data sheets, animal testing, ecotoxicological testing, risk/hazard communication, and assisting industrial hygienists and occupational physicians; emphasis on interdisciplinary nature of industrial toxicology and communication skills.
EHS 269
Air Pollution, Climate, & Health
4 UNITS
Emission of air pollutants into the atmosphere, physical and meteorological processes that affect transport, and influence on global warming. Concepts of how and where people are most exposed, and how exposures and health effects differ in developed and developing regions.
EHS 294
Occupational Health Psychology
4 UNITS
Introduction to psychological and social factors in the workplace that affect health and productivity. Goal is to support redesign of the workplace and social situations that can reduce stress-related illness risks, and increase humane forms of productivity and competence development.
EPIDEM 232
Chronic Disease Epidemiology & Prevention
4 UNITS
Epidemiological aspects of chronic human diseases. Topics include methodologies for quantifying aspects of prevalent chronic diseases including risk factors, identification of susceptible groups, societal burdens, promising future research; and the intervention, prevention, and control of diseases in populations.
EPIDEM 244
Toxic Chemicals in Environment
4 UNITS
Industrial ecology of toxicants and their impacts on environmental quality and human health. Explores theoretical basis of toxicity thresholds and regulatory issues. Uses classic and contemporary research articles to understand the legacy of traditional toxicants, and to identify emerging threats.
Anatomy 203A
Human Microscopic Anatomy
3 UNITS
Lecture and laboratory course on human microscopic anatomy. Emphasis is on functional implications of structure of cells and tissues.
Anatomy 203B
Human Microscopic Anatomy
3 UNITS
Lecture and laboratory course on human microscopic anatomy. Emphasis is on functional implications of structure of cells and tissues.
Dev Bio 231B
Cell Biology
4 UNITS
A broadly based course including topics in extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton, organelle biogenesis, receptor-mediated endocytosis, signal transduction, cell cycle, and developmental biology.
Mol Bio 203
Nucleic Acid Structure & Function
4 UNITS
Structure and chemistry of nucleic acids. Relationship between these properties and the mechanisms of fundamental processes such as replication and repair, RNA-mediated catalysis, formation and regulation of higher order chromatin structure and recombination.
Mol Bio 204
Protein Structure & Function
4 UNITS
The structure and properties of proteins, enzymes, and their kinetic properties.
Physio 206A
Introduction to Medical Physiology
5 UNITS
Vertebrate physiology with emphasis on humans and on the relationship between the function of normal tissues and the processes of disease. Fundamental principles of physiology and the interrelationships which control organ function.
Physio 206B
Introduction to Medical Physiology
6 UNITS
Vertebrate physiology with emphasis on humans and on the relationship between the function of normal tissues and the processes of disease. Fundamental principles of physiology and the interrelationships which control organ function.
Stats 203
Statistical Methods for Data Analysis III
4 UNITS
Introduction to statistical methods for analyzing longitudinal data from experiments and cohort studies. Topics covered include survival methods for censored time-to-event data, linear mixed models, non-linear mixed effects models, and generalized estimating equations.
Pubhlth 206c
Advanced Epidemiological Methods
4 UNITS
Intended for graduate students in epidemiology, public health, and related fields. Introduces statistical methods for analyzing survival and longitudinal/clustered data, and techniques to resolve missing data.
PUBHLTH 204c
Biostatistics III: Advanced Statistical methods
4 UNITS
Designed for students to examine major topics in climate change and global health. Draws heavily on the literature in order to develop an understanding of micro- and macro-level impacts and drivers with regard to climate change and health. Restriction: Graduate students only. Environmental Health Sciences Majors only. Epidemiology Majors only. Public Health Majors only.
pubhlth 209
Methods of Demographic Analysis
4 UNITS
Introduces basic demographic methods used in social science and public health research. Topics include sources and limitations of demographic data; components of population growth; measures of nuptiality, fertility, mortality, and population mobility projection methods; and demographic models.
PUBHLTH 281
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
4 UNITS
Covers concepts and methods of infectious disease epidemiology and case studies of various infectious diseases. Includes surveillance, outbreak investigation, emerging pathogens, ecological and molecular epidemiology. Restriction: Graduate students only.
PUBHLTH 208
Advances in Social Epidemiology
4 UNITS
Introduces major themes in social epidemiology, adopting a topical approach. Weekly topics include theories, debates, methods, policy implications, and empirical examples of specific social factors. Students apply principles to their own health interests. Restriction: Graduate students only.
PUBHLTH 286
Advanced GIS and Spatial Epidemiology
4 UNITS
Explore GIS software extensively, with lectures followed by hands-on tutorials. Topics include rasters, groundwater modeling, spatial statistics, and R programming. Analyze spatial epidemiology using public health data, with weekly assignments and a class project. Prerequisite: PUBHLTH 283. PUBHLTH 283 with a grade of B- or better Restriction: Graduate students only.
Pubhlth 211B
Latinos/Latinas & Medical Care: Contemporary Issues
2 UNITS
Introduction to medical anthropological and social science perspectives on Latinos/Latinas in relation to a number of health and medically-related issues, i.e., immigration, gender, reproduction, culture, social structure, political economy, sexuality, utilization of medical services, and health beliefs.
Pubhlth 222
Health Policy & Management
4 UNITS
Multidisciplinary inquiry into theory and practice concerned with delivery, quantity, costs of health care for individuals and populations. Explores managerial and policy concerns regarding structure, process, outcomes of health services including the costs, financing, organization, outcomes, and accessibility of care.
PubHlth 223
Risk Communication
4 UNITS
Examines theory and research related to the communication of scientific information in risk communication contexts, risk perceptions, and behavior as related to decision-making under risk.
Pubhlth 211A
Latinos/Latinas and Medical Care: Contemporary Issues
4 UNITS
pubhlth 287
Qualitative Research Methods in Public Health
4 UNITS
General introduction to qualitative research methods for investigating public health questions at various scales from community level to global populations. Emphasizes systematic approaches to the collection, analysis, interpretation of qualitative data. Restriction: Graduate students only.
STATS 295
Spatial Statistics
4 UNITS
PUBHLTH 292
Ethics and Responsible Conduct of Research in Public Health
4 UNITS
Issues of scientific integrity and satisfies the requirements for training in public health ethics. Includes guidelines for responsible conduct of research, federal and international codes, administrative review and approval, conflict of interest, and privacy and safety of research participants. Restriction: Graduate students only. Concurrent with PUBHLTH 193.
PUBHLTH 248
Fundamentals of Maternal and Child Health – Programs, Problems, and Policy
4 UNITS
Overview of issues facing women, children, and families from a public health perspective. Discusses role of socio-economic, political, biological, environmental factors on population health. Studies historical foundations and current factors impacting Maternal Child Health programs and legislation in the US. Restriction: Graduate students only.
PUBHLTH 251
Models of Practice and Intervention at the Community Level
4 UNITS
Examines and critiques current models, frameworks, theories for. Prerequisite: CHC/LAT 200A or PUBHLTH 246. CHC/LAT 200A with a grade of B- or better. PUBHLTH 246 with a grade of B- or better Same as CHC/LAT 251. Restriction: Graduate students only.
PUBHLTH 282
Climate Change and Global Health
4 UNITS
Designed for students to examine major topics in climate change and global health. Draws heavily on the literature in order to develop an understanding of micro- and macro-level impacts and drivers with regard to climate change and health. Restriction: Graduate students only. Environmental Health Sciences Majors only. Epidemiology Majors only. Public Health Majors only.
Epidem 275
Causal Inference
1-4 UNITS
Presents various topics and latest research in the broad field of epidemiology. Repeatability: Unlimited as topics vary. Restriction: Graduate students only.
EHS 203
Psychosocial Occupational Epidemiology
4 UNITS
Importance of psychosocial work environment for workers’ health and productivity has increased with changing technology, work organization, demographics, and occupation/industry structures. This advanced occupational epidemiology course focuses on psychosocial work environment as exposures, and workers’ health and productivity as outcomes.
EHS 204
Neurotoxicology
4 UNITS
The effects of various harmful chemicals upon nervous system function. Emphasis given to the molecular events underlying neurological damage and to the relation of such processes to basic mechanisms of neurobiology.
EHS 212
Inhalation Toxicology
4 UNITS
The principles and practice of laboratory inhalation toxicology. Topics include aerosols, gases, respiratory tract structure and function, lung defenses, aerosol deposition exposure techniques, characterization of exposure atmospheres, experimental designs, animal models, and regulations and guidelines.
EHS 220
Industrial Toxicology
4 UNITS
Analysis of responsibilities toxicologists have in industry, including product safety, generating material safety, data sheets, animal testing, ecotoxicological testing, risk/hazard communication, and assisting industrial hygienists and occupational physicians; emphasis on interdisciplinary nature of industrial toxicology and communication skills.
EHS 269
Air Pollution, Climate, & Health
4 UNITS
Emission of air pollutants into the atmosphere, physical and meteorological processes that affect transport, and influence on global warming. Concepts of how and where people are most exposed, and how exposures and health effects differ in developed and developing regions.
EHS 294
Occupational Health Psychology
4 UNITS
Introduction to psychological and social factors in the workplace that affect health and productivity. Goal is to support redesign of the workplace and social situations that can reduce stress-related illness risks, and increase humane forms of productivity and competence development.
EPI 232
Chronic Disease Epidemiology & Prevention
4 UNITS
Epidemiological aspects of chronic human diseases. Topics include methodologies for quantifying aspects of prevalent chronic diseases including risk factors, identification of susceptible groups, societal burdens, promising future research; and the intervention, prevention, and control of diseases in populations.
EPI 244
Toxic Chemicals in Environment
4 UNITS
Industrial ecology of toxicants and their impacts on environmental quality and human health. Explores theoretical basis of toxicity thresholds and regulatory issues. Uses classic and contemporary research articles to understand the legacy of traditional toxicants, and to identify emerging threats.
Anatomy 203A
Human Microscopic Anatomy
3 UNITS
Lecture and laboratory course on human microscopic anatomy. Emphasis is on functional implications of structure of cells and tissues.
Anatomy 203B
Human Microscopic Anatomy
3 UNITS
Lecture and laboratory course on human microscopic anatomy. Emphasis is on functional implications of structure of cells and tissues.
Dev Bio 231B
Cell Biology
4 UNITS
A broadly based course including topics in extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton, organelle biogenesis, receptor-mediated endocytosis, signal transduction, cell cycle, and developmental biology.
Mol Bio 203
Nucleic Acid Structure & Function
4 UNITS
Structure and chemistry of nucleic acids. Relationship between these properties and the mechanisms of fundamental processes such as replication and repair, RNA-mediated catalysis, formation and regulation of higher order chromatin structure and recombination.
Mol Bio 204
Protein Structure & Function
4 UNITS
The structure and properties of proteins, enzymes, and their kinetic properties.
Physio 206A
Introduction to Medical Physiology
5 UNITS
Vertebrate physiology with emphasis on humans and on the relationship between the function of normal tissues and the processes of disease. Fundamental principles of physiology and the interrelationships which control organ function.
Physio 206B
Introduction to Medical Physiology
6 UNITS
Vertebrate physiology with emphasis on humans and on the relationship between the function of normal tissues and the processes of disease. Fundamental principles of physiology and the interrelationships which control organ function.
Stats 203
Statistical Methods for Data Analysis III
4 UNITS
Introduction to statistical methods for analyzing longitudinal data from experiments and cohort studies. Topics covered include survival methods for censored time-to-event data, linear mixed models, non-linear mixed effects models, and generalized estimating equations.
Pubhlth 204C
Biostatistics III: Advanced Statistical Methods
4 UNITS
Intended for graduate students in epidemiology, public health, and related fields. Introduces statistical methods for analyzing survival and longitudinal/clustered data, and techniques to resolve missing data.
Pubhlth 206B
Intermediate Epidemiology
4 UNITS
Learn to design and conduct epidemiologic studies using common designs. Determine why bias and measurement error arise in observational studies, and how they influence effect estimates. Perform and interpret epidemiologic data analyses using statistical software.
Pubhlth 206c
Advanced Epidemiological Methods
4 UNITS
Intended for graduate students in epidemiology, public health, and related fields. Introduces statistical methods for analyzing survival and longitudinal/clustered data, and techniques to resolve missing data.
pubhlth 208
Advances in Social Epidemiology
4 UNITS
Advances understanding of social distribution and social determinants of disease through multiple risk factor models and mechanisms that emphasize developmental and socio-environmental risk factors on mental and physical health across the life span.
pubhlth 209
Methods of Demographic Analysis
4 UNITS
Introduces basic demographic methods used in social science and public health research. Topics include sources and limitations of demographic data; components of population growth; measures of nuptiality, fertility, mortality, and population mobility projection methods; and demographic models.
Pubhlth 211a
Latinos/Latinas & Medical Care: Contemporary Issues
2 UNITS
Introduction to medical anthropological and social science perspectives on Latinos/Latinas in relation to a number of health and medically-related issues, i.e., immigration, gender, reproduction, culture, social structure, political economy, sexuality, utilization of medical services, and health beliefs.
Pubhlth 211B
Latinos/Latinas & Medical Care: Contemporary Issues
2 UNITS
Introduction to medical anthropological and social science perspectives on Latinos/Latinas in relation to a number of health and medically-related issues, i.e., immigration, gender, reproduction, culture, social structure, political economy, sexuality, utilization of medical services, and health beliefs.
Pubhlth 222
Health Policy & Management
4 UNITS
Multidisciplinary inquiry into theory and practice concerned with delivery, quantity, costs of health care for individuals and populations. Explores managerial and policy concerns regarding structure, process, outcomes of health services including the costs, financing, organization, outcomes, and accessibility of care.
PubHlth 223
Risk Communication
4 UNITS
Examines theory and research related to the communication of scientific information in risk communication contexts, risk perceptions, and behavior as related to decision-making under risk.
Pubhlth 281
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
4 UNITS
Geographical distribution of infectious diseases and the health and disease risk in diverse human populations. Introduces basic methods for infectious disease epidemiology and case studies of important diseases. Includes surveillance, outbreak investigation, emerging pathogens, traditional and molecular epidemiology.
pubhlth 286
Advanced Geographic Information Systems
4 UNITS
Students expand their current knowledge of the ArcGIS software to develop advanced geographic-related research questions, learn how to apply spatial epidemiologic methods to public health data, and integrate their skills in a GIS project of their design.

Fulfill the following:

  • Comprehensive Exam
  • Qualifying Exam
  • Research Dissertation

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