Studies & Degrees in Environmental Health
Environmental Health Study Programs
Environmental health is the branch of public health that deals with how the surroundings people live and work in affect their health. The World Health Organization (WHO) sums up the scope: good health depends on clean air, a stable climate, a preserved natural environment and access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene, and it also requires protection from harmful radiation, unsafe chemical management and unhealthy working conditions. According to WHO, 13.7 million deaths in 2016, 24% of the global total, were attributed to modifiable environmental risks.
Students learn to measure those risks and to control them. A typical programme combines natural sciences (biology, microbiology, chemistry, physics) with epidemiology, toxicology, statistics, sampling and laboratory analysis, food safety, water and waste management, occupational health, and environmental law and policy. Most programmes include supervised practice with a health department, a laboratory or a company.
Qualifications and levels
The subject is taught at several levels, and names differ by country: environmental health, environmental public health, environmental and occupational health, or environmental health science.
- Bachelor's degrees. In the United States a bachelor's degree usually takes four years. The National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC) accredits programmes that require a foundation in biology, microbiology, chemistry and physics and a practical internship. The University of Washington, for example, offers a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Public Health; it states that the programme is one of only 29 undergraduate programmes accredited by EHAC, and its degree requirements include a 400-hour internship.
- Master's degrees and doctorates. Graduates in biology, chemistry, nursing, engineering and similar fields often enter environmental health through a Master of Public Health or a Master of Science with an environmental health concentration. EHAC also accredits graduate programmes.
- Spain. Official bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits and official master's degrees 60, 90 or 120. There is also a higher vocational qualification (FP de grado superior), Técnico Superior en Química y Salud Ambiental, which lasts 2,000 hours and trains technicians for sanitary control of food, water, air and waste. Several Spanish providers also offer short courses and their own master's programmes, which are not official degrees.
- Australia. Environmental Health Australia (EHA), the professional organisation for the field, runs a course accreditation scheme and publishes a list of accredited courses.
Professional registration
In many countries inspectors and environmental health officers need a credential in addition to a degree. In the United States the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) awards the Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS) credential. It covers vector control, water quality, hazardous materials, air quality, the built environment and emergency environmental response. Graduates of an EHAC-accredited programme can apply for the exam without work experience. Graduates in other subjects need 30 semester hours of basic science and two or more years of full-time paid experience in environmental health. Rules differ in each country and US state, so international students should check whether a degree is accepted where they plan to work.
Where to study it
SpainExchange lists 29 active schools for environmental health. Fifteen are in the United States, four in Spain and three in Australia. Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Netherlands, Russia, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have one each.
Examples in the United States are the University of Washington, Illinois State University, Temple University and the University of Maryland. In Australia the listed schools are Griffith University, Central Queensland University and the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC). In Spain they include the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela and ADEIT, the university-business foundation of the Universitat de València. Other examples are Utrecht University in the Netherlands, the Universidad de Antioquia in Colombia and Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria.
The language of instruction is normally the language of the country: English in the United States and Australia, Spanish in Spain and Colombia. Check each school's own page for the exact programme name, level and language.
Careers
Graduates work as environmental health officers and inspectors, food safety and water quality specialists, occupational health and safety advisers, laboratory and field technicians, consultants and researchers. Employers are mainly public health departments and other government bodies, consulting and engineering firms, industry and hospitals.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) groups environmental health and safety specialists with environmental scientists and specialists. It projects employment in that group to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, and state government is the largest employer, with 28 percent of jobs. For occupational health and safety specialists and technicians, the BLS projects growth of 19 percent over the same period. These figures apply to the United States only.
Frequently asked questions
Is environmental health the same as environmental science?
No. Environmental science studies the environment itself. Environmental health focuses on how environmental factors affect human health, so it includes epidemiology, toxicology, food safety and occupational health.
Do I need a science background to study environmental health?
Yes, in most cases. EHAC-accredited programmes require biology, microbiology, chemistry and physics, and the Spanish vocational qualification gives preference to applicants from the science track of the bachillerato.
How long does it take to qualify?
A bachelor's degree takes four years in the United States and in Spain (240 ECTS credits). The Spanish higher vocational qualification lasts 2,000 hours. A professional credential such as the REHS/RS requires an exam after the degree.
Where do environmental health graduates work?
Mostly in public health departments and other government bodies, and also in consulting firms, industry and laboratories.