As we continue to face increasing human development and carbon emissions across the globe, environmental and occupational health specialists must find ways to keep our environments and workplaces healthy and safe. Graduates with a master’s degree in environmental and occupational health play a strong role in protecting the public from environmental and occupational exposures to biological, chemical and physical agents.
From managing the quality of air, water, and soil to advocating for environmental policy changes and identifying health risks in mines and factories, environmental and occupational health specialists find solutions to problems that can contribute to asthma, cancer or other diseases in individuals and communities. Environmental and occupational health encompasses a broad array of factors that can influence our health and the environment in which we live and work.
Specifically, occupational health and safety specialists analyze work environments and design programs to control, eliminate and prevent disease and injury. For example, they make equipment in factories more ergonomic; coordinate the storage and handling of hazardous waste; and examine the workplace for exposures to lead, asbestos, noise, pesticides and radiation. According to the US Department of Labor nearly 41 percent of occupational health and safety specialists work in federal, state and local government agencies that enforce rules on safety, health and the environment.
With a master’s degree in environmental and occupational health, graduates are needed in corporations, hospitals, government agencies, private practice, research centers, universities, poison control centers and environmental consulting firms.
Here are some common job titles in environmental & occupational health:
The environmental and occupational health faculty are dedicated to helping students find career opportunities post graduation. Students are encouraged to meet with their faculty advisor to discuss potential career paths through their studies at the Colorado School of Public Health.
For more information on careers, please check out the following links: