This emphasis area provides the most flexibility for students to explore their own interests, by choosing courses from the numerous elective options.

Examine the emergence of air borne, food borne, vector borne and sexually transmitted infectious diseases, and what interventions reduce their prevalence.  From basic principles of infection control to predicting the impact of emerging infections, this program will explore the environmental factors associated with infectious diseases.

Examine the leading causes of foodborne illness, their epidemiology, sources and routes of transmission and strategies for prevention and control across food systems. Learn how surveillance for foodborne illnesses is conducted and how results of surveillance and outbreak investigations are used to improve food safety.

Identify factors that cause diseases and injuries within the environment and workplace, in order to promote disease prevention. This area of study strives to understand the causal impact of the environment and occupations on human health. The study of environmental and occupational epidemiology requires knowledge of both disease and exposure. Learn more (PDF)

Graduates of the program will have the knowledge and skills needed to identify the causes of occupational related diseases, and how to improve the overall health of working populations. Learn more

Examine global health from a public health perspective, including analyzing issues around water and air quality, food safety, food security, industrialization and deforestation.

The Industrial Hygiene program focuses on the health and safety of people at work, the community at large, and the environment. Specific concerns are with the recognition, evaluation, and control of potential workplace hazards, including chemical, physical, and biological agents.

The Industrial Hygiene Master’s (MPH and MS) programs are accredited (2020 to 2022) by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Accreditation is an important element of the program because it ensures applicants that the program is of high quality and that their education will prepare them for future employment and certification.

The importance of the field of Industrial Hygiene has grown rapidly in recent years as society increasingly recognizes the need to maintain healthy and safe work environments. Exciting and valuable career opportunities exist for well-qualified practitioners and researchers in industry, government organizations, and academic and research institutions. Read “What is an Industrial Hygienist?” for more information.

Advantages of studying industrial hygiene at UMN?

• Facilities: Excellent laboratory facilities with access to the latest industrial hygiene instrumentation.
• Scholarly environment: Faculty members who are internationally recognized leaders in the Industrial Hygiene field
• Well-connected: Energetic and highly supportive network of Industrial Hygiene program alumni and friends.
• Opportunities: Traineeships that cover tuition and fees for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, plus many opportunities for paid internships and post-graduation employment in the Twin Cities.
• Accredited: ABET accreditation for the Industrial Hygiene program

Intensive training for nurses interested in the development, management and evaluation of health services that promote health and prevent work-related injuries and disease. Learn more (PDF)

The Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) residency program is a partnership of the School of Public Health’s Division of Environmental Health Sciences and HealthPartners’ Institute for Education and Research.  OEM produces physicians who improve the health and safety of workers and who are future leaders in the field.

The Toxicology program teaches students to think analytically about the biochemical mechanisms of toxicity, how toxicology is used to protect human health through laboratory research, and the development of sound environmental policy and regulations.

Students with a strong science background who are interested in laboratory research or environmental regulation and policy are encouraged to enter this field. The curriculum emphasizes the application of basic sciences to toxicology and disease prediction and prevention. Learn more

Advantages of studying regulatory toxicology at UMN?

• Comprehensive curriculum: Courses range from traditional regulatory toxicology to cutting edge approaches to studying mechanisms of toxicity and their application in the development of biomarkers of exposure and disease, and in shaping new strategies for policy and regulation.
• Dynamic community: The Twin Cities is home to an unusually rich community of toxicologists who can provide professional mentorship, introductions to a wide variety of career options, and information about the changing needs for research in and applications of toxicology.
• Public health setting: Program emphasizes disease prevention with the integration of toxicology and epidemiology.