A Ph.D. degree in occupational and environmental health (OEH) is an advanced research degree that emphasizes depth of knowledge and original research skills. The degree is designed to develop leaders in environmental and occupational health research and practice.
Students work with their faculty advisor to design a specialized curriculum of coursework and research projects in the following areas:
- agricultural safety and health
- environmental health
- environmental toxicology
- ergonomics
- industrial hygiene
- occupational epidemiology
- occupational injury prevention
The Doctor of Philosophy program in occupational and environmental health requires 72 s.h. of graduate credit. All students must complete a dissertation.
The Doctor of Philosophy with a major in occupational and environmental health requires the following work.
Required Courses
Students may use a course only once to fulfill a requirement.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| All of these: | ||
| OEH:4240 | Global Environmental Health | 3 |
| OEH:5620 | Occupational Health | 3 |
| OEH:7060 | Research Design in Occupational and Environmental Health | 3 |
| OEH:7070 | Interpreting Occupational and Environmental Health Research | 3 |
| OEH:5010 | Occupational and Environmental Health Seminar | 1 |
| BIOS:4120 | Introduction to Biostatistics | 3 |
| CPH:6100 | Essentials of Public Health | 2 |
| CPH:7270 | Principles of Scholarly Integrity: Public Health | 1 |
| EPID:4400 | Epidemiology I: Principles | 3 |
| One of these: | ||
| OEH:6460 | Quantitative Exposure Assessment: Study Design and Evaluation | 3 |
| OEH:6520 | Injury Epidemiology | 3 |
| At least 9 s.h. from these: | ||
| OEH:6110 | Rural Health and Agricultural Medicine | 3 |
| OEH:6130 | Agricultural Safety and Health: Practice, Research Methods, and Policy | 3 |
| OEH:6420 | Methods in Exposure Science | 3 |
| OEH:6431 | Assessing Noise Hazards | 1 |
| OEH:6432 | Assessing Nonionizing Radiation Hazards | 1 |
| OEH:6433 | Assessing Ionizing Radiation Hazards | 1 |
| OEH:6440 | Control of Occupational Hazards | 3 |
| OEH:6450 | Aerosol Technology | 3 |
| OEH:6460 | Quantitative Exposure Assessment: Study Design and Evaluation | 3 |
| OEH:6510 | Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology | 3 |
| OEH:6520 | Injury Epidemiology | 3 |
| OEH:6710 | Human Toxicology and Risk Assessment | 3 |
| OEH:6720 | Advanced Toxicology | 4 |
| BIOS:5120 | Regression Modeling and ANOVA in the Health Sciences | 3 |
| BIOS:5130 | Applied Categorical Data Analysis | 3 |
| BIOS:6310 | Introductory Longitudinal Data Analysis | 3 |
| EPID:6400 | Epidemiology II: Advanced Methods | 4 |
| STAT:6516 | Design of Experiments | 4 |
Electives
Students must earn a minimum of 18 s.h. in non-research-related courses, including classroom courses or equivalent web-based courses. Students work with their advisor to select courses appropriate for their professional goals.
Research Credit
Students earn the remaining credit for the Ph.D. by completing any combination of the following courses or other classroom courses. All students must complete a dissertation.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| OEH:7000 | Thesis/Dissertation | arr. |
| OEH:7020 | Independent Study in Occupational and Environmental Health | arr. |
Applicants must apply through the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS); they also must apply for admission to the Graduate College through the University of Iowa Office of Admissions. For detailed application information and admission requirements, visit the How to Apply to Occupational and Environmental Health web page.
The occupational and environmental health faculty takes several factors into consideration when evaluating applications for admission, including Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test scores, grade-point averages, letters of recommendation, intent and motivation for graduate study, and research interests. Students with deficiencies in one area may be admitted if all other components of their application are very strong.
Ph.D. applicants must hold a bachelor's degree and have a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 3.25. Applicants must have taken the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General Test; a verbal score of at least 151 and a quantitative score of at least 153 are recommended. For applicants who have not taken the GRE, the department considers scores from other standardized tests, such as the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
Applicants whose first language is not English must submit official test scores to verify English proficiency. Applicants can verify English proficiency by submitting official test scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Completion of a master's program before beginning Ph.D. study is recommended.
Students may enter in the fall. May 1 is the final application deadline.
Most students receive financial support via traineeships or graduate research assistantships.
Students accepted to programs with a focus on occupational health and safety, including agricultural safety and health, ergonomics, industrial hygiene, occupational epidemiology, and occupational injury prevention, receive traineeships and financial support in the form of fully paid tuition and a monthly stipend. These traineeships are sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and are only available for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents.
Students with a focus on environmental health, global health, or environmental toxicology are generally funded by graduate research assistantships.
Postdoctoral Positions
The College of Public Health's Environmental Health Sciences Training Program offers postdoctoral positions in environmental health/toxicology. Appointments are for two years with the possibility of an additional year. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
The program prepares students for professional and academic careers in environmental and occupational health. Graduates will be qualified for a career in a range of private, public, and academic positions; consulting firms; state and federal occupational and environmental agencies; chemical and consumer products areas; pharmaceutical industries; and universities.