About

Are you interested in utilizing education, surveillance, consultation, inspection and enforcement to improve the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink, to safeguard the food we eat and to protect the population from exposure to hazardous substances at home and work? Would you like a career in a public health profession that the US Bureau of Labor statistics predicts will grow by 28 percent in the next decade?

Environmental health is a branch of public health that is concerned with all aspects of how the natural and built environment affects human health. Environmental health science students are trained to ensure the safety of what people eat, breathe, touch, and drink through a curriculum that blends science, public health, management, and policy. Environmental health professionals work in a wide variety of settings. Almost all of these involve working with people and translating scientific and technical information into clear and understandable language for educational, legal and public information.

Students will be prepared to use technologies and strategies to address environmental disease causes and apply preventative measures associated with foodborne, waterborne, and vector borne diseases, as well environmental diseases causing birth defects and cancer. A BSEH degree will also prepare students to develop clean energy alternatives, reducing carbon emissions. Student will also provide leadership in development of comprehensive energy plans to avoid major economic disruption during disasters.

Graduates from the ECU's environmental health sciences program will be prepared for the professional challenges and opportunities available with local, state, federal, and international agencies. Student will learn the value of teamwork and communication skills necessary to protect the public health from any environmental threat.

ECU Advantage

ECU's environmental health program is one of only 30 National Environmental Health Sciences Protection and Accreditation Council (NEHSPAC) accredited undergraduate programs. Students learn from a diverse and knowledgeable faculty as well as guest lecturers from local, state and federal agencies. Students have access to modern classrooms and laboratories, as well as field sites such as wastewater and water treatment facilities, child care centers, institutional and recreational settings, tattoo establishments, recycling centers, solid and hazardous waste disposal sites, onsite wastewater sites, and mosquito-breeding sites. Study abroad opportunities and domestic and international internships with private industries and regulatory agencies are available. Students are encouraged to participate in the ECO-Pirates club, a student-led environmental health organization promoting sustainability and environmental awareness on campus and in the community.

As an ECU student, you can research your future career in Steppingblocks. Explore real-world stats about your major, your interests, and your dream job title with data-powered career exploration tools designed for doers like you.

What You Will Study

Program Coordinator: William Hill (3404 Carol G. Belk Building; 252-737-1475; hillw@ecu.edu)

Students entering the Environmental Health, BS program choose one of two concentrations: occupational health and industrial hygiene or public health protection sciences. A minimum GPA of 2.0 in all 1000 level basic science and math courses, completion of a minimum of 30 s.h. with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and completion of EHST 2110 are required to declare as an environmental health major. Environmental health majors must pass all environmental health courses with a minimum grade of C-. A student earning lower than a C- in any of these courses must petition the environmental health faculty for probationary continuation.

The degree requires a minimum of 120 s.h. as follows:

1. General education requirements including those listed below - 40 s.h.

(For information about courses that carry general education credit view the General Education Program section.)

  • BIOL 1050 - General Biology
  • BIOL 1051 - General Biology Laboratory
  • CHEM 1120 - Introduction to Chemistry for the Allied Health Sciences
  • MATH 1065 - College Algebra
2. Common core - 30 s.h.
  • BIOS 1500 - Introduction to Biostatistics OR
  • MATH 2228 - Elementary Statistical Methods I

  • EHST 2110 - Introduction to Environmental Health Sciences

  • EHST 3003 - Environmental Epidemiology OR
  • HLTH 4011 - Introduction to Epidemiology in Public Health

  • EHST 4010 - Toxicological Foundations of Risk Assessment
  • EHST 4200 - Environmental Health Management and Law
  • EHST 4990 - Environmental Health Internship
  • HLTH 2000 - Principles of Public Health
  • HLTH 3010 - Health Problems
  • HLTH 3020 - Understanding and Achieving Health Equity
3. Concentrations - 18-19 s.h.

Choose one concentration. 

    a. Occupational health and industrial hygiene concentration (18 s.h.)
    • EHST 3060 - Environmental Issues in Construction
    • EHST 3600 - Air Pollution
    • EHST 3700 - Industrial Hygiene
    • EHST 3701 - Industrial Hygiene Laboratory
    • EHST 3900 - Introduction to Occupational Health
      • Select 4 s.h. from the following:
      • EHST 3200 - Food Sanitation Principles AND
      • EHST 3201 - Food Sanitation Principles Laboratory

      • EHST 3350 - Safe Water AND
      • EHST 3351 - Safe Water Laboratory

      • EHST 3370 - Waste Water Management AND
      • EHST 3371 - Waste Water Management Laboratory

      • EHST 4300 - Institutional and Recreational Sanitation AND
      • EHST 4301 - Institutional and Recreational Sanitation and Laboratory

      • EHST 4350 - Vector Borne Disease Ecology AND
      • EHST 4351 - Vector Borne Disease Ecology and Laboratory

      • EHST 5001 - Seminar in Environmental Health

      • EHST 5800 - Solid and Hazardous Waste Management AND
      • EHST 5801 - Solid and Hazardous Waste Management and Laboratory
    b. Public health protection sciences concentration (18-19 s.h.)
    • EHST 3200 - Food Sanitation Principles AND
    • EHST 3201 - Food Sanitation Principles Laboratory

    • EHST 3350 - Safe Water AND
    • EHST 3351 - Safe Water Laboratory

    • EHST 3370 - Waste Water Management AND
    • EHST 3371 - Waste Water Management Laboratory

    • EHST 4300 - Institutional and Recreational Sanitation AND
    • EHST 4301 - Institutional and Recreational Sanitation and Laboratory
      • Select 3-4 s.h. from the following:
      • EHST 3060 - Environmental Issues in Construction
      • EHST 3600 - Air Pollution

      • EHST 3700 - Industrial Hygiene AND
      • EHST 3701 - Industrial Hygiene Laboratory

      • EHST 3900 - Introduction to Occupational Health

      • EHST 4350 - Vector Borne Disease Ecology AND
      • EHST 4351 - Vector Borne Disease Ecology and Laboratory

      • EHST 5001 - Seminar in Environmental Health

      • EHST 5800 - Solid and Hazardous Waste Management AND
      • EHST 5801 - Solid and Hazardous Waste Management and Laboratory
4. Cognates - 22 s.h.
  • BIOL 2110 - Fundamentals of Microbiology
  • BIOL 2111 - Fundamentals of Microbiology Laboratory
  • BIOL 2130 - Survey of Human Physiology and Anatomy
  • CHEM 1130 - Organic and Biochemistry for the Allied Health Sciences
  • PHYS 1250 - General Physics I
  • PHYS 1251 - General Physics Laboratory I
    • Select 6 s.h. from the following:
    • BIOL 1060 - Environmental Biology
    • BIOL 2250 - Ecology

    • GEOG 2420 - Cartography OR
    • GEOG 3430 - Geographic Information Systems I

    • GEOG 3220 - Soil Properties, Surveys, and Applications OR
    • GEOL 1700 - Environmental Geology

    • MIS 2223 - Introduction to Computers
5. Electives to complete requirements for graduation
    For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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