Curriculum
Program Overview
The PhD program in Environmental Health at Boston University School of Public Health provides students with specialized training and research experience in environmental epidemiology, exposure science, spatial epidemiology/GIS, climate and health, risk assessment, and toxicology, with an emphasis on environmental justice and community-engaged work. The program prepares graduates for careers in advanced research, teaching, policy, and leadership, and has been designed to ensure that students receive the training, research experience, resources, and support necessary to be successful. The average time to degree completion is 4.6 years.
Our program is one of a small number of academic units nationally that specializes in investigating exposure-related health outcomes in community settings. Faculty are engaged with policy makers, community organizations, and vulnerable populations, working across numerous countries and domestically at the national, state, and local levels. Our dedicated faculty are committed to providing trainees with research opportunities that are consistent with a student’s research interests and that draw from our department’s experience conducting rigorous, innovative, and socially engaged research. We are also committed to providing inclusive educational experiences for students from a range of backgrounds, and are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion both within our department and across the field of environmental health. Please see the website for our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for more information on our ongoing activities.
The Department of Environmental Health engages in a wide range of collaborative research. Major areas of interest include the health effects of air pollution and a changing climate, such as through the Center for Climate and Health at BUSPH; complex mixtures of chemicals, such as chemicals contained in consumer products as well as contaminants of water, food, and soil; non-chemical hazards such as noise, heat, and social stressors; and combinations of chemical and non-chemical exposures that accumulate or interact to harm health. Vulnerable populations such as children, military veterans, and people living in poverty in the U.S. and internationally are of special interest to us.
Students are engaged in research projects with faculty throughout the program. To gain research experience and identify a dissertation topic, students complete research rotations with faculty. All PhD students also serve as teaching assistants at least once during their time in the program and are involved with departmental activities such as seminar planning, journal clubs, and an annual department retreat.
Program Elements
Coursework
Research Rotations
Teaching Opportunities
Seminar, Proseminar, Journal Club, Department Retreat
Qualifying Exam
Dissertation
Funding
Review the PhD in Environmental Health Guidebook
Review the EH PhD Program Competencies
Statement on Holistic Admissions
The admissions committee will be looking, as always, at the entire application in their evaluation including transcript, cumulative GPA, recommendations, personal statements, and research experience. GRE scores are not required and will not be considered by the admissions committee. We encourage applicants to include special circumstances as well as achievements that may not be apparent due to modified grading policies in their personal statements. This policy has been adopted to ensure that applicants are not differentially evaluated by admissions committees due to the varied impact of COVID-19 on individuals and/or due to the specific grading policies of their colleges/universities.
Outcomes
Profiles of Current Students
Recently Defended
Fourth Years and Up
Third Years
Second Years
First Years
Post-Graduate Positions
Admissions
PhD in Environmental Health Admissions Requirements
For inquiries regarding the PhD program, please contact Dr. Kevin Lane, Interim Director of Doctoral Training for the Department of Environmental Health.