Lead the way in protecting public health and the environment with an advanced degree from the University at Albany.

At UAlbany's Department of Environmental Health Sciences, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills to take action on some of today’s most pressing global challenges: protecting communities and ecosystems from the impacts of climate change, improving food systems to ensure safe and sustainable nutrition, and assessing how extreme weather and environmental contaminants affect public health, to name a few.

You’ll learn to analyze patterns in air and water quality, evaluate environmental policies, and develop data-driven solutions that reduce health risks and promote environmental resilience.

Whether you’re guiding policy, leading community-based initiatives, or advancing research on the links between environment and health, you’ll be prepared to make a meaningful difference in building healthier, more sustainable communities.

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Degree Options in Environmental Health Sciences

Master of Public Health (MPH)

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Practice- and policy-oriented.
Emphasizes population health, policy implementation, risk communication, and public health interventions.
Designed for students aiming to work in public health agencies, nonprofits, or policy and regulatory roles.

Master of Science (MS)

Two researchers talking to a young child in a lab.

Research-oriented and science-intensive.
Emphasizes laboratory methods, toxicology, exposure assessment and quantitative analysis.
Prepares students for PhD programs, research positions or technical roles.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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Deep, independent research on how environmental exposures affect human health.
Trains students to become principal investigators, faculty members or leaders in scientific research.
Heavy emphasis on hypothesis-driven experimentation, advanced quantitative methods and scientific communication.

Unmatched hands-on learning

UAlbany’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences was founded as a collaboration between the University at Albany and the Wadsworth Center, the public health laboratory of the New York State Department of Health. You’ll learn from experts at both UAlbany and the State Health Department and will have the opportunity to join faculty on high-impact projects that directly improve the health of New Yorkers and beyond.

For our MPH in Environmental Health Sciences, you’ll complete 720 hours of hands-on learning in two different settings, which leads directly to job offers for 34% of our students.

Sample Courses

Courses offered through our programs include:

Biological Basis of Public Health
Climate Change and Public Health
Current Literature in Environmental Health and Toxicology
Introduction to Environmental Health
Principles of Public Health
Principles of Environmental Chemistry
Principles in Statistical Inference
Principles of Toxicology
Risk Assessment
Responsible Conduct of Scientific Research
Sustainability, Green Design and Public Health

In your program, you’ll take a curated selection of courses that are strategically designed to ensure your success. You’ll meet each semester with your advisor—an environmental health scientist— to plan your next semester.

Preparation for a Fulfilling Career

With rigorous training at UAlbany and the New York State Department of Health, you’ll be prepared for both domestic and international positions in environmental health sciences. Our students go on to hold positions such as:

Public health analysts in environmental non-profit organizations
Environmental health specialists in federal and state agencies (CDC, EPA, state and local health departments)
Bench scientists in public and private labs
Consultants in sustainability and green design
Environmental health risk assessors
Health communications directors
Environmental justice advocates
Air and water quality specialists
Emergency preparedness managers
Academic researchers in environmental health sciences
Directors at health departments

Tuition Support

For the MS and MPH degrees, UAlbany is offering one-time scholarships of $4,000 for New York residents and $7,000 for out-of-state students. Doctoral students receive a teaching or graduate assistantship, which provides a $26,000 stipend plus tuition.