About this Program
Old Dominion University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Health that prepares students for careers in environmental and occupational health — fields dedicated to evaluating and managing factors that affect community well-being and workplace safety. Students gain a comprehensive understanding of the core areas of industrial hygiene, occupational safety, and environmental health, exploring the regulations, exposures, hazards, and control methods that define each discipline. Coursework emphasizes current industry practices, including measurement, evaluation, inspection, and risk assessment, equipping graduates with the knowledge and skills to protect public health and promote safe environments.
Program Highlights
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Curriculum accredited by the National Environmental Science & Protection Accreditation Council
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Students are prepared to take on entry-level positions such as environmental health specialists, industrial hygienists, and occupational safety specialists.
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Students gain practical experience while interning with community.
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This program is taught by environmental health professionals, Certified Safety Professionals, and Certified Industrial Hygienists with extensive, practical field experience. Students are provided scenario-based exams and exercises to foster critical thinking and problem solving. The program also involves an internship to provide hands-on experience at health departments, industrial plants, shipyards, wastewater sites, and various other settings.
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Students, prospective students, families, alumni, and community members interested in learning more about careers in environmental health are encouraged to follow the program’s Environmental Health Professions Series on YouTube and Instagram. Through conversations with practicing environmental health professionals working in local, state, federal, military, and private-sector roles, the series provides insight into the diverse career pathways within the profession and highlights the real-world impact environmental health professionals have on protecting public health.
The series was created to increase awareness of environmental health as a dynamic STEM-H and public health profession while helping viewers better understand workforce opportunities, mentorship experiences, and career pathways available through the program. Old Dominion University’s Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health is Virginia’s only EHAC-accredited undergraduate environmental health program and one of the four founding accredited environmental health programs in the United States.
Graduates have a 99% employment placement rate within 3–6 months of graduation and benefit from direct workforce pipelines into organizations such as the Virginia Department of Health, the Department of the Navy in Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health, the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA, and other federal, state, and local agencies. Follow the series on YouTube at @odu.envhealth and Instagram at @odu.envhealth
Featured Courses
Requirements
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Students must complete the following courses prior to entering the Environmental Health Program: ENGL 110C, ENGL 231C, BIOL 121N/122N, BIOL 123N/124N, BIOL 103, BIOL 250 or 240, CHEM 121N/122N, CHEM 123N/124N, CHEM 211, CHEM 212, PHYS 111N, COMM 101R, MATH 162M and STAT 130M. NOTE: Option D satisfies the Upper Division General Education requirement by completing six (6) credits at the 300-400 level outside of the college of your major. Foreign language may be satisfied with 3 years of 1 or 2 years of 2 languages in high school; graduation from HS prior to 12/31/85, or with AA or AS Degree from VCCS.
Transfer
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, we understand that as a transfer student you have unique needs that require a wide array of campus resources. The Center for Advising Administration and Academic Partnerships aims to create a transfer inclusive culture that supports the successful...
Careers
Check out these ideas from ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½'s Center for Career & Leadership Development and the . A median salary is a midpoint of what people typically earn—half of those surveyed earned above the median salary, and half earned below.
Design objects, facilities, and environments to optimize human well-being and overall system performance, applying theory, principles, and data regarding the relationship between humans and respective technology. Investigate and analyze characteristics of human behavior and performance as it relates to the use of technology.
Review, evaluate, and analyze work environments and design programs and procedures to control, eliminate, and prevent disease or injury caused by chemical, physical, and biological agents or ergonomic factors. May conduct inspections and enforce adherence to laws and regulations governing the health and safety of individuals. May be employed in the public or private sector. Includes environmental protection officers.
Plan, implement, and coordinate safety programs, requiring application of engineering principles and technology, to prevent or correct unsafe environmental working conditions.
Conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or the health of the population. Using knowledge of various scientific disciplines, may collect, synthesize, study, report, and recommend action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources.
Alumni Careers
Cost
Tuition is charged per credit hour. Amounts shown are tuition only and do not include mandatory fees, technology-delivered course fees, course-specific fees, books, housing, meal plans, or other costs. Campus-based students may take technology-delivered or online courses. Tuition is based on student classification. Fees for technology-delivered courses and other costs are listed on the ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ tuition and fees page.
Ways to Save
Here are a few ways for you to save on the cost of attending ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½. For more information visit University Student Financial Aid.
Scholarships
The Environmental Health (B.S.) program has two ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ scholarships available to students and numerous other scholarship opportunities with professional organizations. The ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Marton Technologies and the AuClair Scholarships each award at least $1000 annually.
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