Environmental Health Science

College of Health Sciences
Environmental Health Students at a river

Do you enjoy environmental protection, applying science, and helping others stay healthy? If so, EKU’s Environmental Health Science & Sustainability Program might be the perfect fit for you. This in-demand, versatile degree is one of the nation’s oldest and most respected programs of its kind, and often leads to lucrative career opportunities or fully-funded graduate studies right after graduation. Get one-on-one attention in small classes, yet be part of the largest BS-EHS program in the eastern United States. Be part of an inclusive global profession that values diversity and speaks a universal language applicable to communities all over the world. Explore your options below.

National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council logo

Degree Concentrations

Master's

Master of Public Health, Environmental/Occupational Health and Sustainability

Bachelor's

Environmental Health Science and Sustainability

Minors

Environmental Health Science and Sustainability

Certificates

Environmental Public Health Studies

Job Opportunities for Graduates

  • Environmental Scientists
  • Environmental & Occupational Health and Safety Managers
  • EHS Specialists and Sanitarians
  • Engineering Officers  
  • Industrial Hygienists
  • Epidemiologists
  • Infection Control Specialists
  • Sustainability Manager
  • Environmental Inspectors
  • Food Safety Managers
  • Consumer Safety Officers

Where Are Graduates Employed?

  • U.S. Public Health Service attached to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, National Park Service, Indian Health Service, U.S. Coast Guard, and other agencies
  • U.S. Army, as Environmental Science & Engineering Officers
  • Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection
  • Corporations including Tesla, Amazon, Toyota, Heaven Hill Distillery, Nissan North America, La-Z-Boy, American Wind Technology, Hitachi, Trane, Siemens, and more
  • Universities including UK, EKU, Indiana University, Kentucky State University and University of Iowa
  • Local Health Departments in Kentucky, surrounding states, and across the nation 
  • Laboratories, including Sandia National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant, US Navy Joint Base Charleston, Lockheed Martin, Naval Hospital Oak Harbor, Dugway Proving Grounds
  • Bechtel-Parsons/Blue Grass Army Depot
  • Kellogg and Texas Roadhouse, as National Food Safety Managers
  • U.S. Peace Corps
  • USDA-Agricultural Plant Health Inspection Service 
  • U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Advanced Education Opportunities

Recent graduates have pursued fully NIOSH-funded MS, MPH, DrPH, and PhD programs in Occupational Health or Industrial Hygiene, and some choose to receive research assistantship funding for MS and PhD programs in environmental health and epidemiology from:

  • University of Cincinnati
  • University of Alabama-Birmingham
  • University of Arizona
  • University of South Florida
  • University of Texas
  • Eastern Kentucky University
  • University of Illinois-Chicago
  • Colorado State University

The curriculum also satisfies nearly all recommended courses for students pursuing professional degrees (PharmD, DVM, MD, DO, DDS, OD, etc.). Many graduates have gone on to become Medical Doctors, Dentists and Pharmacists. 

Scholarship Opportunities

Students in the Environmental Health Science program are eligible to apply for the following scholarships:

  • The Joe E Beck Memorial Scholarship
  • The Peter Creighton Environmental Health Science Scholarship

Contact

https://ehs.eku.edu
Jamie.hisel@eku.edu            
859-622-7196                        
Dizney 220/233