Program

Occupational and Environmental Exposure Science Program

The Exposure Science program provides rigorous training in both occupational and environmental health sciences, and recognizes that skills and knowledge in these disciplines are blended in professional practice. Download brochure (PDF)

Students work with faculty and staff engaged in ongoing research and service activities, such as those involved with the Field Research and Consultation Group (Field Group). The Field Group responds to the occupational safety and health needs in Washington State, and also provides learning experiences and research opportunities to students in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences.

Faculty are involved with research that are supported by leading centers and institutes affiliated with the department. 

Students also have access to state-of-the-art laboratories.

Master of Science (MS) in Occupational and Environmental Exposure Science

The Occupational and Environmental Exposure Science MS degree covers a diverse range of topics. These topics are selected to be responsive to the needs of students, employers, and workers in a modern global economy such as Washington state.

Our MS degree encompasses core courses, a Learning Emphasis area that you choose, requirement and elective courses for that particular area, and your choice of completing a thesis or portfolio.

Core courses comprise 31 credits and an emphasis area and that area’s respective elective courses require 22 credits to obtain the necessary minimum of 53 credits total.

Program Curriculum and Course Requirements (31 credits)

The MS degree curriculum consists of a core course sequence (ENV H 551, 553, and 557) covering hazard evaluation, exposure assessment, evaluation and control methods. In addition, graduates gain advanced knowledge in statistical analysis, epidemiology, and field sampling and data analysis.

The following tables outline the requirements for the degree credits and the MS thesis or portfolio option for the Occupational and Environmental Exposure Sciences MS degree.

Program Curriculum and Course Requirements (31 credits)

The following tables outline the requirements for the degree credits and the MS thesis or portfolio option for the Occupational and Environmental Exposure Science MS degree.

In addition to completing the core courses, students must select an emphasis area and complete the required 22 credits for that emphasis. Elective courses can be selected from the suggested lists, or other courses can be substituted with the approval of the student’s advisor, to obtain the necessary minimum of 53 credits total.

Master of Science Core Courses

Occupational and Environmental Exposure Science MS Core Courses

Learning Emphasis Areas (22 credits)

MS degree students select a learning emphasis area strengthen knowledge in a particular topic without needing a separate degree. Each emphasis area is designed to guide and instruct students in a topic of interest. Four Learning Emphasis Areas have been defined.

Click on the following links to find out more information about these emphasis areas. 

• Occupational Hygiene
• Ergonomics and Human Factors
• Health and Safety Management & Policy
• Exposure Biomarkers

Thesis and Project/Portfolio Options

MS students also can choose to complete a Master’s thesis or a Master's project in the portfolio option. Both the MS thesis and portfolio option require the same number of credits. The MS thesis is oriented toward students interested in building their research skills and in applying advanced scientific tools available in their thesis work. The portfolio option expands the opportunities for development of practical skills for students focused on professional careers. Students selecting the portfolio option complete an internship, a field-based project and written report, and document their learning experience in a web-based portfolio. Students are strongly encouraged to develop a portfolio and to conduct an internship even if they choose a traditional MS thesis.

Thesis research is typically supported by external funding awarded to a faculty member to investigate some aspect of an identified occupational health threat. For a list of past research, visit our Student Research Projects page. Students selecting the Portfolio option can combine paid internships and work in the private sector with their graduate degree project.

Guidelines for Project/Portfolio Option

1. Project Committee


Student must identify a Project Supervisory Committee with at least three members, two of whom shall be members of the Graduate Faculty. At least one member of the committee must be a regular faculty member in OEES, who will serve as the primary faculty adviser for purposes of ensuring student progress, and be designated as chair of the supervisory committee. If the project is community-based, the committee may include a person from the affected community stakeholders.

2. Project Proposal


Beginning in spring quarter of the first year, students must form their Supervisory Committee and report quarterly to the committee on their progress. The committee must meet and approve the written proposal by the end of spring quarter of the first year, with a copy submitted to the Graduate Program Office.

3. Project Expectations 


The Supervisory Committee will review the project proposal for adequacy using guidelines established by the OEES degree program. The project should be rigorous, demonstrate original thought, and examine a current issue or problem which has relevance to professional practice in exposure sciences. A reasonable test of adequacy is whether the project falls within the scope of current professional practice, could contribute to a professional practice or trade journal or could contribute to a publication in the peer-reviewed literature.

4. Project Completion 


The project must result in a formal written report that is reviewed and accepted by the supervisory committee. Once accepted, the report will be filed with the department’s Graduate program office. Usually, students are expected to present posters at Student Research Day, in addition, they may present their poster at a professional meeting. The student also must document their results in their professional portfolio and present the results in summary form to the community affected by the project.

Typical Organization of the Project Report

1. Abstract
: Provide a one page abstract or executive summary

2. Introduction and background: 
Present a brief review of the relevant published literature on the topic and how it relates to professional practice in exposure sciences.

3. Statement of problem to be solved: 
Provide background about the specific problem under study, a description of other pertinent information of importance and the rationale for the methods used in the project.

4. Methods: 
Describe the approach, and possible alternative approaches to the problem, and the problem setting. The setting may be specific or involve a broad organization or community issue, which may be discussed above in the Introduction. Describe the data and/or information available or that was collected, how the data was sampled, along with definitions of measures of outcome or effect. Define a process for analysis of the data and a summary metrics, with a focus on potential actions or policy implications.

5. Results and Findings: 
Describe the results of the data analysis and comparisons of interest in the data. Quantitative results should routinely include statistical analysis or measures of uncertainty where appropriate to evaluate the reliability of the findings. The results should also include assessment of the data reliability, quality assurance and control measures, and address issues of potential bias or other methodological limitations in the study.

6. Discussion, recommendations and potential solutions: 
Discuss the findings in the context of the problem statement, and highlight any conclusions which would be relevant to professional practice or community outcomes. Address how this project contributes to a problem solution or other findings which address a community or regulatory concern.

MS, Occupational and Environmental Exposure Science Typical Schedule

First Year

Second Year

[1] Take BIOST 511 or 517 only if you are not qualified to take BIOST 512 or 518 in Winter.

[2] OH emphasis area requires 4 credits of ENV H 557

[3] 9 credits required for the thesis option. ENV H 599C internship recommended, if not required by learning emphasis area.

[4] 9 credits required for the project option in:

ENV H 599C (3),
ENV H 559 (3),
and ENV H 598B (1 credit each A, W, Sp)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Environmental & Occupational Hygiene

The Exposure Science program jointly administers the Environmental and Occupational Hygiene Ph.D. option with the Environmental Health program. The general requirements for this Ph.D. option are described below and are identical for students in either program.

Learning Objectives

Upon satisfactory completion of the Doctor of Philosophy program in Environmental and Occupational Hygiene, students should be able to:

• Conceive, develop and conduct original research leading to significant advances in the knowledge of mechanisms of toxic action or in the assessment of risk deriving from exposure to toxicants
• Apply advanced methodology to research projects in environmental health and develop new research methods to address environmental or occupational problems
• Demonstrate written and oral skills by preparing papers and presentations for peer scientists and the community at large.

Program Curriculum and Course Requirements

PhD Environmental and Occupational Hygiene students are required to complete the PhD core courses, the Environmental and Occupational Hygiene Required courses, and twenty elective credits.

Doctor of Philosophy Core Courses

Environmental and Occupational Hygiene Required Courses