Here you can:
Translate your
research into
policy impact.
Harness your passion for improving public health.
At DEOHS, you can:
Help shape health and safety protections for temporary workers and others doing precarious work (the PhD research of Trevor Peckham, pictured above).
Identify on-the-job respiratory hazards for workers in the fast-growing cannabis industry.
Work with our Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety to study the health effects of heat exposure for agricultural workers.
Why study Occupational Hygiene/Exposure Science?
Exposure scientists quantify hazardous environmental exposures and their risk to human health. Occupational hygienists apply those skills in workplace settings by recognizing, evaluating and controlling exposures from risks such as heat, noise, dust and psychological stress that can cause occupational diseases and aggravate other health problems.
MS and MS Applied students can choose between our areas of emphasis in occupational hygiene and exposure science. For PhD students, these areas of emphasis are combined.
Our Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety, part of DEOHS, offers traineeships for the Industrial Hygiene/Exposure Science training program, funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
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As a student in Occupational Hygiene/Exposure Science, you will:
- Choose an area of emphasis in occupational hygiene or exposure science (for MS and MS Applied students) or a program including both areas of emphasis (PhD students).
- Take common core courses introducing foundational concepts and skills, including: risk assessment, management and communication; assessment and management of exposures to environmental hazards; core principles of toxicology; and how to use a One Health approach to address complex challenges.
- Learn how to monitor, analyze and control exposures to chemical, physical and biological agents in hazardous chemicals in a variety of settings. Students choosing the Occupational Hygiene area of emphasis receive additional training in occupational and environmental disease and industrial hygiene.
- Complete a culminating experience (thesis, project or dissertation) showcasing your ability to integrate the skills you have learned to address an environmental or occupational health problem.
Since joining the department, I’ve been impressed with how much research is going on and how many opportunities there are for students to get involved.
Allen Chan,
MS, Occupational Hygiene
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Occupational Hygiene and Exposure Science: Student research projects
Jessica Porter
Perceptions of and objective measures of gendered stress in construction
MS (Thesis) | Exposure Science (ES)
2019 | Noah S. Seixas
Zakary Reimann
Video exposure monitoring as a consultative tool in industrial hygiene
MS (Applied) | Applied Occupational Hygiene (App OH)
2019 | Martin A. Cohen
Our faculty and research
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This is a chance to use my training to mentor students and directly impact workers and businesses to help keep people safe.
Dr. Marissa Baker,
DEOHS Assistant Professor and Director of the industrial hygiene training program at the Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety at DEOHS.
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Research spotlight
Monitoring air quality in schools
Does ultrafine air pollution infiltrate schools near Sea-Tac Airport? DEOHS researchers partner with cities in South King County to find out.
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Heat, fire, smoke and health in Washington’s ag industry
DEOHS researchers investigate the combined health effects of wildfire smoke and heat on Washington’s agricultural workforce and test strategies to protect workers and crops
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Making workplaces safer through science
DEOHS study assesses gender differences in stress levels among construction workers
LEARN MORECareer pathways
Our Occupational Hygiene/Exposure Science graduates work in the public, private and nonprofit sectors and in academia. Recent DEOHS graduates work as:
- Safety and Health Compliance Officer with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.
- Industrial Safety Professional at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
- Industrial Hygienist at Boeing.
Alumni profile
I was actually surprised by how invested the faculty wanted to be in me and my own professional development in addition to helping me find funding. It’s just been a really rewarding experience.
Jessica Porter,
Industrial Safety Professional, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
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