Career services

Our department is one of the few at the University of Washington with our own career counselor dedicated to supporting students in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS). 

Introduction to Career Services

Our students have access to professional development programming, including: 

  • A required internship preparation seminar (ENV H 480) that provides structure and support for their internship search and applications. 
  • Employer roundtable discussions with representatives from agencies and industries to explore skills like collaboration and continuous improvement.
  • Opportunities to connect with DEOHS alumni at employers of interest. 
  • Workshops and webinars on topics including interviewing and career fair prep. 

 

Why choose a career in environmental and occupational health sciences? 

 

With more than 1,500 graduates over the past 75 years, DEOHS is building a highly skilled workforce of environmental public health and occupational health and safety professionals and researchers. Our graduates work at the local, national and global levels as leaders in government, academia and the corporate and nonprofit sectors. 

Graduates combine their scientific expertise and passion for improving health to create sustainable communities where everyone has access to clean air, clean water, safe food and safe workplaces. 

DEOHS graduates are sought after by major employers and earn highly competitive salaries.  

 

Top employers among state and federal agencies:

Environmental Protection Agency
UW Environmental Health & Safety
Washington Department of Labor & Industries

Top employers among companies: 

Amazon
Boeing
SeaCast



 

Top employers among local agencies: 

Public Health – Seattle & King County
Snohomish County Health Department
Tacoma–Pierce County Health Department
 

Top employers among consulting firms: 

Gradient
PBS Consulting
Ramboll



 

Career pathways

Cars driving through wildfire smoke
Environmental public health

The growing field of environmental public health encompasses emergency preparedness, food safety, infectious disease prevention and control and more.

Two workers on site in a mine
Occupational health and safety

Graduates in occupational health and safety enter a growing field that keeps workers safe on the job.

Doctors talking and reviewing information in a clinical setting
Medical or graduate school

The Environmental Public Health degree prepares students to pursue health care careers in fields including medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and nursing.

bikers on bridge
Climate change and sustainability

Environmental public health professionals work at the intersection of climate change, sustainability and human health.

Our alumni

Photo of Sara Mar

Sara Mar

BS, Environmental Health (EH)

Sara Mar graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Health in 2017 and now works as a CDC’s Public Health Associate Program (PHAP) Fellow.

Learn more

Screenshot of Cassady Surefleet from a video of her describing her internship experience

Cassady Surfleet

BS, Environmental Public Health (EPH)

Fast, chaotic, humbling: Protecting workers and the environment in rural Alaska

Learn more

Cartoon of two images of a woman in hijab with a right arrow between them. The first image shows her holding a bottle of soap and cleaning a sink. The second shows her spraying disinfectant on a sink. Text bubble above: Always clean before you disinfect so the disinfectab

Bruk Molla

BS, Environmental Health (EH)

DEOHS researchers with Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units develop comic strips in nine languages to promote safer cleaning habits for families

Learn more

Student profile photo of Rico Gonzalez

Rico Gonzalez

BS, Environmental Health (EH)

As an intern with the Port Angeles Health Department, Rico Gonzalez surveyed community members and local organizations to understand what information they needed about the health risks posed by wildfire smoke.

Learn more

Career development workshops 

Our department sponsors career development workshops and employer information sessions to prepare students for careers in the field. Students, faculty and public health leaders from across the Pacific Northwest meet to discuss employment opportunities available for environmental and occupational health graduates. Attendees include representatives from industry, consulting, governmental agencies and advocacy groups.  

Meet Dan

Older white man smiling at camera

My name is Dan Poux,  Manager of Experiential Learning & Career Services for DEOHS. I use he/him pronouns. I am excited to help you build skills that employers are looking for and prepare for your internship and your next steps after graduation. I’ve worked at UW since 2015 as both an academic adviser in Undergraduate Academic Affairs and a career coach in the Career & Internship Center. I learned a lot in that time about where my interests and my skills intersect and sought out this role that combines both. Learn more about my work and approach to engaging students through my LinkedIn profile.

Email me


 

Interested in learning more about our degrees?

Janet can help you make a plan to join the program

Newly admitted into our BS in Environmental Public Health?

Dan can working with you to get a jump on your internship plans

Getting ready for your internship

Enroll in ENV H 480, This course serves as an introduction and orientation to our internship program.