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Environmental and Occupational Health Department

Environmental and occupational health (EOH) is the study of how the environment and the workplace impact public health.

Drexel University's Dornsife Department of Environmental and Occupational Health trains students in the core disciplines applicable to practice and to do research in the field, including toxicology, exposure science, epidemiology, risk assessment, and policy.

Students explore the multiple ways that chemical, radiological, and biological factors in the community and workplace impact health. The curriculum emphasizes preventive actions focused on creating healthier environments for communities and workers.

Drexel Dornsife’s Environmental and Occupational Health Mission and Vision

Drexel Dornsife’s Environmental and Occupational Health department trains students in the knowledge, skills, and values needed to advance equitable improvements in population health.

Our EOH students develop expertise in urban health, with a central theme of preventive action and through a lens of social justice.

The Department of Environmental and Occupational Health enthusiastically supports the Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health's founding vision of health as a human right.

Environmental and Occupational Health at Drexel Dornsife

  • EOH coursework and real-world, practical experiences focus on concepts and initiatives that decrease the burden of diseases caused by environmental and occupational factors.

  • Our world-class faculty are nationally and internationally known experts who conduct research on the ways that physical, chemical, radiological, and biological factors in the environments in which we live and work affect health, as well as ways to protect the health of communities and workers.

  • Our public health graduates enjoy successful careers in environmental and occupational health organizations, as well as corporate, and policymaking organizations engaged in the field.

What Is Environmental and Occupational Health?

Environmental and Occupational Health scientists focus on assessing and monitoring environmental and occupational exposures and on understanding the consequences for public health issues.

Core areas of study in environmental and occupational health include:

  • Climate change and other environmental determinants of health
  • Exposure to air pollution, pesticides, and other substances
  • Healthier housing
  • Health and injury prevention in the workplace
  • Access to clean water
  • Public health emergencies around the globe

To learn more about our university EOH degrees, request more information to speak with a member of our admissions team today or visit the link below for a full list of available opportunities.

A Word From Our Department Chair

Alex Quistberg headshot

Alex Quistberg, PhD, MPH
EOH Department Chair and Associate Research Professor

"Through the lens of social justice, EOH students learn how to make housing healthier, to promote health and prevent injuries in the workplace, ensure clean air and water, and to prepare for public health emergencies including those from human-caused climate change."

Read Dr. Quistberg's Welcome Letter and Faculty Bio.


Environmental and Occupational Health Degrees and Courses

Environmental and Occupational Health Master's and Doctoral Programs

Graduate Minors in Environmental and Occupational Health

View all graduate minors offered at the Dornsife School of Public Health.

Visit all EOH department graduate courses in the Drexel Catalog.

Certificates in Environmental and Occupational Health

Environmental and Occupational Health Undergraduate Minors

Featured News in Environmental and Occupational Health

health care worker comforts patient

Continuing Ed Trainings Support Long-Term Care Workforce

Ericka Kalp, PhD, MPH, CIC, FAPIC, partnered with Dornsife's Office of Education to develop five targeted micro-credentials for professionals working in long-term care, infection control, and public health.

More Dornsife news


Featured EOH Student Story

Headshots of the ten students selected for 2024 Dornsife Global Development Scholars program

Meet the 2024 Dornsife Global Development Scholars

Dornsife's new cohort of global scholars will work on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) projects internationally.

More student news

2022 FIRE Fellows

FIRE Fellows Contribute to Curriculum for EMS Responders

This year's FIRE Fellows addressed workplace violence prevention for fire-based emergency medical services (EMS) responders.

More student news