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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 Action Plan to Enhance Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Anti-Racism.

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

Anneclaire De Roos headshot

Anneclaire De Roos, PhD, MPH
EOH Department Interim Chair and 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. De Roos' 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

person applying bug spray to arm

What Lessons Have We Learned This Summer to Protect Workers in Extreme Heat?

Lead author of a new study, Leah Schinasi, PhD, shared information with the Drexel News Blog about why rest breaks are critical, particularly for those doing intensive work in extreme heat and how global climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic are making lawmakers and advocacy groups re-think protections for workers.

Washington Legislature Adds Funding for Assessment and Training to Firefighter Workers' Compensation Law

A partnership between Dornsife's Center for Firefighter Injury Research and Safety Trends (FIRST) and Washington State Department of Labor and Industries leads to new funding for fire and rescue safety culture assessments and training.

Future Careers in Infectious Disease

The Future of Careers in Infectious Disease

As the field of infectious disease faces staffing shortages, faculty in the Environmental and Occupational Health Department are training the next generation of infectious disease practitioners.

More Dornsife news


Featured EOH Student Story

Liam Romond on Drexel's campus

Investigating Workplace Safety and Health Hazards

An MPH student is selected for a prestigious occupational health internship program over the summer.

More student news

Kofoworola D. A. Williams, PhD, MPH

Leading and Designing Meaningful Public Health Research

A post-doctoral fellow at Northwestern University and alumna of the MPH program discusses her passion for public health research.

More student news